The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1884-01-24

Tue Mississippi Legislature hss been
organized by tho election OF II. o. Roy
nolds M president pro TEN Of the Senate,
and VIM. M. lnge IA speaker Of the House.
We do not know that nny great signin-
canco IL attached 20 the election OF these
gentlemen TO preside over thor respective
branches Of the Legislature. Mr.. Roy
nolda, IL ia well known, was opposed TO the
wild attcmpt made in tho last Legislature
to adopt system Of State supervision Of
tho railroads in and passing through tina
State. fio il certainly, we think, repre-
sentative of tho anti-supervision element Of
the Senate, and we presume his election ia
indicative Of tho opposition OF majority
OF the Senate to the supervision scheme Of
the last Legislature, IA this sentiment
was championod by Mr.. Barksdale, former
ly Of the Clarion, and the present repre-
sentative of his district in Congress-, tho
movement in this state will miss his able
championship. And az he has opened his
war on the railroads from his new position
in tho Congress- of tho United States, II
may be that the State supervisionists in
Mississippi will be content TO look to tho
action of Congress for carrying ont their
popular views in regard to railroad regu-
lation. Natohoz Democrat.
Tho foregoing has been extensively
copied by our exchanges. We had laid
II aside for comment when it first APP
peared. We do not think the question
of railroad supervision, or prohibition,
or the position of Col Reynolds or CO..
lnge on any public question had any
thing whatever to do with their election
rs President pro tenn or Speaker. They
were chosen on their generally recog.
nized merits and capacity for those i'm
portant positions,
The attempt to adopt some system of
railroad supervision may be wild"
in the estimation Of our contemporary,
and others, bat rs ;wenty.three States
are already committed to it, and as the
Democracy Of Mississippi, in two State
Conventions, have solemnly and unani-
mously declared corporations Of every
description supervisable within consti-
tutional limits by State authority, and
subordinate to State legislation in the
interest and for the protection of the
people" it would seem incumbent upon
the present Legislature, as VIC thought
it was upon the last, to meet the just
expectation Of the people in this partic-
ular. There is no disposition to make
war; upon tho railroads; on the con-
trary, everybody recognizes their great
benefits, but they have become power
that needs regulating and super
vision, and we have an abiding con-
tidsnce in the wisdom and discretion Of
the present Legislature to perfect law
that will do no injustice to the railroads,
and yet be guarantee against unreason-
able charges, and unjust discrimina-
tions.
The Governor in his message, on this
subject, very foreibly says; "The right
and duty of the State to guard her own
citizens, TO the extent of her power,
against unreasonable exactions and bur.
dens from this source, cannot, in my
judgment, as far as domestic commerce
is concerned, be now successfully con-
troverted."
The power to regulate interstate COM
mercc, it is generally conceded, is vested
in the Congress of the United States.
Congress can only exercise control over
transportation passing through two or
more States. 1t cannot touch it when
confined within a State, so that Con-
gress and the Legislatures both have
their duties to perform. To say that