Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-04-02
THE GAME OF BLUFF AND BRUTE
FORCE.

lA6 OaM1 Va 88NN
FORCE.
The three leading stockholders
of the Memphis strset railroad
company who elect each other to
fat offices, seeing that they have no
case in court against the recent act
of the legislature, have decided 10
defy the law and the community.
The drivers received a new inspiTa-
ton over Sunday and have been
constituted a sort of police force.
Women and children aud old men
may look out. One Of the employees
stated Yesterday in the presence of
passengers that the president and
secretary had ordered them to use
the car-hOok on passengers Ie-
fusing to put in more than
q nickle. We are inclined to think
that this was a fiction of the en-
ploye to terrify passengers. A eel
ebrated car-hook murder case in
New Yorkis yet fresh in the minds
Of the public. The murderer was
punished and the company suffered
heavy pecuniary loss, but this was
after a long and exciting trial.
When the car-hoOk is once used in
the same manner on a citizen Of
Memphis the trial will not be long
or expensive. We had expected
that the company would submit to
the law, but it seems that we were
mistaken. A policy has been
adopted to irritate. annoy, harass
and intimidate the public. Cars
are run of the track purposely
when passengers refuse to gubmit to
the extortion, and kept standing as
a nuisance and as an obstruction
on the public thoreughfare; cars
occupied by women and children
are dumped into the stables over
the rough sidewalk and kept there
until emptied, and then the car re-
sumes its trip. Such a case hap
pened yesterday, and the monopoly
will have an opportunity to employ
eight lawyers, more or less, and de-
fend itself against a spit for dam
ages brought by a gentleman who
rode each way three or four days
last week at a nickel a fare, and
whose family was thus outraged
yesterday. Instead Of making a
test case, as was proposed by a citi-
zen last week who rode for a nickel
in the presence Of the superinten-
dent, the company proposes to take
a short cut with car-hooks used by
drivers who can be induced to yio-
late the law and act as strikers for
the three aristocrats who direct this
little army. With the car-hook
priVateS this is a question of bread
and butter with the brigadier gen
erals in the rear it is an assault
upon the rights of the people. They
have mistaken the temper of the
: people if they think for a moment
that they can defy law and d~ecency
with impunity. The msolence and
attempted violence Of yesterday and
to-day has christalized public feel
ing more than all the former NAL
administration of the company.
The people will be heard from next.
lften or six and a quarter cents can
be collected by law the people will
pay it; if not, not. The original
charter only granted the right Ia
charge five cents. A pretended
amendment was manipulated
through some time later, ant
by means that would not beal
daylight, under which it ba.
been claimed until now tina.
ten cents could be collected. Tha
amendment was repealed by an &C
signed by the governor one weel
ago to-day. Constitutional or no
we cannot say positively, not hav
ing consulted eight lawyers an.
one day, but it is the law and ha
taken effect, the car-hook bull
do7ers to the contrary notwitt
standing.