The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1884-08-23
THE RAILROADS,
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK. }

clude the people. The theory thal
the legislature can pass an act reHu,
lating charges in railroad charters ~
their origin, that it cannot revise ana
amend is fraught with much danger,
wars with basis principles OF govern
ment, built upon by precedenls'
which would eusue, as power Is az
oressiye and steals away oft unnoted
from the people, would abate the
prestige of, and in the end would he |
the death warrantto the governments
amending power of the tolls and sala-
ries of all its other public tunctiona
ries. Fer their plea for like treat
ment would not be without plauslbllN
ity, With the precedent commended
for, could their plea be answered neg
atjvely? 1t could not. For 1t has not
as vet been made appear that public
functionaries of all kinds are not
bound alike to submit to state regu-
lation. To make this appear, IT pos
sible, is the bounden duty Of the op'
position to the people. To remove the
citade! that rises up here against
their works, bigger guns must be
brought and manned, as the peoples
cause, the end Of government, asks
to be lighted to tue truth. 1t seems
to me that there Is II strangenesS
about the present attitude OF ralroaus
and opposers OF state control to""ia!
the State that is remarkable. Those
opposed to railroad regulation by the
state, as specified in the charges III
their charters, were considered Inc en-
emies of railroads at their origin ana
those favoring this regulation 10y the
state were considered the frlends OF
railroads. Why not so considered
now? No new thing is proposed to be
done. Maintenance and exercise OF
railroad regulation by the state as "t
their origin and in the same way ana
to the same extent is alone proposed
There could he no difficulty here II
we observe that laws and railroad
charges that suit in one generation or
under one combination OF relations,
will not suit under other changed con
ditions and necessities, and remember
that those changing necessities are al
ways progressing and that Legislation
to suit these progressive changes mus
also be progressive and continuous
Proof of these changed necessities a;
time moves on is the need OF Cunun-
ued legislation. If changed relations
and developments were not progress
sive, legislation would have ended
long since. Hence the work propo
sed to be done now by the legislator
il the same kind Of work it perform
ed at the creation Of these charters
The work it did then was sultln
these tolls and charges to the require
ments of the then times, according I
the best ex perience of the trainers {
these charters. The same work onl
is proposed to be done now, VIZ;
suit the charges in railroad charter
to the requirements OF the preSel
times, according to the best eXperent
of representatives or those emPo"ere
to do 50. 1t here appears, my reade
who are and who have been from Il
beginning the only true friends
railroads, to-wit: those who tavort
their application for corporate po'
ers, voted, not jointly with rallroa'
charges reasonable and suited at IN
time, granted them the right OF en-
uent domain, launching them 0
upon mission Of pronounced pre-
perity and usefulness, and who ne
nose continuance of the same KIND
regulation. which proved by the pi
would enable them to reach higher
tainments in prosperity and usef
. ness. Opposers of railroad REGULATE
by the state will ever fail to pro
that they are the true friends OF IA
roads unless they first prove that n
roads are Jess liable to err and
trinsicaly less in need of state c.
troll than other men. The doctr
that should prevail is, the prosper
OF IA people and usefulness OF all
uubIic servants are assured as
alike submit to state contrib.
iudge quoted in former article S
il is not to be supposed that rallr
CORPORATION would have invested
capital, accepted the charter with
the right to fix its tolls. Behold
TOO. the mill men build THEFT,
houses, the draymen, hacklnelf'
buy their appropriate aceomp
nents and ,multitude OF otI
make their several appertaining p
nrations attended with more or
:; expense. All this multitude in
dst,impressed with the right OF
ulation by the state OF their loll