The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-05-26

How about the struggle that Senator
Humpbries & Co. waged during the last
Legislature To take away the chartered rights
of some of the Railroads. If we are not mis-
taken The CLARION endorsed the scheme.
Does it now propose to encourage Railroads,
and then when the Legislature meets
bounce them and take away their char
tiers ?-Vicksburg Herald
Yes. The CLARION endorsed the
Humphries bill, and for that matter the
Barry bill, also; and so did large
majority Of the Legislature. The
HUMPHREYS bill failed because Of a
difference of opinion among its advo-
Gates about a non-essential at the last
hours of the session. THE CLARION also
endorses the following clause in the
platform adopted by the Democratic
State Convention which nominated the
present State officers in 1877:
Corporations of every description super
visable within Constitutional limits by State
authority. and subordinate 20 State legisla-
ton. in the interest and for the protection
of the people
The writer of this was a member OF
the Committee that reported this clause
and had something to do with framing
it and since we have come to think OF
it. some persons that the Herald is in
the habit Of swearing by shared the re-
sponsibility Of reporting it. The Hum
phries bill was designed to put this
clause into operation. Able lawyers
differed as to its constitutionality. We
will not now argue that point. The
Courts would have been competent tc
have decided it. We presume that any
legislation on that subject will be sub
mitted to the arbitrament of the Courts.
Nearly every State has passed laws in
keeping with that provision of our plat
form. The issues arising under them,
have been taken up from the State
Courts to the U. S. Supreme Court and
the power asserted in our platform has
been decided to be constitutional. Thi.
legislation has not impeded the con
struction Of railroad enterprises. On
the contrary, in the States where the
reform was inaugurated and has best
succeeded, it has been a blessing in dis
euise to the Railroads themselves
Wisconsin was the starting point of the
reform. A correspondent Of the n. Y
Herald, writing from that State says:
/ The relations Of all important railroads il
4 the West, and especially in Wisconsin, t,
/ their customers the people, are more ami
cable and more satisfactory and safe for The
/ stockholders since the modified triumph o
what was called the Granger movement
! than they ever were before. This is due tC
two causes The Railroad management /.
unnuestionably more equitable and cOnser
vative than it formerly was. The GROUND
/ for imaginary or exaggerated grievances Il
/ taken away by the fact that both the people
and the Railroads understand that there il
authority and machinery available for the
! adjustment of an real grievance that may
/ occur.
1t is time that the Democratic party
was taking some practical steps towards
enforcing its platform Oh this subject
/ If it does not it will give some other more
progressive party decided advantage
in the contest for the control of oul
State government. Fortunately, Hon
W. w. HUMPHREYS who introduced the
measure which the Herald denounces
is member of the Legislature, and a:
he is not man to be baked in his IN
dertakings and has the nerve and the
ability to stand by them, we are assur
ed that he viii take up and carry for
ward at the next session, the good work
nnnn which he has entered.