The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1883-03-21


legislative caucus. We want to sec the
dime benefit to the people before the
dollar cost is voted out Of the peoples
pocket to carry on the commission
II Murirecsboro Free Press.
Exactly! We agree with our brother
Of the Free Press when he says, eve
want to see the dime benefit to the peo-
pie before the dollar cost is voted out of
the peoples pocket to carry on the com.
mission"
If VIC had space in the Home Journal
We would utilize that space for the pub.
llcation of two foolish bills before the
Lcglslaturc--onc entitled, "To Prevent
Discrimination; the other entitled,
1.-The Railroad Commission Bill" The
very reading Of the foolish bills
would convince any sensible man that
any member Of the Legislature who
would vote for the passage of one Cor,
both) Of them, was, intellectually,
foot, and untitled, mentally, to represent
even himself, much less large number
Of constituents. If this "Railroad Com
mission Bill" should become n law We
will then he taxed to the amount of 81 :.
5oO in order to pay three Commission.
ers-one from each of the three divisions
of our State. Each one of the Commits
sloners is to receive $4,000 per annum,
but before he enters upon his duty he
must subscribe to the following oath:
81, --, do solcmnly swear
That am not now, nor will be during
my term Of office, connected with any
railroad company as officer, agent, en-
ploye, or in any other capacity that /
am not now, nor will | be during my
term of Office, directly or indirectly
interested in the stock, bonds or
other securities or property of any rail
read company that ] will support the
Constitution Of the United States and
the Constitution Of the State of Tenncs.
see; and that | will truly, honestly and
faithfully discharge the duties of,the of.
flee Of Commissioner of Railroads to the
best of my ability"
Now, if there is any man of common
sense in Tennessee who would not take
that oath as freely as we would take II
drink Of water, (if thirsty,) he is II
lunatic beyond pcndvcnture. But,
what will you all do, Messrs. Commits,
sioners? Why, YOU must simply take
complete control Of the railroads. Your
assertions will he sufficient to rule or
r"in them. You are to say how much
they shall charge, whether they cxtort
or not, &c Under thisabominablc sad
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES" effort of our holy
Representatives, "so-called," to do some
thing, you can exercise legal right
which would stink in the nostrils of
morality. Why, Mcssrs. Representa-
tivcs, if we made a bad bargain in
granting State aid to the railroads we
ought to stand to that bargain like men.
If the railroads arc charging for passcn-
ger fare only little more than half
they could charge under their charters
and if they are equally liberal as to
freights, and trying to get all the
" through" frcights they can in order
to make local freight lower, why should
we grumblc-we who are so dependent
upon railroads. But the Home Jour
nal (Which is not bought wants you to
consider another thing, and that is, the
sacredness of contracts and Constitu-
tons. If you are men of sense you
have certainly read the letters of "Ju-
MUS" who uttered principles worthy of
the consideration of posterity for mil
lions of years to come. lie said "Lct
me cxhort and conju you, never to
suffer an invasion of your political con.
stitution, however minute the instance
may appear, to pass by, without a deter
mined, pcrsevering resistance. One
precedent creates another. They soon
accumulate and constitute law. What
yesterday was fact, to-day is doctrine.
Examples are supposed to justify the
most dangerous measures, and where
they do not suit exactly the defect is
supplied by analogy. BE assured that
the laws, which protect us in our civil
rights, grow out Of our Constitution,
and they must fall or flourish with it,"
Ard what does Macaulay say2 In
his first volume of his beautiful and ex-
cclent History of England, he says:
1t is evidently our wisdom to keep all
the constitutional checks on misgovern-
ment in the highest state of efficiency,
to watch with jealousy the first begin
nings of encroachment, and never to
suffer irregularities, even when harmless
in themselves, to pass unchallcnged, lest
they acquire the force of precedents."
10 these quotations it would seem un-
necessary for us to add word to men
of sense. But there are very many