The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1882-04-12
HON. ]. ID. PRIcE, OF MONROE.
He Defends His Action on the Question
Of Supervising Corporations.
FIFTH BEAT, MONROE COUNTY. !
March lAth 1889 /

DEAR SIRs--I notice that am again ar
raigned by the Aberdeen Weekly for the
position took upon certain questions that
come before the State Legislature for con-
slderaton. desire to notice some of the
+ points made by the Weekly in this commu-
uication If you will give me a littIe space in
your valuable journaI-drst, the Weekly
I says that | am a legitimate mark far criti-
cism 10 this / heartily aUrce and only osL
= that be fairly reported, and if not / will
{ be compelled 10 resist any unfair OF uuiust
accusation. accord to all of my fellow
citizens, the Weekly not excepted, tEc right
10 differ with me upon any aud ailq questions
Of public policy and only claim the Same
, right for myself Secondly. the Weekly
, says that it was understood that the
platform upon which / WAS nominated
carried one distinctive feature with IL
4 i-progreSs, railroads, mandatory, inn
migration and cutting loose from
the old ruts. II it is understood
by the Weekly that the Democratic party
Of Mississippi would oppose railroad super
vision in its legislation, l beg leave to differ
with it. | deny the assumption that there
was any understanding or secret platform
upon which the Monroe delegation was
placed which was in violation OF State or
( National platforms; | confess that il was 50
deeply understood and so much of secret
/ that I never heard of it, The Democratic
party, State and National, have time and
again declared that the right to su-
pervise railroads within constitutions
al limits belongs TO state aud Ma
tional Governments, aud its policy is to
oppose oppressive monopolies in any and
all shapes. The Weekly says, don't estab-
/ lish 4 railroad supervision, by 50 doing
/ you will override chartered rights or break
/ down chartered rights thereby impairiug
State credit, but it also says go on and grant
all the sacred chartered rights asked for, no
difference as to the demand and when we
have got the railroads then come in with
supervision. Now to my mind railroad
supervision means simply a fair and reason
able compensation for services rendered,
without any unjust discrimination on the
part of the railroad, and | ask in all caudor
and honesty can any honorable man recon
ellie these two pGsitions-hrst you must
not establish a railroad supervision over the
railroads that are now completed and under
full WAY with all their sacred chartered
rights and thereby impair the States credit
secondly that we must 90 on and grant
sacred chartered rights until we get all the
railroads we want: then establish Railroad
Commissions, override these sacred chartered
rights and compel or force supervision. l
ask where is the justification of such Il
course In regard to the new charters that
were being asked for had not the slightest
intention of throwing any obstacle in the
way of honest and fair investment. |
desired that there should be commission
established over all railroads now in full
operation and that there should be a clause
in new charters restricting the passenger
rate and freight tariffs to q reasonable
compensation, without unjust discrim-
nation. This would have assured pro-
lection against ext0rtion Railroad cor
porations enter the Halls of the Legisla-
ture and ask for chartered rights, in
Vulnerable concessions by the State, TO be
released of taxation for twenty or thirty
years; charters are granted, right of way
through all public domain granted, and
in 9-I0ths of eases the right Of way by pri-
vate persons is granted, the legal right TO
enter upon and take charge OF whateverreal
estate that is necessary for their use and
compel the owners to take fair valuation
for 1t, whether he be willing or not. Now,
| ask why are all those exclusive rights
granted these ecorpOratious-6rst because it
is for the mutual benefit OF all parties inter
ested in both corporation and the inhabi-
tants of this great Commonwealth; second,
because they, the corporations, become
Joint cooperative medium with the State
through which the commerce Of the State is
moved, aud owing to the inseperablc COnnec-
tion, in order to bring about this joint CO.
operation, the State grants these eXtraordi-
nary, wonderful and exclusive rights 20
in the interest OF her citizens as
we'll as the corporation, and eXtortion on
the part of the railroads is in positive viola
tion Of every principal Of justice and sense
of honor, and consequently should not be
submitted to. VIII any sane man contend
for a moment that the creator and grantor
of these corporations cannot come TO the
rescue of its citizens and demand that extor-
ton and unjust discrimination shall not be
imposed upon them and that those sacred
rights shall not be subvertcd,
thereby sapping the very lifc's blood from
the many in the interest Of the few. Those
rights having been conferred in spirit of
interest both of railroads and the
Commonwealth of Mississippi. | say the
Legislature has the right and it is its DOun-
den duty to exercise that right whenever it
is necessary to protect the interest OF the
people Now in support Of this position we
have first nearly all Of the legal judicial
minds of any prominence that have passed
upoa the subject for the last two hundred
years; secondly the endorsement OF the
Democratic party, both State and National
thirdly the endorsement Of fourteen of the
States of this Union who have adopted
aud put this policy in operation and
whose annual reports show that supervision
acts well and satisfactory. The bill which
passed the lower house of the State Legis-
Iature was a copy Of the Georgia law rs now
in force in that State, q State which the
Weekly SO much delights in referring us to
As being 50 far in advance Of US in progress;
taking this view OF the subject l was exceed
ingly anxious for this bill 10 become the law
in this State; ! wanted the question tested,
wanted the principal settled, ! wanted the
doctrine Of supervision established, for
there was not a few who cOntcnded that the
law would be imperative and Of no avail
and at the same time asserting that if we
a railroad commission that the
railroads would buy the commissioners up
and that the people would not be benefited.
This thought was simply begging the ques-
tiOn. ! honestly believe thatif the bill above
referred to had become law that it would
have saved hundreds Of thousands Of dol
lars to the people Of this State annually.
Would not that have been progress, Mr..
Weekly? IL seems to me that the Weekly
cannot see the difference between a contract
between two individuals and that of n con-
Si"Nt H"N' D-t"SO" Wv '+''''o W - opp
and a corporation, the latter involving con-
cessions Of immense magnitude on the part
Of the State, for and in the interest Of the
State in part, and certainly not for the pur-
pose Of building up monopoly within her
borders. Messrs Editors, ] viii close my
remarks on railroad supervision, believing
as | do that when my fellow citizens care
fully read and give the subject thorough
they will agree with me IN
the opinion that ! am right and fair in adj
vance Of the Weekly on the road Of pro-
gross. Yours respectfully,
j. NJ TBICE.
S'all S'eep Wiv Him Tonight.