The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-30
.CARNLEY REVIEWS
 RECENT CHARGES
Holds Merritt, Rice and Burr Responsible for Laws Ad-
 verse to People

J. A. Carnley of Elba, candidate for president of the Alabama public service commission, while in Birmingham yester- day charged that Charles E. Rice of Bir-
 mingham, with the assistance of Henry P. Merritt and certain legislative lobbyists, struck out from the public utilities bill l the section which placed the people on the same footing with the railroads and other corporations.
 "The house journal shows that one of ! my opponents, Henry P Merritt, voted to strike from the public utilities bill those sections c, 8, g and 1O) which provided | that the people should have notice by pub lication for 30 days before any rates could be changed, said Mir Carnley. These sections also gave to the people of the state the right to appeal from the de- 1 cisions of the commission, right en- | joyed by the railroads Mr. Merritt voted 1 to strike out the amendments objection ] able to the corporations and leftAthe bill
 as advocated by Charles E. Rice and other l, lobbyists In fact, during the entire ses- l sion Charles Rice and Borden Burr, as the l attorneys and lobbyists for many of the | large public service and railroad corpor- ations practically controlled the legisa- ! ture, through the aid of Mr. Merritt and some of the other members of that body. 1 Neither MT. Merritt nor Sam P. Ken l nedy, my two opponents, is in favor of
 allowing the people the right of appeal | from the decisions of the commission, a right which the railroads and other cor ] porations have. Does this fact not make l it imperative for the people to select as l the head of the commission a man who will represent them. rather than one who | has always been aligned with the corpor- ations? If the people of the state could appeal from the decisions, it would not be | so important, but they are forced to ! abide by the decision of the commission. J T am thoroughly convinced that the ! democrats of Alabama are tired of fac l tional politics. The party in this state has been faction worn and faction torn. We have had too much slate making and l hand picking by so-called leaders on both
 sides It is high time for a political awakening in Alabama. We should rele- I gate to the rear factional politics and 1 stand together for the principles of the | party-ocal self government and control l by majority of the voters rather than 1 by few hand pickers and bosses. The l development of this state has been re- l tarded by the political conditions which
 have existed for the past decade.
 l T have stated all these opinions in my 1 speeches over the state and find that the people indorse these ideas. They do not I want Mir Kennedy, who is a candidate i of the railroads. nor do they want MT | Merritt, who is the candidate of the Ala. bama Power company and certain other 1 public service corporations. I intend tc l keep these real issues before the people l I shall return to Birmingham at an early 1 date and will again make an effort tc l get my two opponents to meet me in joint 1 debate here so the people can hear the | real issues discussed. I am willing to let 1 the people decide if these things I charge ] are not true, after hearing all three oi I the candidates discuss the issues in this l race"
 Mr. Carnley left yesterday for his home 1 where he will be engaged in court for the coming week. He stated that he would 1 return to Birmingham at the earliest pos sible date and would prosecute the cam
 paign with the utmost vigor until the primary in May.