The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1881-02-02
-q,gE MOPRJsTO w RATLROAD.


lermen of Morristown in reference
10 said road or it may have had its
origin IN whole Or in part in a feel
ne Of opposition to the Fsaa.u Now
what are the facts in the case: A I
Short time since more than fifty cit
izens of Morristown, certainly of
average respectabifty and .inteli-
gence, petitioned the Board, setting
forth that they We're interested, in |
the project of building a Narrow |
Guag e railroad from MOrristown to
Cumberland Gap, and that they be-
lieved that the construction of said |
road would. increase the population
and the value Of the property of
said town and promote the building
of factories and the employment of
Iaborers at liberal prices, and so be-
licking they called on the Board toI
submit, by an election to the citizens
of the. town, the propriety Of the
corporation taking ten, or. fifteen
thousand dollars stock in said road
Nothing wrong in that | suppose.
Out of abundant caution the Board
referred the questions of Law involv-s
ed to a committee, who reported
back that under the present laWthe
Board could not order such an .elec-
ton, because one section of the law
required a survey and estimates to
be made and sworn to by the engi-
peers before they could order the
election. but if that section was re-
pealed then it would be, competent
for. the Board to act, if it should
choose Sc. to do; and the Board i'm
order to bring about the end the PEE
titioners had in view, requested the
Legislature to pass an act which
they forwarded with the action of
the Board, repeating section 1145 Of
the Code of Tennessee, 50 that the
citizens. could vote upon the question
of subscribing stock in the road
without the expense. Of first making
a survey. l am not advised whether
the petition was sent to Nashville or
not, but suppose fit all went togeth-
er, as it appeared in the GAZETTE,
the Legislature could readily see,
and ought to see, that the petition
ers were only asking for a chance to
vote, and the action of the Board in
reference thereto, and what the
Board desired to be done SO that the
voice of all the citizens of the cor
poration could be heard on a Ques-
ton they held to be so vital to the
prosperity and growth Of Morris
town. Now this is all of it. Is there
anything revolutionary in all this ?
[ claim that one has a right, that
fifty has right, and that the Board
of a corporation has a right, and
ever will have as long as free gov
ernmcnt endures, to make known to
their Representatives in a Legislative
body assembled their views and
wishes in regard to any matter they
consider as touching their welfare
and the public interest. Is there any
wrong in all this? fthere is, | am
unable to perceive it, it may be be- |
cause I am 50 fully committed to the
doctrine of free vote and fair
count" And yet it has come to pass
that there are gentlemen in Morris
town who imagine that their rights
would be greatly outraged if the
said section was repealed and the
vote taken without a survey and es-
Inmates, and they got up remohr
STRANGE to the Legislature not to rel
peal sec. 1145 but give them a sur
vey in advance of the vote. Now
it is not repealed and the |
is made, then they would |
stand precisely where they would !
stand if it was repealed, and the
protection which they claim, behind
said section, would vanish into thin
air, and they would be forced to take
shelter in the constitutional fort
Section 1145 was grated into the
act two or three years after
its passage and must have been me
tended, as it actually is, an obstacle
thrown in the way of the railroad
law, and an effort to stife the voice
of the people; but this did not salts
f. the OppOserss of railroad progress,
and in 1870 they inserted in the.
Constitution a departure from a gov
eminent of majority, that the SUBJ
seriptions by the people, through
their counties and corporations, I'M
like almost everyOther matter, must
be carried by a three-fourths vote
instead of majority. But | will I
not. 90 so far as to say that these
laws may not in some instances have
4 salutary effect, but l will say, that
4 case can scarcely be imagined
where survey, before vote, would !
be of less value. =.
The line is a short one, and the
of the road has been
lgitated for years. Surveys and es-
Inmates have been made, and re-
ports of engineers have been pub
ished to this community, and there
8 scarcely a man, woman or child
llong the whole line who is not
amiliar with the route and, indeed,
hose demonstrating and calling
OudlY for a survey to enlighten
hem seem to be, from the facts set
'ut in their remonstrance, quite well
posted as to the rivers, creeks.
ridges, mountains and possible tun-
Iels on the line. The notice the !
aw requires aside from said section
7ill give all the information the sur !
ey would give, except the estimates
f what the work viii cost, and ev-
" one knows that it will cost so
luch that the corporation and the :
lree counties through which the ;
Dad will pass, can, when they have .
one all that they are able to do !
lise but a small amount Of the sum (
to construct the road, and .
ence, if it is built, we must look to 7 . .
inside capital for the principal part :
the, expense. But we need never :,
1pect to get that aid unless the cor y