Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1873-07-12
THE ORANGES.
The Convention Oh West TenHcs-
see Farmers at Humboldt
speeches oE MessrS. CaId well, IIuFt
WcrrtseGhcr and Sykcs---
RESOLUTIONS Passed.

ormed you by telegraph, there was /
.uite an interesting discussion in
he farmers convention here Oh yes 1
erday, upon the railroad question.
now propose 10 give you a brief !
.ccount of some of the speakers up
IN this question which Is now so
much exciting the public mind.
The resolutions, as introduced by
he committee, was TO this effect:
That we sympathize with the far
ners of the northwest in their con-
est with railroad and other mOnop-
ylies."
Colonel Caldwell, of Trenton,
;aid we could not support this reso- |
ution, as it stood. 1t was. he
thought, a general and indiscrimin-
lte attack upon railroads. While
ne could not and aid not approve
Of all they did, he believed they
we're very beneficial TO the country.
lie could not understand why men
were so anxious to get railroads,
and after they got them were so
violent in their attacks upon them.
If the railroad companies violated
their charters there was remedy in
the courts. If they did not violate
them, then all this clamOr against
them was unnecessary. Railroads
often charged too much, as he
thought, and farmers themselves,
if they found corn in their neigh
borhoOds to be scarce, would charge
a high price, although corn might
be cheap in other sections. This
was human nature. They had 9th
er ways, he said, of remedying this
evil of high charges on railroads
than overriding the constitution and
the laws. The farmers were a law
abiding people, and were interested
in preserving a high regard for good
faith in everything. He was anN.
ious to improve the condition of the
farmers, the greatest producing
class in the country; and TO do this
he thought more could be accom-.
plished by improving the agricul.
ture of the country, and creating 5
taste for and love OF agricultural
pursuits, than by warning upon
other callings. All branches Of in.
dustry in this country were, e.
should be, mutually beneficial to
each other. The railroads benefited
the farmers, and the farmers assist
ed in sustaining the railroads.
Mr.. Greene, of Jackson, said he
favored the resolution as il stood
1t was no attack upon railroads ex-
cept when they did wrong. He vas
opposed to the unjust discrimina.
tions made by railroads, often
against the interests of those who
built them. lie thought the rene.
dy was by legislation, and he was
satisfied the courts would sustain
such legislation. He said the rail.
road companies were becoming
mOnopolies and expressing the PEG.
pie, whom they should favor.
Mr.. Il. B. Hurt, of jackson, sale
he had right to speak to the farm
ers. He was not only a farmer him
self, proud of his occupation, but II,
had trained his sons to be farmers
and he was happy to say they Nver'
good ones. He was not willing t
join in an indiscriminate war OIL
railroad companies. The farmer
must respect and abide by the laws
The railroad companies had char
tered rights which we could no
take from them without overturn
ing all principles of government
Whenever they went beyond and il
violation of law, the railroad com
panies could and should be hell
responsible. The laws now pro
vide for this. He has apprehendeC
the war between railroad compa
MES and farmers would do neithe
any good. They would both b.
benefited by consulting each other
interests, and he thought there wer
other means of accomplishing tn
objects the farmers had in view
much better than an indiscriminat,
war on railroad companies.
Mr.. Merriwether, of Jackson
said he wanted the resolution Il
stand as it was. The farmers haC
rights that should be protected anC
he thought many of the railroad
companies were combining to de
prive them of these rights. lie wa
not an enemy of railroads properly
conducted, but he was opposed t
all unjust mOnOpOlies whether rail
roads or anything else.
Mr.. w. j. Sykes, of Memphis
said, with the permission of th'
convention, he would make a few
remarks. He had for years beer
the advocate of cheap transporta
ton. He thought and had said OF
many occasions that railroad Charge
on local freight and local passen
gers, in his opinion, much too high
He believed that railroad companie
would increase their business anC
their profits by reducing their loca
rates. He had favored everything
that would give cheap transporta
ton, because he thought in this way
the business, the productions, anC
the wealth of the country would b,
greatly increased. Whilst thes,
were his views, he did not think
the plan recently advocated in tho
north, that of warning on railroads
would accomplish this object, bui
would greatly retard il. This war
tended to discourage the building oil
any more roads of any kind, and
this result would place all power in
the hands of the present cOmpanie.
and make them mORODOlieS, in deed
and in truth. These companies have
chartered rights which the courts
would enforce, and if the State
courts. elected under excitement,
refused to do so, the United States
courts would. lie did not believe
in defeating judges because they
had the nerve to decide what every
lawyer of standing knew TO be cor
rect. There were many reasons
why local frieghts could not be car
ried as cheap as through freight.
The cars were often only half load
ed, and had to make many stops.
which were very expensive. Often
the cars that carried local freight
had to be returned empty. This in
creased the expense. This question
of through and local freights was
a very complicated and difficult one.
IL 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 interests, re-
duce their local freight, but that
was a question for them to decide.
so long as they observe their char
tiers. AS to the idea that any leois-
lature could deprive any company.
whether mining, manufacturing, or
railroad, of its charted rights, that
could not be entertained for mo-
ment if we had any regard for law
and order. He thought from all he
had heard, there was not much diff
ference of opinion in that body.
All were in favor of railroads, and
all were opposed to injustice and op-
preston of the farmers or any other
class.
The resolution, on motion of Mr..
was modified, and
then received the unanimous sup
port of the convention.
According to the New Orleans let
or to the Cincinnati Commercial,
which we publish elsewhese, the