Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-03-16

IN value 10 ali the taxable value in an the South.
sesses more banking cspitaI than West virginia,
Virginia, North Carolina, south Carolina, Florida
Alabama Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tex
| as and ArkAn combined. Massachusetts owns
| four times the banking capital of all these ten
great Southern states. Why is this? Is II because
| the people OF these States are wanting in all or
any of The qualities of great people? Let history
answer. Is II because Of the poverty OF their soil
or the uncOngeniAlity Of their climate or is IL be-
| cause their people are
SET OF LAZARoSJ AND TOO LAZY TO WORK?
Let the magnitude of our productions and the
| busy spindles OF the world answer No, Mr.
speaker, IL is not in all this that we find the solu
ton for this condition of affairs. he war left the
| SOHth nothing but uew-made graves and the
| memory Of glorious achievements. Her property
destroyed, her circulating medium annihilated,
pOEerless Inoneyles s, defenieless, with strangers
10 her halls of legislation and without representa-
| ton il the national councils. IL then that
| high protective tariff was hung like milestone
about the necks OF the people. II Was then that
was then that Legislatures were debauched and
al the railroad stocks and railroad bonds found
| their way to Wall street to keep company with
| the bonds Of the State. It wss then that each
railroad m the South became an Appian way
| leading on TO trump plant Rome. It was then
that disiRtG grafton begun with our middle classes
aud the few gravitsted 10 enormous wealth aud
ton of the stocks and the bonds OF Southern
railroads in the interest of the moneyed sharks of
wall street has been Ehrewd as it has been
| hidden. The length OF railroads in Tennessee
amounts IN the aggregate to POO miles. The
aggregate Stocks, BOMBS and floating Indebtedness
aEount TO tll5OGO;0O0 or oYer $4,000 to every
mile Of railroad in the State however indifeTenuy
constructed 1t may be. On The other hand, the
comptroller's Office shows that all the railroad
property in the State is
ASSESSED FOR TAXATION AT ONLY $27, OOO, 900.
These railroads not only evade the payment OF
their just portion OF the public revenues, but they
capital. Their through rates. it is admitted, are
lower than they should be- while their local rates
Statistics show that local rates freights In Mas
sachusetts something less than three cents per
ton per mile, while in the neighborhoOd of Mem
phis where 1 live, local rates on heavy articles
like cotton amount TO about sixteen cents per ton
per mile. So far as manufacturing purposes are
concerned, or the readiness and cheapness with
which you can reach market, IL is better for
Tennessean TO reside in Boston than within fifty
miles OF the capitol of his State and yet when the
people protest against extortion and unjust dis
elimination, this same corporate capital, through
with every influence that can bel con-
Jured up to thWart their sovereign,~il. II says ~
midst; will let you alone; I win warn immigra-
ton against you" As for me- would prefer that
capital such as this would remain away. II CAPT
tai comes it must not come as our master. II 1t
comes il ust come without dictation. II it
comes let 1t come 10 stay, to cherish and to be
cherished. 1t is slavery to submit to its DONNA
ton. prefer a sovereign State and sovereign
people. poor but honest, TO this state of affairs.
IN fares the land. to fastening Ills prey,
Where wealth aecumulates and men decay;
Princes and lords may flourish may fade;
A breath can make as a breath has made,
But a bold yeomanry, their country's pride.
When once destroyed can never be supplied"
And now, Mr.. Speaker, let us look at those bills
Tor moment; Il thew contain provisions which
are R2H fd light row appes TO his Su Horsa e rs
stapd by them though the heavens may fall In
simply defines the term
RAILROAD CORPORA TIoN"
The second section prohibits extortion, and de.
fines 1t to be collecting, demanding or receiving
more than a reasonable rate of toll or compensa,
ton" Who will deny the justneIs of thisY The
thlrd section prohibits unjust discrimination SIS be-
tween lndiyiduslIog cities towns localities, or
and the allowance TO favorites OF REBATES bonuses
or Drawbacks by which they are preferred over
DINERS IL also provides that RAILROADS shall not
charge more for shorter than longer distance
In this connection the mission bill provides
may charge more per mile for a shorter distance
than longer distance. Now, submit that all
these provisions fair the people and Just TO
the railroads. 1t has been said That Memphis and
NaShVllle VIII! be prejudiced, because there
IS h, no provision made in the bill by
which terminal points may receive ad
vsntages over intermediate points. The provi-
sion that more may be charged per mile for shorter
distances than longer distances is taken from the
Georgia law, and under is operation ample oppor
tun:ty may be given for low through or terminal
rates. l deny that Memphis or Nashville win be
injured by any of the provisions OF this bill I'm.
