The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1883-02-24
THE SiELARKEY BILL.
An Able AFRdnrnt by Speaker
Varian on ths Powers and Daties
Of the Lcgislaauro.

Of the Legislature.
When the Melarkey bill came up
in the House last week, Ihe Chronicle
eorreson dent says:
Mr.. Pike MAS called 10 tho chair,
" ~hile Speaker Varlan took the floor.
He opened the proceedings by adding
a section aga nst discrimination to the
oil. MIR. Varian Trough, every ar
gument TO bear that cuuld convince
men open 10 e0nyiel ON. II WAS not
true, as had been ASS rled, that Con-
gross, by the Iharnlan Act, made
he" contract with The Central Pacific
Com any. Dir. VarIan was armed
with se, eral joint res lasions, rreIlins
various grievances and complaints
again t the outrageous diseriInina-
tions OF this corporation, both in
freights AMI fares, and petitloning
Congress for rcllef. The Executive
Department had also appeale u the
l. II. lature. MIR. Nar.an rea from
he report OF tee retiring Governor,
J. IL. kInk al. Tue Attorney Gener-
al also had something To say on The
subject. II tnis corporation did dis
eriminate against this STATE IL was
time Inal u law should be enacted-il
1t did not, tue passage Of this bill
eouil not affect il. /, Congress alone
can regulate the charge, Oftnis corpo-
ration, State law could not affect IL.
Ii the State had the power, then let
Us enact sucn law.
MIR. Narian va, prepared to prove
by an array of facts and figures that
discriminat ,on of All outrageous char
acter did still exist. The Z. T.. Il. X.
Co, had repare sca. dule for the
benefit OF Nevada merchants, they
nal made slight reductions on lew
Ar ieles. while the charges on most
remained TODAY as they were when
The ruad Was first built. So fris II ful
Mas the po er OF this corporation that
scarcely a merchant could be found
IN the state who would dare tell the
trutn. ! hi, corporation, which few
years ago WAS lnnplorIns and begging
oi every county to bdild It's road, had
now grown - rich, so great aud SO
powerful that 1t successful V dehed
all legislalIon. II the Stale had
no longer the power 10 regulate
this road, ii showed how insldlous
had be. II its growth. Ii this power
nad gone out of the hands Of the peo-
pie, dId the people know what that
Ineant1 IL meant revolution. APP
piause from the House, tho CALLER,
and ll,e louby.l The Con ~tltu,ion D.
this sta secured to the people for ali
time the poAer to regulate, 10 maze,
10 repeal all laws. Tins corporation
could not no business IN thu, sta q
without the permission Of the STATE.
Nhen lhis corpofali bu secured from
this state the righl 10 bniid its lin
through lis domain, IL, at the same
llne, subjected itself TO The laws ana
jurisltcii n OF this State.
Chief Justice Waite has shown that
when 'pri, ate property was devoted
10 public use IL wa- subject 20 pubic
regula,ion.n lie wanted some ICON
st,tutIonaln lawyer outside To come
here aiI eontroyort this fact Will
constitutional oplnIon. The STATE
did nOt claim the right 10 leglslaIe ior
.he entire road, Du Tor tia, Fart OF
the road within the STATE which car.
RED freight for ,ts citlZens. We wan.
IL drive lhe rohbeIs from our doors.
We want 10 protect our own house
n"lds; we want 10 regulate our own
affairs Within our owl donIaIn. J.
hi. corporation wants TO do busine
In thls state, i, must submit 10 the
laws of tins State. IL WAS absurd 10
40 prs,snd that the LEGISLATURE did
no, nave power To reg1la.e ra lr'aa
,.harge-. fUe railroad attorneys ap
pear beI"re Congressional committees
and declare that Congress hts 40
right over then-tha. tae States alone
have The power TO regulate their
,haraes, Wnen the state Leg stature
attemps to deal with the question
these same railroad attorneys tell as
that the State has no right over them
and that Congress alone can Interfere.
This is no longer que.iion of pol.
iey. but one OF duty aud self-preser-
va ion II the Legislature refuses to
keep filth with the p ople refuses
TO act in accordance wi its pledges
it Is only aquestion OF Time when
the people will ke the law IN their
own hands, and right the wrongs in
their own way. The corporations, 10y
refusing to submit themselves 10 list
regulation, by refusing 10 make need.
Iul concessions, are sowing The
dragons teeth which, before long,
are bound to tear them.