The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-07-18
The Convention of West Tem-
meSSee Farmers at Hum bold
ON the Second Instant.

The Convention of West Tem-
mesSee Farmers at Hum bold
ON the Second Instant.
Memphis Appeal
HUMBOLDT, July 3, 1873.-As inform
ed you by telegraph, there wasquite an
interesting discussion in the farmers
convention here on yesterday, upon the
railroad question. / now propose to
give you brief account of some of the
speakers upon this question which
is now SO much exciting the public
mind.
The resolution, as introduced by the
committee, was to this effect: "That we
sympathize with the farmers of the
northwest in their contest with railroad,
and other monopolies."
Colonel Caldwell, of Trenton, said we
could not support this resolution, as il
stood. 1t was, he thought, a general
and indiscriminate attack upon rail-
roads. While he could not and did not
approve of all they did, he believed they
We're very beneficial to the country. He
could not understand why men were so
anxious to get railroads, and after they
got them were so violent in their at
tacks upon them. If the railroad COM
panies violated their charters there was
remedy in the courts. If they did not
violate them, then all this clamor
against them was unnecessary. Rails
IOduS OlEOu LOO IuuCus dS lie
Thought, and farmers themselves, il they
found corn in their neighborhoods to be
scarce, would charge high price, al
though corn might be cheap in other
sections. This was human nature
They had other ways, he said, of reme-
dying this evil of high charges on rail-
roads than overriding the constitution
and the laws. The farmers were a law
abiding people, and were interested in
preserving high regard for good faith in
everything. He was anxious to i'm
prove the condition Of the farmers, the
greatest producing class in the country !;
and to do this he thought more could be
accomplished by improving the agri-
culture of the country, and creating a
taste for and love of agricultural pur-
suits, than by warning upon other call
ings. All branches of industry in this
country were, or should be, mutually
beneficial to each other. The railroads
benefited the farmers, and the farmers
assisted in sustaining the railroads.
Mr.. Greene, of Jackson, said he favor
ed the resolution as it stood. It was no
attack upon railroads except when they
did wrong. He was opposed to the I'M
just Determinations made by railroads,
often against the interests of those who
built them. He thought the remedy
was by legislation, and he was satisfied
the courts would sustain such legisla-
ton. He said the railroad companies
were becoming monopolies and Cypress
ing the people, whom they should favor.
Mr.. r.. b. Hurt, of Jackson, said he
had right to speak to the farmers. He
was not only farmer himself, proud of
his occupation, but he had trained his
sons to be farmers, and he was happy to
say they were good ones. He was not
willing to join in an in discriminate war
on railroad companies. The farmers
must respect and abide by the laws.
The railroad companies had chartered
rights which we could not take from
them without oVerturning all principles
of government. Whenever they went
byond and in violation of law, the rail
road companies could and should be
held responsible. The laws now pro-
vide tor this. He has apprehended the
war between railroad companies and
farmers would do neither any good.
They would both be benefited by con-
sulting each others interests, and he
thought there were other means of ac-
complishing the objects the farmers had
in view much better than an indiscrim-
mate war on railroad companies
Mr.. Merriwether, of jackson, said he
wanted the resolution to stand as it was.
The farmers had rights that should be
protected and he thought many of the
railroad companies were combining to
not an enemy of railroads properly con-
Quoted, but be was opposed to all unjust
monopolies whether railroads or any
thing else.
Mr. w. ]. Sykes, of Memphis, said,
with the permission of the convention.
he would make few remarks. He had
for years been the advocate of cheap
transportation. He thought and had
said on many occasions that railroad
charges on local freight and local pas
Sengers, in his opinion, were much too
high. He believed that railroad COM
panie5 would increase their business
and their profits Dy reducing their local
rates. He had favored everything that
would give cheap transportation, be-
cause he thought in this ay the bust
ness, the productions, and the wealth of
the country would be greatly increased.
Whilst these were his views, he did not
think the plan recently ADVOCATED in the
north, that of warning on railroads,
would accomplish this object, but would
greatly retard it. This war tended to
discourage the building of any more
roads of any kind, and this result would
place all power in the hands of the pres
ent companies and make them nlONOpO-
lies, in deed and in truth. These come
panies have chartered rights which the
courts would enforce, aud il the State
courts, elected under excitement, refus~
gu 10 40 So Gn6 bnlG0u SIdG0S
would. He did not believe in defeating
Judges because they had the nerve to
decide what every lawyer of standing
knew to be correct. There were many
reasons why local freights could not be
carried as cheap as through freight.
The cars were often only half loaded,
and had to make many stops, which
were very expensive. Often the cars
that carried local freight had to be re-
turned empty. This increased the ex-
pense. This question of through and To-
cal freights was very complicated and
difficult one. If the roads lost all their
through business they would have to
charge more on local freights. He
thought, as before stated, that they
could and should, for their own inter-
ests, reduce their local freight. but that
was a question fQF them to decide, SO
long as they observed their chSEt6rs.
AS to the idea that any legislature could
deprive any company, whether mining,
manufacturing, or railroad, of it's chart
cred rights, that could not be entertain
ed for moment if we had any regard
for Law and order. He thought from all
he bad heard, GaSrs FaG not much diff |
ference of opinion in that BODY. All |
were in favor of railroads, and all were |
opposed to injustice and oppression Of |
the farmers or any other class.
The resolution, on motion of Mr.. Mer- |
was modified, and then receiv- |
ed the unanimous support Of ths eon-