DER 1t the commercial cities of other States cannot
compete in eneapness OF transportation with them
draw their trade. Furthermore, I stand on this
but the representative of All the neonie ri Te51
nsssse. [Applause.i '~'f-' -
IHAvE STOOD BY MEMPHIS
IN the hour Of heS mislortunes Srd loved her in
the hour Of her affections. Applause Butif the
people OF Aemphis-which they will never do
should demand Of me to SO legislate rs to make
butte TO h I%ouid not OBEY e sjrGltrag sf To
her. .tApplausel The fifth section was sug1 ested
United 5lat.s in the case Of PECK rs, the
Court eTPes.y deded That tn Wssas
4 might prohibit nd nm.
just discrimination in the transportation of freight
aud passengers taken up at a point within the
taken up at point without the State and put
down at point within the State, or taken up
within the State and put down at point wi bout
the State. The wisdom of this provision is mani
fest. Under its operation the commission will be
able to so regulate freights that foreign cities will
no longer be able to compete in transportation
with our commercial centers within our own
borders. The sixth section excerpts from the opera
tons of the act passengers and freights taken up
beyond the limits of the State aud FRIED through
the State. The pToyiso Of this section was sug-
gested in a comm unication addressed TO the
Georgia Legislature by the commissioners of that
State, and arose out OF the recently decided
in the courts there where the commission so
regulated the freighs of the Georgia Central rail
road as TO require it TO ship freight from Atlanta
from Cincinnati via Atlanta 10 the same place
The sevent tn section
SIMPLY PROHIBITS BLOCKADEs OF FREIGHTS
where the company has facilities for removing it
and refuse TO do so because OF some contract or
agreement by which each is to transport certain
per cent. or portion of freight accumulated at a
given point. These are the sections which regu-
| late the railroads. and l defy any living man to
point out wherein they unjust to the railroads.
aud denounee any attempt upon their part to
evade the operation of any such rules in the con-
duct OF their business invasion of the rights
OF the people. 1t has been said that the charters
OF the railroad companies in this state will pre-
vent the enforcement of the law. The law makes
no cogniZance of these charter provisions, and
osnt on ntlgatlon, by the courts. The SUI
preme Court OF Georgia has recently de-
cided that similar provisions do not inter
state. In my judgment they are not be-
yond the reach OF the police power. In my judg-
ment no Legislature ever had the constitutional
light to place the rates of railroads beyond the
power Of the State to regulate them. Applause
| on constitutional Limitations, page M, says:
All contracts and all rights, it is declared, are
S n9Is 70 TINS RoweF and not 9ay may Feg1a
State, but all such regulations must be subject 10
change from time 10 time, as the general we'll
being OF the community may require, or as the cir
eumstanoes may change, or as experience may
demonstrate the necessity" By comparing the
two bills it will be that the commissioners
can only fix reasonable ms 1imum rates, after
giving the railroads notice and ample opportunity
| 10 be heard, and even then the rates SO fixed
and binding on the roads. 1t will be OBJ
| served that the commissioners in fixing the
just regard for the rights of the railroads as well
as the rights of the people. The railroad COM
panies, it is provided, may at any time make ap-
pcatisn to the commissioners to have errors cor
rected or changes made in their rates that justice
a1d equity may require. The penalties imposed
for the violation of the law may seem large, but
when it is considered that they are Intended only
| for recusant railroad companies, and that suits
can only be instituted by order of the commits
sloners, they viii not seem improper or extrava-
| CANT.
| A SMALL PENALTY WOULD NEVER BRING A
| RECUSANT RAILROAD TO TERMS.
The statute of Illinois fixes the penalty at from
$4,000 TO SOS 600 1t may be said that the provision
authorizing the commissioners to examine the
aFofa "a harEb hr.N
it is considered that it is the duty of the com
missioner to ferret out violation of the law as
| well as TO obtain information by which they can
| ton, it will not appear harsh. This provision
proceeds on the idea that the public has an in
terest in railroads. that they are quasi public prop
| erty. and that their managers have no right TO
conduct them in hidden PATHS. Now ] have dis
cusses briefly the prominent provisions contained
in these bills. am satisfied they right az d
| iust-and being so, have no more hesitation in
voting for this measure than would have in reg
Mr.. Speaker. the question is what the people s
to do in this emergency instructed
| and pledged as they are2 Are they going to ac-
cept it as true, that neither the governor the Gen.
eral Assembly nor the people can select capable
commissioned Are they going to shrink from the
performance Of plain duty because OF its magni.
| tude ana the influences which have been con
| jured up around them? Ara they prepared to re-
turn home and look their constituents in the face
and say, When we were confronted by the Lobby
We did not have the nerve to carry out your in
| strucu ms? Are they prepared to say to their
| constituents, We could, without hesitation regu
late the tolls of a ferry, mill, turnpike, or a
| hackney coach, but when stood in the pressure
Of RAILROAD msgastes. and confronted 9th an The
and We could only say to these monopolies, we
will not attempt TO regulate you, but we will ap-
point committee to advise you in the most
| formal and polite manner not to impose upon the
people will leave it for each representative to
| answer these questions for himself AS for me,
my vote will go uneualifedly for the measure.
| Applause