Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1881-10-20

include also serfage, vassalage, viii
leirage, peonage end all other
forms of compulsory service for the
mere benefit or pleasure of 9TH
ers,,'
PEEvIsIoN OF POWER
But it is asked, have not men a
right to buy railroads, any number
Of them anywhere, il they have the
money Surely they have. So
men who haye the money have the
legal right to buy all the corn i'll a
community, and yet when they do
SO, and hold it for sale at their own
prices, they are jndictable at com
mon law, as for a misdemeanor.
Now, what is the difference, legal
or moral, between buying up all
the lines Of transportation by which
men alone can get corn, and hold
ing them at their own prices? Is
it not a crime against trade to SO
employ capital as to destroy com
petition, the life thereof? Aid
when corporations created for the
purposes of public conveniece, per-
vert the powers granted them into
instruments of public oppression,
Is it not the plain and manifest du-
ty of the State, their creator to take
them in hand and correct these
abuses. The power Of the State
to do so is undeniable. It would
be absurd to say that the creature
of the State may set its creator at
defiance absurd to say that the
State, in granting a charter, does
so by law that is forever irrepeal
able, and that it parts with its po-
lice power over the company SO
formed IL anything affected with a
public testimony.
SOME TESTIMONY.
Has this corporation SO abused
its privileges ? Has it oppressed
the people Of North Carolina l
have so charged and am responsl-
be for the truth Of my allegation.
When | set about collecting the
proof [ found the utmost difficulty
in so doing. Many men, brave
and honorable men, frankly CON
fessed they were afraid TO furnish
me any papers, saying, we are in
the power of this corporation-is
can ruin US and will do it without
hesitation Il the7 find out we have
helped you IN the least. One gem
tlemen. among many, of large bust
ness, wrote me at the beginning of
this controversy most encourag
ing letter aid offering any aid in
his power to redress the grievances
of our people. Later he wrote me
that the railroad company had
doubtless heard of that letter and
his business was already suffering
and Begged to be excused. Those
who have furnished me proof OF
extorticn and discrimination will
doubtless suffer severely for their
rashness. They may rest assured,
however that in the end they will
fare better than those who have
made friends with the unrighteous
mammon and licked the hand that
smoke them. Notwithstanding all
efforts to suppress the truth, ha~e
obtained much testimony. Here
is some Of it. The original bills
can be seen by any one who will
call an me. Take the item corn
Charlotte once had a large trade in
this article, buying in the western
counties of the State aud distribut-
ing to The cotton-growing counties
south Of her, at freight rates ~hicl
left a tair profit. Now those rates
are as follows From Charlotte
to Newton Is cents per 100 pounds
from Hickory II: Morganton IS
Marion 81 Old Fost %; Bridge
water 20; Asheville "a. From
Richmond to Charlotte, (nearly J
three times further than to Newton
the rate of 16 cents per 100. From
Newbern, the great corn mart o
the State, TO Charlotte, precisely
the same distance as Richmond
the rate has recently been reduced
21 1-2 cents 10 Greensboro. Doubt
less the publicity lately given t.
this matter will force still further
reductions perhaps even to the
Richmond rate. This is the chance
Charlotte merchants, who paic
largely IT, the building of these
roads. have for getting in grain tt
supply their customers. Now SCI
what chance they have for getting
it out. Compare the following ia
5Ies taken from the company's Owl
tariff lists
To From Charlotte From Richnon,