The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-02-15

States supreme court had time and again said that the state, either through it's legislature or it's accredit- ed agent, the railroad commission, had the power to make rates, and this pow CT the railroads could not affirm nor deny nor put into a compromise as of value unless with people who did not understand. I say then that the states share of the compromise was infin- tesimal.
 HARVEST FOR THE ROADS
 The contesting roads secured the dis missal of the states appeal, suit on which the state had spent tens of thousands of dollars. a suit which tens of thousands of people believed was nearly won, a suit in which it was vastly important to have an affirma- tive decision by the supreme court, which decision would have been worth more than any possible cost By the dismissal of the appeal alfd the affirm ing of Judge Jones' injunction, which of. itself was as bad as could be, the roads were secured against the states chances for an affirmative decision. The railroad attorneys by their very conduct showed that they believed and that they were fearful the final ad- judication was imminent and against them. The conduct of the whole thing 1 looks like publicity, deliberation aud appeal were very, dangerous to some interests. They certainly were not dangerous to the states interests.
 BARGAINED AWAY PRESTIGE
 Governor O'Neal needed the good old Dutch word, "Duchhalten." meaning hold out" or the good old American phfaSe, See the thing through" the key to every success; and what a pity 1t was not used here, for Alabama's prestige should not have been meas ured by the cost and was<not thing to be bargained away.
 It was unfortunate that the other railroads of the state who did not fight the states rights, who had for years given their patrons fun benefit and were in perfect concord with the laws should have such an exhibition held I'D to them of the successful result of holding out and contesting the rights and laws of the state
 The officers of Minnesota, Missouri and Arkansas held the protection of their citizens and the good name of the state far above the money involved and 1t is greatly to be regretted that Alabama was not put in the same cat alogue
 GOV. O'NEAL4 HITS WILDLY
 Governor-ONeal says this settlement FSvas tried before the people in the Hen derson-Comer primary and the neonle affirmed the settlement and branded the charges as above made as false malicious and unfounded and iumps on the Montgomery Journal for printing the terms of settlement and calling at
 tention to it with few of his choicest eplthets He also pays his respects to MT. H. c. Merritt who was for years a prominent member of the Ala pama legislature and was prominently connected with the enactment of some Of the most Important laws and the aaoptlon or some of the most impor- tant policies of the state, and was chair man man oI the Investigating committee of l9la-l9. Governor ONeai says he was my friend and proceeds to use some of
 his choice villification adjectives on hims In fact, some of his language sounds like the cross roads bully about nalf tanked on potash liquor.
 SAM KENNEDY AND CHARLEY LEWIS
 1t IS true that in the primary cam paign of 1915-19 when I first heard of these settlements I was very n,,ch aroused and tried to bring then, sauarely before the people, but Govcr- nor O'Neal knows that that primary was poodle campaign, a liquor cam palgn and 1t could not be got beyond it. He knows that Mr. Sam Kennedy. at the time clerk of the railroad elm mission under Mir. Henderson and campaign manager for Mir. Henderson
 went to Nashville to see Mr Charles Lewis, who was the head chief of the poodle dispensers of the stare and eVerybody can guess what he went for governor O'Neal also knows that the raiiroads contributed large sums to tnat campaign to be used in the inter- est of Governor Henderson. and it was one Of the most debauching, illegal primaries ever held in the state. and tilat the people did not by referendum vote, brand criticisms and objections 10 this ONeal-Henderson settlement as False, malicious and unfounded" THE JOURNAL DID RIGHT
 AS to the Montgomery Journals pub- lication of the wording of this settle inent as a news item, I was very much interested in it. l had never seen the publication until brought out by inc Birmingham News. and while I have no doubt the court records show just as Governor o'Neal says they do, yet Gov ernor o'Neal will admif that he and Governor Henderson did not give any wide publicity to the settlement and neither did the railroads advertise if 1 like they did Jim Dandy Meal and the disbonest transaction that I proposed
 to have with my Cousin Dickart, and 1 in my opinion the Montgomery Journal did the people of the state quite a ser wee Tn bringing this settlement up.
 Their idea, I am sure, was to have + l spectular before the people. and an, sure that referendum or what not. the people do not want any more just ] like it.
 MIR. MERRITT IS MY FRIEND Governor ONeal says Mfr. Merritt is
 my friend. Sure thing-he was one of
 the leaders in the legislature of 1907- io, called by some people the Conner legislature The legislature of 1s07-
 io was one of the best the state ever
 had. Many of the members, among
 them Judge Merritt. were. I am glad to
 say, my very strong friends and I love
 them 10 this day and stand ready at any tune to do whatever I can for
 them. They stood for high, higher and
 stiii higher education. for temperance,
 for advanced civilization: they stood for peoples government and that the gov
 ernment should be run in the interest
 of the people and should be conducted
 From the state capitol at Montgomery uncontrolled by whisky and railroads. and the records of the state and of the United States show that every con
 tention was right and that the entire state government is now on this very high platform, and that Alabama from
 being one of the most reactionary of the states is one of the most progress sive. For this success every citizen l who has been associated with carry ing them out. which certainly includes that remarkable legislature had juSt cause for congratulation from every i citizen of the state
 Respectfully submitted to the people of the statr. 1. F. CONFER.