The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-07

torrent of calumny which they had let 1 loose in the state, instead of winning popular favor only excited public execra- l ton and contempt.
 The crushing and humiliating defeat
 which his ally received did for a time
 give Mr. Conner pause. His close friends and political managers warned him that he would meet a similar fate unless he changed his methods; hence, in the first speech which he delivered after the April primary, somewhat sobered by the dark shadow of defeat which hung across his
 pathway, he did undertake to assume a l tone of moderation and dignity of speech consistent with the high office 10 which he aspired Yet his insineerity was too apparent and his protestations Of affection for those whom he had but recently denounced were too fusome to win public confidence in the sincerity of
 his seeming change of attitude
 After few days he threw off the
 cloak of dignity which had set so awk-
 wardly upon his shoulders and again re-
 newed his usual campaign of vilifica-
 ton. All the influence of his friends
 could not suppress the venom of his na-
 ture- He flooded the state with letters
 In which he reiterated with renewed zeal
 the same stale campaign canards In ref
 erence to myself and my administra-
 tion, which Hobson had worn threadbare
 and in an open letter he declared tha.
 Governor O'Neal, A bond-servant of the
 allied interests said he would name the
 next governor Thousands of postal cards
 containing this statement issued and cir
 culated at enormous expense were sent to
 almost every voter in Alabama. The evil
 dent purpose of the statement was to rep
 resent me to the people of Alabama as
 conceited and arrogant political boss
 boosting of his political powers. and at
 suming to dictate his successor. When
 and where and to whom did I say that
 would name the next governor? The
 charge is as silly as i, is false-a fabri-
 cation conceived in hatred and inspired by political and personal animosty. It mat
 ters not. however, with MT. Conner, that the statement was false and that he knew it was false when he gave 1t cir culation. for the only consideration that ever controlled him was whether he be- lieved it would enure to his political ad- vantage. Such a charge is worthy of a man who, as I have heretofore said, has negotiated with felon and trafficed in the pardoning power for political pur- poses.
 "Mr. Conner has again given utter ance to the charge that I am under the domination of the liquor interests He assumes that every man who ad- vocates local self government and local option, cardinal creeds of the demo- cratic party, and who does not wear the collar of Brooks Lawrence, is an ally of the liquor interests. These same charges he and his sponsor, Brooks Lawrence. made when I lead the fight against the constitutional amendment and again when l became candidate for governor, and in two elections the people of Alabama put upon them the stamp of their contempt and branded them as viciously false. No man can point to a single act of my administra- tion where the liquor or any other selfish special interest have received any consideration. Yet, with ribald islander as his chief stock in trade, MT. Conner commenced this campaign, and the pleadings and warnings of friends
 will not cause him to alter his course
 until public indignation removes him permanently from the political arena.
 ''He has never yet in the course of
 his political career withdrawn any
 charge, however overwhelming and con-
 vincing might be the proof of it's falsi ty, if he believed he could gain a sin
 gle vote by it's utterance.
 Child Labor
 Tn the publi, speech which I de- livered l charged that MT. Conner had organized and lead the lobby which
 defeated adequate child labor law
 under Governor Sanford, and that again, when an effort was made in the
 early part of his administration to en-
 act an adequate child labor law he
 again succeeded in defeating that im- 1 portant reform. He does not meet any specific charge but contents himself with a sweeping denial Every charge which l made is corroborated by an examination of the manuscript copy of the code of Alabama on file in the of ice of the secretary of state.
 "Col. s. w. John was chairman of the legislative committee on code revision,
 and was the author of the provisions on
 child labor written in that manuscript. humane man, he recognized how cruel.
 unjust and inadequate were our laws on
 that subject and had the reforms which
 he wrote in our law been adopted our
 child labor laws would have been in
 line with the progressive and advanced
 states of the union When the legislative
 committee passed on his work they ruth
 provision he had incorporated in the code. By whose agency were these changes made?
 Col. G. w. Pratt has given a full and interesting detail of the transaction and has openly declared that it was by 1 the active efforts and influence of B. B. l Conner, a millionaire mill owner, that hu- ] man greed and sefishness ware allowed ] to overcome the demands of Justice and 1 humanity. These charges of Colonel I Pratt Mir Conner has not and will not ] dare deny.
 "The fact that the provision on child I labor incorporated in the manuscript oi l the code were written by Colonel Johr | is attested by his signature in red inl l or the margin. Section 5729 of that manu l script provided that no girl under IA years | of age should work in any mill or factory | in Alabama. Again 1t was provided tha l no child should be employed unless sucf | child had attended school for not less ! than 12 weeks in each year. The code ! committee reduced the number of weeks I to eight and struck out the age limit ! of l4 years for girls reducing it to l2 years ] for all children.
 Hours of Labor
 Again, the most important change made | by Colonel John was the provision found | in section 5731 of the code manuscript, providing that no boy over 12 and under l 16 years of age and no girl over IA and | under 16 years of age should be required to work in any mill or factory in Alabama over eight hours in one calendar day, or 46 hours in one week The United States government has fixed eight hours as q limit for work of it's laborers and employees and it would seem that nc greater hours of labor should be exacted from young boys and girls. Yet, under the influence of B. B. Conner the majority of the legislative committee whom he dominated and controlled struck down this provision framed by Colonel John and in lieu thereof fixed GO hours a week as l the limit for labor For a child over 1i years of age the limit was entirely taken | off, and they could be forced to obey their
 taskma sters and toll until their physical
 and mental strength was exhausted The I If.rfx 1rl, ..aA hv