Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1878-04-11
A Great and Evil.

-
A Great and Growing Evil.
Opening his exhaustive review of
the Union and the Central Pacific
Railr oad bills, in the Seua's, on
Tuesday last, Mr.. Merrimon slid:
Mr.. President, I am without mo
tive, and am not conscious of uuy
desire to deprive the ra;i,oad eom
pauies mentioned III the pending
blll of any measure of Justice to
which they may be fairly entitled,
or to impose upon them any un-
reasonable burdens / am willing
that they shall have all Which of
right belongs to them. In mi ef
forts to learn what their rights are
in their relations to the govern
ment. l wish TO pay due rega,d to
! the rights and Interests of the lat
Ter, and ! will not allow my judg
ment aid my action to be coutroll'
ed by empty defamation, false no.
tipns of public generosity, and a
miSaprIehension Of facts and law
Nor will | consent to be driven into
the support of one measure, and
from the support of another, ty
oft repeated threats, whether made
in or out OF this chamber, of long
protracted and expensive litigation.
My fixed purpose is, to seek and
find the pathway Of truth, Jlstice,
and sound policy, and to walk
steadily in it, trus ing confidently
that fruitful and wholesome results
will follow.
The corporations named, row as
in The past. assert with defiant con-
ideEce aud insolent seIi-sufficIeucy
what they and their friends are
pleased to call their rights and I'D :
vantuges as against the govern
nebt. 1t is pc, tiuent and wort b
while to inquire with some partic--
ulari:y into the merits of the claims
and pretensions of these corpora
tlous and thecondnct and practices
! of those who control them, aud see
] whether or not these are really
meritoriousf and we'll founded; or
whether, Oh the Contrary, the con
trolling c0rporators have been and
are for the most part utterly with
ott merit have grossly aud persi~-
tently perverted and prostituted
their corporate powers aud perpe
trated stupendous frauds upon the
goternitlent, and thereby unjnstl5
and greatly enriched themselves
aud others at the expense of the
people Of the u ion. In ms jnlg.
ment, it is not only pertiueut, but
likewise vely important to make
,hese Inquiries and learn the spi,it
a ID practices OF these corporations
from the beginning of their exist
ence down to the present time, In
o.der that we may learn an2 APP
preciaie the absolute necessity TO:
the adoption of the measure pro
posed by the committee On the ia
diclaly, or cue mole stringent, II
upon doe inquiry the Constitution
aud the stare OF the law will allow
OF. he tgoyernmeni and the peeplei
pecuniarily and otherwise, involved
in The subject before The Senate,
must be pardohed for esp, essihg
my surprise that the eommi,tee in
their report have failsd to call ut
tehtion specially, to the PRACTICES oil
these corporations. [ undertake to
: say and shall briefly endeavor tc
show, that these have been mon
stsons, without a parallel in this eli
any country, and shocking to the
moral renseof the American people
i M. President. do not question
'he Usefulness. the public benefits
derived from and the general i'm
por tanee of corporations They
serve great purposes in the econo-
my of society, and have contributed
, largely, within the last century, t.
the advancement of civilizations anc