The Placer herald., 1874-02-14
NOT WELL TAKEN.

the result of Mr. Norton's labors, is falls,
in toto. The truth is, there is not position
scarcely, where hard work is to be performed
Or where great responsibility is required
but in which you will find Mr.. Norton fig
urng conspicuously and effectively, as re-
CARDS the interests of the people. We are
informed, perhaps better than the A'yus
correspondent, as to what Mr.. Norton is
doing, and we can assure the people of Pla-
Ger that if they expected or expect more of
him than he is doing, they simply expect
more than human power can accomplish.
In regard to Mr. Norton's speeches, which
the 4rgus correspondent says consist in
asking the Clerk TO call his name soon after
roll call we will say if they have not been
numerous and lengthy, they have certainly
been timely and to the point, and not only
to prove the argus correspondent a falsifer,
and show that his point against our very
worthy Representative is not well taken,
but for the edfcaton and interest of bis
constituents, we give synopsis of his re-
marks on that most important question to
the People of Placer, the regulation of Fares
and Freights, and in these words all will
agree that Mr.. Norton very ably speaks
the sentiments of the people of his county
on the subject When the bill was before
the House for engrossment, Mr.. Norton
said;
"Mr. Speaker, desire to address the
House upon one proposition, and one alone.
1t is in reply to the suggestion of the gen
tleman from San Diego, Mr.. Bowers-that
he did not believe there were fifteen mem
bers on the floor that would vote for the
engrossment of this bill upon its merits
For myself and the county that | in part
represent. rise for the purpose of stating
that | indorse the sentiments expressed in
the bill, and while it does not entirely salts
fy me with all its provisions, yet in the main
give it my hearty support. will say to
the gentleman and to the members here up
on this floor, that in the county of Placer
"A county that perhaps has felt the pow
er of this monopoly as greatly as any other
county in the State, because the railroad
runs its entire length--in the county of Pa-
Ger it is not the politician that has agtated
the question; the people for themselves have
risen en- masse, and at the last election we
found ourselves, as we found our opponents,
standing upon platforms alike upon this
question, each party pledged to go for a re-
duction of fare and freight, so that in that
locality this was the case. The people have
arisen in their might and have agitated this
question, because they, in their judgment,
were being trampled upon and oppressed by
the power of aggregated capital, and that,
too, from the Central Pacific Railroad Com
pany andt he other corporations in this State,
banking corporations and steamship lines
included, as well. So | say to the gentle
man from Los Angeles (Venable), and to the
gentleman from San Diego (Bowers), that
while this bill may discriminate disadvan-
tageously against us-yet, standing upon
the principle, being willing to mete out
equal and exact justice to all, we have con-
Guided to accept the bitter with the sweet
and to stand in with the balance of you
and we hope when the fight comes on,
when this bill shall be here TO, it, final pas
sage, that we will find the indefatigable and
polished Bowers with us, and the silver
tongued Amerman. who has opposed us;
and when we win the victory, the shining
head of my friend from Yoo (Freeman)
will be covered all over with glory laugh
ter and my heart will be filled with joy. ."
On the passage of the bill, Mr.. Norton
spoke further as follows;
"He said it has been charged that
many of the advocates of this bill were at
heart opposed to it. 1t seemed little sin
gular that 50 many members of this As
sembly were pledged in favor of measure
reducing fares and freights upon the railroad
lines of this State. There was a power be-
hind the members. 1t was the people who
had been moving in their might and majesty
In the last elections they spoke surely and
definitely upon this subject. The members
were but the agents of the people, sent here
to do the will of their masters He be-
lieved that pledges made to the people
should be kept to the letter. The PROPOSE
ton involved in this bill had met his hearty
support when it was discussed in all its
bearings at the late canvass, and he came
here with Judgment of his own in favor of
1t, aside from the judgment OF the people he
represented, which was also IN favor of it.
The great question of whether or not the
Legislature had power to control railroads
and to regulate their fares and freghts had
recently been decided by the Supreme Court
of the United States in the Iowa case.
Even the enemies of this bill conceded that
the Legislature had this power, and professed
to be in favor of any just bill regulating
fares and freghts. The next question was,
was the Legislature exercising this power
justly? AS he had said when the bill was
upon its engrossment, there were
things in the bill that did not meet his en-
tire appreciation. He had been in favor of
a still greater reduction in the rates of fare,
but the committee had decided that as it
was matter of doubt whether or not the