The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-01
GA|L[ARD SPEAKS AT UN|ONTOWN|N
 FAVOR OF COMER
Newly Elected Railroad Commissioner Tells Why He Is Support
 ing Conner

Uniontown, April so.-tSpecial) ) s. P. Gaillard of Mobile. recently nom- mated for railroad commissioner, in a speech here tonight advocated the nomination of B. B. Conner for gov ernor MT Gaillard took the ground that he would not only not support Henderson, but would favor his recall from his present office. His speech in part follows:
 "A careful study of the official rec ords of Messrs. Conner and Hender- son leaves me no alternative but to support Governor Conner. quite apart from any personal feeling toward eith- CT candidate.
 As l read Mr. Henderson's record, not only feel compelled to exert my personal influence against his promo ton to the governorship, but if 1t were possible l would vote to recall him from his present office of presi- dent of the railroad commission l would not want MT Henderson to deal other than with strict fairness toward all railroads, as we'll as to the people, but l am forced to the conviction that he has not dealt impartially as be- tween the people and the Railroads but has shown reluctance even to take up for consideration complaints as to rates charged to be inequitable, or having once taken them up to finally dispose of them, as in the Mo- bile pig iron case. This was my con viction prior to the 'humiliating' so- 21, 1914. which was conceived in SC : cret and born in shame. and for which he must and will be held re- sponsible by the people of Alabama as its father. The hurtful results flow ing from this remarkable agreement are the same to the state, whether its execution is to be attributed to his inability to see it's barrenness Of benefits to the public or because of 8 more culpable willingness to sacrifice the states interests for personal po- litical advantage, or because he hon. estly thought 1t was just and fair in its terms. As a settlement of the points litigated it is as fatally defec- tive for it's omissions as for It's posi- tive provisions"
 After quoting from the recent state ment of H. c, Selheimer, MT. Gaillard proceeded:
 Now, then. in the light of these facts, let me call your attention to the terms of the compromise-so- called. It was surrender to pro- vide that the railroad companies ben efited by it should be relieved of lia : bility for failure to put in force the F -cent rate in 1913. as ordered by the commissien; thereby attempting to relieve them from liability to redeem coupons representing the disputed ex- cess exacted by them, aggregating an enormous sum to the travelling public, while for seven years the Southern and other roads had. under their agree ment with Governor Conner, put into effect without qualification and main tained reduced passenger and freight rates.
 "It was surrender to provide by the fourth paragraph that the agreement should not be considered as voluntary concession by the railroads, that the pas senger rates fixed by the commission were just and reasonable nor that 1t was the final result of litigation. thus leaving the question unsettled and open to litiga- tion at any time. when three United States judges had refused to interfere by in- junction or otherwise, and to a moral cer- tainty the United StateS supreme court court would have refused to interfere with the railroad commissions order fix ing the rate.
 Tt was an act of fony to provide that the states appeal from Judge Jones' in- junction order against putting in opera tion the statutory freight rates should be dismissed and the entire question left as open to new injunctions and protra cted litigation as 1t was seven years ago. It was an inconceivable act of folly to do these things without first consulting the eminent attorneys specially employed by the governor to prosecute the appeal and who were then activesy engaged in it's prosecution. as to the scope, effect and