The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-07-12
Not an Amioable Advancement

The Columbia Register Of Wcdnes-
day says:
"Wc understand that the merchants
OF Winnsboro and the railroad authori-
ties having made up q test case, the
iirelght rates temporarily raised for
that purpose have been reduced"
In regard to the recent reduction of
rates tho lefgister is correct; but IT.
evidently misapprchends the relations
h0Sa tile Article; f766I a766Iovo quoted is that
since the merchants and the road
differ as to tho Interpretation Of the
clhf'er Of tho latter, a temporary
changc IN tho rates was mntua,lv
agreed upon in order to nuke n case
1or the decision of the courts. This
explanation Is very good one for the
road; and no doubt it would wiliihplv
have the people believe that it is nnxi-
Gus 10 remove all cause Of complaint.
ana that its recent prcpostcrous charges
were merely made in pursuance Of
an understanding with tho merchants.
But the facts do not bear this inter-
pretation. The merchants con tend
that the maximum charge on cotton.
oy weight, should be cighty-one cents
from W1nnsboro to Columbia; and rs
the road has for a long time been de-
manding dollar and half It was
not at oil necessary to "raise the
rates" In order to make q test case
On tho contrary, an action had already
been commenced by the attornev-gcn-
eral on behalf Of the State against the
road Tor violations Of its charter, IN
which the then existing charge of one
dollar and half figures as one of the
alleged violations. But, while this
suit was pending, the road saw fit, in
ITS inscrutablc wisdom, to raise tho
freight still higher, making it two
dollars and five cents on q bale from
Winnsboro to Colombia, and three
collars and sevcnty-cight cents to
charlotte. This advance was not
made by preconcertcd arrangement
Indeed, no intimation was made of T.
until some cotton had been shipped bv
merchant, and he was notified of the
charge after the cotton had been taken
OIL. 1t was this gratuitous change TINT
made the merchants Justly indignant,
and impcllcd them to institute pro-
ceedings in the local courts. In our
opinion, the railroad did not expect
and does not desire this second action.
1t would bc neat thing for tho road
10 raise the rates, just to show the
mcrchants how it could sit upon them,
nit wished, and then reduce them to
LIBERAL figure, and silence all oppo-
sAtlon by this manifestation of its
magnaninity. But unfortunately. the
merchants forced the fighting, and the
road was hoistetl with its own petard
AS before said the road is inscrutablv
WISE, ard no one can fathom the
dopth ofits reasoning. Bst to tho
profane the above hypothesis is tho
oniy one that can explain it's crratic
course. That the road did not desire
this test case is apparent from the
eftort h OF Its president to dissnade the
lf'f'r merohants haFl' from pressing 1t, and from
9 proposition also made to tIem
ny the attorney Of the road to
alll9n aoaalndon u and make the whole fight
upon the State case. Inboth instances
the railroad 'yas careful to say that Il
had' lNa no desire 70 back, down, and was
.only aetnated lbyo q tender solicitude'
for the merchants whom ut did NOT
desire TO see lose extra costs III q hope.