The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-12-16
TIE rREronr ON o071oN.

> Truo Lfght--Tho "BIagnanimisy" os tho
Natlroad People.
Editor RcgiStcr: The local notice
in tho Register Of the 9th instant, re-
lnting to the tariff Of the Charlotte,
Columbia and Augusta Railroad, con-
tains tho truth, but not the whole
truth, and unintcntionally on YOUR
part, We believe, was liable to mis-
lead the public. We, therefore, re-
spcctfnly nsk the privilege of adduc-
ing additional facts aud figures on the
subject. The road seems to claim to
have always charged u dollar and a
half bale on cotton from WinnshOro
to Columbia, and since It's "victory"
in tho Circuit Court, to have, with
magnanimity to- fallen foe, volun-
tarily reduced its rates all alen@ the
line. The rates have indeed bccm re-
duccd from what they were in June
last, but they still greatly exceed the
tariff in operation before the war.
when tho road made money and paid
handsome dividends. 1t was proved,
III the case Of Elder Il Co. against tho
road, and not controvcrted, that pre-
vious 10 the war the charge on cotton
from Winnsboro never exceeded the
limit prescribed for heavy articles
! scvcnty-ninc cents on Il bale Of four
hundred and fifty pounds-whilc the
llmit on cotton as all article Of meas
urcmcnt would be ono dollar ana
nincty-ninc and IA half cents. After
the war, when the courts were lax,
tho road undoubtedly exceeded its
charter limit on certain articles, aud,
rs we hold, also on cotton. The
average rate charged was dollar and
q half for bale Of $50 pounds or less,
extra charge being made for extra
weight, but none for ex ira bulk. We
bold numbcrless receipts that prove
! this. If there was u variation for
weight and none for bulk, is not The
conclusion irresistible that the charge
was made by weight and was there
fore in excess of the charter limit?
When the road, by excessive charges
and ruinous determinations, had COM
PEELED recourse to the courts, it then
for the first time cnunciatcd its theory,
that all the world, including itself,
had been mistaken for Il century or 50,
and that cotton was can article OF
measurements" Where vas ever be-
fore an instance ola corporation in
tcrprcting charter adverse to its own
interests for thirty odd years?
In June last, the rate was raised to
S2.10 per bale to Columbia. Suit was
! Brought in Trial Justices court and
gained by the merchants. The same
day the road was threatened with an
injunction by Commissioners Bonham,
i it exceeded the limit prescribed for
heavy articles. Under protest it re-
duccd the rate to scventv-nine cents.
In few weeks, discovering an extra
mile or SO in distance, il raised the
rate to etghty-livc cents. Almost 81
| multancruS]y with the decision Of
Judge Wallace, and without awaiting
the final result in the Supreme Court,
the rate was advanced to $l.2G, al
which point, through the "mayna-
nimity" OF the road, and in defiance Of
the voice Of the State through her
agent, tho Railroad Commissioner, it
now stands. If magnaniuity was the
chief motive Of the road, why this cX-
ira cent?
We will group these rates again, as
they will bear repetition: Before the
war, from 35 cents to 60 cents; after
the war, sl.5o; in JUNG laStts ;s2oy&
$l.26. Whenever the pressure Is re-
moved the rates expand correspond
ingly.
"Thc @ Devil got sick; the Devil monk would
The psv!l %H got well; the Devil monk was
We hold that it is still exceeding IFS
charter, and we ship every bale under
protest, with the expectation Of finally
recovering the excess.
Let us compare this benc0ccnt tariff
with other roads. The freight from
Winnsboro to Columbia, thirty-five
mlle,, is Sl.26; from Columbia to
Charleston, l30 miles, Sl.25, or, as
some say, for wo cannot obtain the
rates, Sl.0O. Yet the Charlotte Road
claims to have rednced frcights to the
lowest paying rates. Again, we ap-
pend an article from the Augusta
Chrontcle ond ConStitutionulist, of
the 9TH inst, on freight charges:
The merchants Of Augusta have
good reason TO complain Of the freight
rates charged by the Charlotte, Co.
lnmbia and Augusta Railroad. a
comparison OF the rates Of that COM
pany and the rates Of the Georgia
Railraod show difference of from four
to eight cents per hundred per twenty
SIX miles, in favor Of the latter. In
other words, ifa merchant sells q bill
OF goods to customer who lives on
the line Of the Georgia Railroad
twcnty-six miles from Augusta the
freight per hundred Oh -four is 13 cts.
for the same distance on the Charlotte,
Columbia and Augusta Railroad it is
~ cts; Tor grain on the former road
it is 81 cts; on the latter II cts; for
sugar on the former l3 cts: on the
latter II cts; for coffee on the former
IL cts, on the, latter 81 cts. for nails
on the former 13 cts, on the latter II
cts; for iron cotton ties on tho form
CT Is cts, on tho latter 10 cts: for
bacon on tho former ii cts, on the
latter 10 cts; for bagging on the
former l3 cts, on the latter 10 cts;
TOR molasses on the former 13 cts, on
the latter II cts. "a glance at these
figures will show how great the diiler-
encc Ia between tho tariffs of the two
companies for exactly the so nc scr
vice. 1t costs one line just as much to
haul hundred pounds Of coffee twon-
ty-slx miles as 1t docs tho other, yot
ono charges thirteen cents for the
| MI o,,I