The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-07-21
Letter from Hon. W. W. HUMPHREYS.

Letter from Hon. ". ". HUMPHREYS.
| EDITORS DISPATCH: Much having
been said and written touching the pres
ent gubernatorial contest, and the pow
er of the Legislature by commission or
otherwise to regulate the tariffs of the
several railroads in Mississippi, the
writer asks to present through your
columns a few thoughts on this subject.
1t is urged by the advocates of Gov
ernor Stone that his opposition to the
and statesmanlike, because said bills
were deemed unconstitutional. But no
friend Of the Governor has had the
temerity to assert that his opposition to
said bills was wise, because he was in
harmony with the Legislature of 1879
or 1880, or because the policy embodied
in them was in conflict aOith the interest Of
the people or the platform Of the Democratic
party. For the interest of the people,
as well as the platform upon which he
was nominated and elected, alike de-
manded his cooperation in behalf of
this legislation. When nominated with
this plank in the platform, if he was
hostile to it, would it not have been
more honorable to have so announced,
rather than to have accepted his nomi-
nation and election, and afterwards
prove recreant to the trust confided to
his keeping? Now that the case may
be fairly stated, it is well to inquire
what the passage of these bills sought to
accomplish? A perusal of them will con-
vince the reader that the only object
was to prohibit extortion and unjust
discrimination in the rates charged for |
the transportation Of passengers and |
freights over railroads in this State. |
No sane man will doubt the policy of |
such measures, when he is informed |
that the consumer pays more for the |
transportation Of his supplies from
Corinth to Columbus, than from New |
York to Corinth; when he reflects that !
the freight bill of the farmer for his corn /
and meat from the west, enhances the |
price of these articles to an extent that |
virtually impoverishes; when he re-
members that to get his cotton to |
market the railroad, like the clergy |
of old, demands a 1.-THE. No one |
who heard the able exposition of
General Martin, upon the extortion
DTdCGlCGu D1 Lie OlODllG anu OulO anu |
other railroads in the State can hesitate.
But virtually, says His Excellency, the
Governor, whilst | know all of this is
very wrong, and with the sincere smile
of one who is in the business of being a
candidate for Governor, declares his
sympathy for this oppression of the peo
pie, yet says under the law, for this
wrong, there is no redress that the
Legislature is powerless to act, and
that the people are enslaved by these
railroad charters. This is but the spe-
cial pleading of one who travels with a
free pass, and is in the interest of mo-
nopolies and corporations. If the pow
ers of the people are inadequate to this
object, then their sworn and solemn dec
laration Of their rights and their au-
thority over their governments, and the
end for which their governments were
formed, are nothing but great swelling
words of vanity. The power to tax, 10
control the conduct of persons, and the
power to appropriate private property
to public use, are essential, inalienable,
sovereign powers of government. They
are not the subject Of contracts or bar
ter or SALE Their value cannot be es-
timated in dollars and cents; they are
above price or rather when they are
parted with, blood is the price that is
paid for them. An act of the LegiSa-
ture to barter, sell or convey any of
these powers is a fraud on the Stale,
and null and void. If one of them may
be disposed of in this way, SO may the
others. If the power to raise revenue
may be sold to-day, the power to punish
crimes may be sold tomorrow, and the
power to pass laws for the protection of
civil rights may be sold the next day.
If the legislative powers may be sold by
the Legislature, they may with equal
propriety put the Judicial and Execu-
tive powers into market. There is no Il
limit TO the doctrine short of 9nnihila-
ton, or of Government of corporators
and monopolies, instead of the Republ-
can form Of government guaranteed by
the Constitution. The result, to which
this doctrine must inevitably lead,
proves that the sale of any part of the
sovereign power of Government is ut
terly inconsistent with the nature ofour
free institutions, and totally at variance
with the objects and purposes of our Con-
stitatioR. 4 people cannot properly be
called free, whose rights of and to gov
eminent, are left solely dependent On a
legislative body. The provisions in the
charters, of these corporations, must be
construed reasonably and with reference
to the powers of the Legislatures, that
gFanfed them. Now whilst Governor
Stone was nominated and elected upon
q supervisory platforms, and not on ae-
count of any great legal qualifications,
which he was supposed to possess, Yet
he stands at the door of the courts and
refuses the people even an opportunity
to attempt a redress of these grievances.
On the other hand Mr. Barksdale is in
accord with the Democratic platform,
and an ayowed advocate Of the Sovereign
power of the people on this. vital
question.
In oonoiusions permit me 10 call ats
tention to the statement of yosar c5xres-
pondent ssLOwndes" in the issue "A the
1st- He says of the Barry bill. sd onrI
those voting to sustain the veto - the
Governor) was our ever wide-a n -
Senator, the Hon w. w. Humnbr; .
Now / submit, sir, that common hnuer 81
ought TO hare suggested "a s.IownTS
when he stated how the Senator ~ =. /
this county voted on the veto az 8 / j