Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-04-19

The Railroad Commission Law.
In a very short time now the people
of Georgia will be again called upon to
make choice of a State Legislature, and
there will be presented to the considera-
ton of that body no subject Of greater
importance than that of the repeal or
substantial modification of the Railway
Commission law. The readers Of the
News fully understand already our
views on this subject, still it is proper
and right that we should at this time
again state the serious objections which
exist TO that law as it now stands.
We object TO the Railway Commission
law mainly on the ground of its immo-
rality, injustice and anti Democracy. 1t
is immoral, because its tendency is to
disregard solemn obligations. When
the State of Georgia was a wilderness,
aud needed railroads, no such law would
have been cOuntenanced by her people.
1t would have been denounced as an in
iauitous measure, calculated to frighten
capital from railway investments, and,
in consequence, TO obstruct the develop
ment and progress of the common
wealth. So far from the people at that
time giving any encouragement to any
such law, they were eager to offer every
inducement possible to capitalists to
place their means in iron highways to
traverse our waste places, and to build
I'D cities in the wilderness. Liberal
charters were granted, every possible
safeguard was readily promised to be
thrown around the property so invested
and the great benefits certain to accrue
from money so risked were dwelt upon
with force and eloquence. By these
means our railroads were built, and citi-
zens of Georgia freely gave the
means to secure their construction.
And now that the money has
all been expended, capital
lists, at home and abroad, have
been induced to invest their means to
the amount of millions of dollars in rail.
way ventures, and the State is enjOyin g
the benefit of their investments, we assert
that the passage of a law which takes
the control of their vast interests wholly
out of their hands, and places it in the
hands of three disinterested individuals,
who know fully as much about anything
else as they do about pToftably menag-
ing SO difficult and complicated bust
ness as even one important line Of rail
way, is an act of bad faith, and is, there
fore immoral in its character.
We regard the law as unjust, chiefly
for the reasons presented to show that it
is immoral. Had the capitalists
who agreed to spend millions of dollars
in grading, constructing, equipping and
running our railways-which have done
more to make Georgia rich and prosper
Gus than all other agencies combined
ever dreamed that such a commission
law as is now on our statute books would
ever have been passed, it is safe to say
their money would have sought other in
vestments, and Georgia would to day
not lie the Empire State of the South.
The fragrant injustice of the State thus
accepting the benefits to be conferred
by the wealth of private citizens under
the belief that they would be protected
in their investments, and then not only
refusing to grant them the expected pro
lection but actually giving their proper
ty wholly over to the arbitrary mercies
Of three officials, who are not permitted
to have a personal interest therein, is
manifest, and needs not to be dIlated
upon.
The law is undemocratic because it is
at direct variance to the spirit Of our re-
publican institutions. In this country
everything like despotism is hated, and
the people are always ready to rise up
against every law or measure which Us
tainted with unfairness or oppression.
This has been the boast of every State in
the Union since they first became SOW
ereign commonwealth, and banded
themselves together to secure more firmly
the blessings of liberty which they
| had won at the point of the bayOnet
from the mother country. Yet here in
| Georgia is a law which confers upon
three citizens of the State power over
/ hundreds of miles of railway, and mil
lions Of dollars OF property, as despotic
and autocratic as the Gar of Russia
possesses over his subjects. Their dicta
are laws, and their orders must be i'm
plicitly obeyed by every railroad cOrpo
ration in Georgia. Stockholders, direc-
tors, officisls-all must bow down before
the edicts of our star chamber. and even
If they find their lines being run into
bankruptcy. they have no redress, and
can only hopelessly protest against the
injustice.
These are some of our reasons, briefly
stated, for opposing the Railway Com
mission law of Georgia as it stands to-
day upon our statute books, and we feel
sure that the people of Georgia cannot
longer consent to allow so unjust, I'M
fair and autCcratic measure to continue
uDrepealed. A proper commission, to
act as mediator in all points of difference
between the people and the roads, would
doubtless prove beneficial to both
parties, but it should be such a COM
mission as that about to be insti-
tuted in the great and prosperous
State of New York, which recognizes the
inestimable benefits conferred on the
public by railroads, and proposes to
guard and protect the one as fully as the
other. 1t is not too soon to call the at.
tention of the people of Georgia to this
matter afresh, so that at the approaching
election of their next Legislature they
may be able to act intelligently and hon
estly by themselves, their State and
those active promoters of civilization
and prospeTity-our railroads.
A bill passed the Virginia House of
Delegates Saturday declaring the offices
of the board of visitors and the profes-