The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1876-07-20
washington. Cincinnati and 50.
Louis Acknowledgment OF Mr..
Hereford.


Louis Acknowledgment of Mr..
Hereford.
We publish bellows the speech Of
Mr.. Hereford on bill now pending
before Congress providing for char
tering the Washington, Cincinnati
and st. Louis Rail Road. The bill
was referred to the Committee on
Commerce of which Mr.. Hereford is
Chairman, and was reported with a
recommendation to pass. The Balti-
more and Ohio, Pennsylvania Cen
trail and other railroad monopolies of
the country are fighting this bill in
every conceivable way, because they
knew if this road was built it would
draw an immense share of their bus
mess and destroy their present OPP
prossiye monopoly. The proposed
road starts at Washington City, runs
through Virginia and through the
counties Of Braxton, Clay, Roane,
Jackson and Mason, this State, cross
ing the Ohio river at Point Pleasant.
1t is of inestimable Importance to
this State, and we are glad to see
Mr.. Hereford ably battling for the
charter.
Mr.. SAVAGE, ! Yield FIVE minutes
to the gentleman from West Virgin
III, Mr. Hereford.
Mr.. HEREFORD. In my strict con-
struction of the Constitution | yield
to no gentleman upon this floor.
But without going into the argument
upon that question, (for that would
take more time than is allowed me-
| want to ask my democratic friends
on this floor who say they are oppos-
ed to this bill on principle, are you
better democrats than the father of
the Constitution? James Madison,
when President of the United States,
signed the great Cumberland road
bill. lie saw then no constitutional
trouble when he came to investigate
the question of signing the great
Cumberland road bill in the fact that
it passed from State to State. Where
is the difference in principle?
We have sat at the feet of Madison,
all of us, in our younger and in our
older days, and have learned from
him what was the true interpreta-
ton of this instrument. And, with
outgoing over the argument that he
made when he signed that bill and
upon many other occasions, | say
that the example he set US and that
the principle he enunciated when he
signed that very bill are sllicient
guarantee to me that Congress has
ample power-to do what? Tosimply
grant II charter to a railroad. 1t is
true it passes through different States;
but as the bin itself provides, this
charter is entirely imperative, and
can be stopped at any State line in
two ways: First, before you can enter
the domain Of a sovereign State this
bill provides that you must get the
consent of that State. 1t provides
by anotheramendment thata State
by mere resolution can stop it. ]
ask the strictest constructionist of
the Constitution where there is any
violation of the Constitution, where
is the danger to any State?
There is another reason that in
ducos me to support this bill. Ever
since | have had the honor Of a seat
upon this floor, session after session
we have heard the subject of cheap
transportation urged upon each and
every member of this House. This
proposed charter is, to my mind, Il
solution of the whole question.
| do not say that any of my friends
who have spoken adversely to this
proposition are in the interest of the
great railroads, for | never yet have
impugned the motives of any gentle
man upon this floor. But, while |
do not charge them with that, and |
do not believe that it is so, yet their
conduct, their speeches, their votes
here to-day are in the interest Of the
great railroad monopolies of the Uni
ted States.
This question was prcsentedbcforc
the committee of which | have the
honor to be chairman, by resolution
of this House, directing US toinquiro
into the combinations made by the
various railroads and the discrimina-
tons against the commerce of the
United States by the various rail
roads in the Union, That resolution
passed by this House is the voice of
the House, of the republicans as well
as of the democrats, 1t declares that
determinations by these combine
tions do exist, and that such discrim-
nations cripple commerce and para
lyze all the interests Of this great
country.
Now if you charter this railroad
and it is built, it is a solution Of the
whole question of cheap transporta-
ton. In the investigation of that
!. II o..