Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-03-04
From our Special Correspondent
RAILROAD DISCRIMINATION


NASHVILLE, March l, 1875.-Senatol
Wilson presented this morning an in
teresting memorial from a special com.
mittee OF the State grange, which re-
Gently met at Knoxville, which memo.
rial embraced a statement made to the
State grange by subordinate grange oi
Davidson county, setting forth these
facts in relation to unjust railroad dis.
examinations:
FIrst-Certain farmers living near
GOOdlettsville, q town thirteen miles
north OF Nashville, have been endeavor-
ing TO ship over the st. Louis and South
western railroad corn from Mt. Vernon,
Indiana, on which road GoodlettsviIle is
situated. While the freight charges on
this railroad from Mt Vernon, Indiana,
to Nashville, Tennessee, are only fifteen
cents per one hundred pounds, these
farmers were charged twenty-e eight cents
per one hundred pounds from Mt. Ver-
non to Goodlettsville, an intervening
point, thirteen miles nearer to Mt. Yer
mona difference Of thirteen cents
against tie destitute farmer. Again,
said railroad charges on what it terms
"double frst-class freight,n thIrty-four
cents per one hundred pounds from
Nashvi" e to Goodlettsville, q distance of
thirteen miles, or more than double the
entire charge from Mt. Vernon, Indi-
ana, to Nashville.
Second-Corn from Illinois can be
shipped from JohnsonvilIe, on the Ten
nessee river, through Nashville, to At
lanta, Georgia, over the Nashville,
Chattanooga and st. Louis railroad for
seven cents per hundred pounds less
than the Tennessee farmers corn can
be shipped from Nashville to Atlanta,
notwithstanding the fact that Nashville
is sixty miles nearer Atlanta than John
sonville. Corn raised by the Tennessee
farmer in the neighborhood Of Johnson
vile is charged twenty cents per hun
dred pounds more from JohnsOnville to
Atlanta than it costs the Illinois farmer
TO reship his corn from the same point
and over the same railways discrimi.
nation OF twenty cents against the in
terests of Tennessee.
Third-Foreign corn can be shipped
from Johnsonville to Montgomery, on
the Louisville, Nashville and Great
Southern read, for seven cents per hun
dred pounds less than Tennessee corn
can be shipped from Nashville to Mont
gOmery, though sixty miles nearer. The
Tennessee farmer pays forty-three cents
per one hundred pounds on his corn from
Johnsonville to Montgomery, while the
Illinois farmer reships from Johnson
vile to Montgomery, over the same line,
for twenty-three cents per one hundred
pounds "a discrimination of twenty
cents against the Tennessee farmer.
This portion Of the memorial was re-
ferred TO special committee on railroad
determinations.
MAKING CRIME PAY ITS WAY.
The senate bill requiring convicted fel-
OBS to work out the cost Of their trials at
the rate Of thirty cents per day excited
discussion when it came up
on third reading in the senate this morn
ing. Senators Mayre and Smith strong
ly opposed the passage Of the measure,
while Senators OvertOn, Hodges and
Ragland favored 1t, the principal spee ch
on their part being made by Mr.. Over
ton, who said:
Mr.. .SPEAKER-Thep proposition is not
to discriminate between rich wrong
doers and poor wrong-dOers, but between
the innocent and the guilty. The poor
and honest mechanic, or farmer, or la
boring woman, should not be taxed to
pay the expenses of prosecuting and
convicting the rich or poor wrong-dOer.
Let crime, and not innocence, bear the
burden Of criminality. The sentiment
ality which refuses 10 tax the muscle
and sweat Of the criminal TO pay the
expenses which his own wrong produces
forgets that IL not put on his sweat and
muscle 1t is saddled on the backs of
honest labor. The innocent i4 this mis-
taken policy are made TO suffer for the
guilty. A large part OF the burdens Of
government arise from the prosecution
and conviction of crime. AS crime
levies these burdens, so let crime pay
them. 1t discriminates between the
sweat Of the poor but honest mechanic
and farmer and against the poor as well
SIS the rich criminal. The argument of
the other side, il seems to me, with q
sentimentality, discriminates
in favor of the sweat and muscle Of the
poor lsw-breakeT and malefactOr, and
against the sweat and muscle of the
poor but innocent man. This is the ef-
feet, disguise il as you may. Govern
ment was designed TO cherish and pro-
tect the law-sbiding against the wrongs
Of malefActors. Those criminals who
touch the sensibilities OF the other side
impose by their wrongs a tax on every
mOuthful Of bread and every stitch Of
Of the innocent and unoffend-
ing. Their wrongs make bread and meat
and clothing dearer to the lAw-abidinR.
/ trust the day is near by when all
this is to be remedied; is near by when
those that offend shall bear ali the bur
dens Of their o1tenses-when the inno-
cent shall cease TO be burden carriers for
the lswless and the criminal. That is
all that this bill drives at. It means
that crime shall foot its own bill Of costs.
1t means that crime shall bear its own
burdens, and that innocence shall no
longer bend and groan beneath the load
which the hand OF the Iswless Impose
upon IL, This Is 3 doctrine SOUND in