The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-24
Temperature
7 aufaof

known that this bill was pressed
through the Legislature as an admio-
istration and Conner measure. The OIL
which required a bond of .he president
of the board of convict inspectors was
allowed to sleep undisturbed IN the
files of the committee room 90 not
make any charge that money belong
ing to the convict department during
Mr.. Comer's administration was taken,
behind the capitol and divided. but 1t
is fact as disclosed by the shallow
set plow of the convict investigation,
that the state was deprived for three
months at a time of the use OF the
enormous sums coming into the convict
department, which was left for that
time in the hands of his son-in-law.
Will Discuss Corners Record
II will not at this time make ref
erence to any of the other matters
upon which Governor Conner has at
tackled me. | hereby serve notice upon
him. however, that | will at an early
date discuss him and his record in d
public speech which l propose to make
in Montgomery.
"In that speech l will undertake 10
show. not from here-say, not from
loose tongue gossip not from what
they say but by the records of his
own Observation-Disclosures claiming 70
be the unrelenting foe of the special
interests no man ever sought the office
of governor ofjAlabama who was more
completely under the domination and
control of these selfish special inter-
ests than b. B. Conner.
II will show from the records that
while he was governor, when an ei-
fort was made to save the little cu'l-
dren of the state from the barbarism
and cruelty OF child labor in the mills
and cotton factories of Alabama, that
H.. ,ad to the pres
dents and managers of the cotton mills
of the state and by his efforts de-
feated the bill which was pending TO
nut the age limit of children that work
in factories and mills at IA years OF
age 1t was by his efforts that Alabama
today stands as one of the three states
of this union that permits the life,
health and intelligence of little chill
dren to be coined into dollars to swell
the dividends of thes capitalistic class
that own the cotton mills OF the state
II will show from the records that
b. b. Conner personally urged the pas
sage of the law exempting all cotton
mills, erected after his term of off1ce
commenced, from state county and NUM-
cipal taxation. That when it was pro-
posed to him that this system of exemp-
ton should apply to all factories IN
Alabama besides cotton mills. he lndlg-
nantly rejected the proposition, and that
1t was only by the vote of the then SEN
ator from Montgomery, Hon. Charles
Teasley. that this iniauitous measure was
defeated
Fight Against l.. & N.
II will show by the records that 1t
was during the administration of b. b.
Conner that the most valuable asset
which the state of Alabama possessed-ius
enormous water power-was deliberately
surrendered to foreign monopoly; that
not only were these valuable rights OF
the people given away without COM
ensation but that the property OF TINS
monopoly was exempted from taxation,
as was all property which they might re-
ouire for the purpose of utilizing their
power.
II will also show from the records that
his legislature, with his consent, vested
in these water power companies FOR
eirn monopoly, the most far-reaching, eX-
tensive and autocratic power of eminent
domain ever conferred by any state of
the union upon any private corporation.
IT will also show from his record that
aside from the fight which he made
against the Louisville and Nashville rail-
road, which was inspired alone by per-
sonal hostility, his efforts to regulate
and control railroads have been a mis-
cradle failure. entailing upon the state
enormous costs, forcing the courts to
declare law after law, passed by his
legislature. as unconstitutional, and fur
nishing the people no relief.
II will show that during my administra-
tion under the policies that 1 have pur-
sued. the entire railroad litigation has
been settled, the rights of the state pro-
tected, and just, fair and equitable pas
senger and freight rates secured to the
people of Alabama.
II will demonstrate that with the ex-
|ception of his attacks upon the LOUIS
vile and Nashville railroad. no COVER
nor OF Alabama has ever been more re-
dictionary. less progressive or more thor