Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-10-11

nor any one representing him, ever solicited
the tariff on wagons and furniture to be
made. This may be true, and yet il may
have been made for his benefit. Thinking
people, and this state is full of them, know
fhe relations that Mr.. Cherry bears 10 this
failway commission scheme, and viii have
to he furnished with better evidence than
yet adduced to make them believe that the
commission adopted the Georgia rates all
the way through until they got to Mr..
Cherry's penitentiary product, and then
without any motive reduced rates upon his
furniture and wagons to about one-half, and
advanced rates upon the farmers product
from 10 20 20 per cent. And this leads to
the outset, whether from proper or improper
motives, makes such Determinations as
these, what business interest in the state
would be safe in their hands?
In any event, what is the necessity for
. commission? Are the farmers complaint
ing? No. Are the merchants or shippers
complaining? No. Are not the railroads,
farmers, manufacturers, and merchants go
ing hand in hand in an earnest effort to
develop the resources of Tennessee, and
make her great state? Why then have a
commission? The answer is plain-a few
politicians want it. The Offices are what
they are after; places must be provided for
favorite friends, perhaps to shelye them and
get them out of the way OF place-hunters in
other directions. And then there is another.
Mr.. Cherry also wants ID. The peniten-
tiary, of which he is the recognized head,
is large receiver and shipper of freight
The freight bills paid by that institution,
timated at $4,000 TO $4,000 annually.
True, the railroads are already carrying
at low rate, very little above cost, but
what matters that if Mr.. Cherry can get his
commission and secure areduction to one
half? 1t will put into his pocket $4,000
to $4,000 annually. This is worth striving
for, because it helps Mr.. Cherry, even though
by the process it bankrupts every road in
the state.
With this in view, is il any wonder that
gentleman should suddenly have turned
Democrat, and, as all turn-coats, now en-
deavor to out-Herod Herod in his zeal for
the Democratic cause, and demand through
his organ that everybody who fails to sub
scribe to his plans shall be read and written
out of the party7 And is it at all strange,
with this large sum of money in view, that
Mr.. Cherry il owning one daily paper, and
by purchase of majority of the stock,
seeking to control another3 Does anybody
DCAACwC hA1b SAC WAkA dA0 NCNAACbD H&tAhSS
of Mr.. Cherry's World in favor of railroad
commission are actuated by any desire be-
yond what win serve, Nh. Cherry7
As we go along we had as well reach for
the true inwardness of these matters. /
myself have NO conce ailments. am rail-
road man, interested to limited degree in
the securities of Tennessee roads. do not
intend, If 7 know it, to lie upon my back
while this or that man and his followers tie
me hand and foot, and, under the guise of
party platforms and the party lash, deprive
me of my rights. Democracy does not re-
quire this at my hands; on the contrary,
it spurns every thing which smacks of rings,
or an unholy aim to take that which be-
longs to another.
But the people, intelligent and always
honest, are becoming aroused to the impOr-
lance of this question. They are getting
nearer the railroads, and the roads are
getting nearer the people. Middle men"
IN the shape of a commission seeking to
keep them apart are not wanted. The
plans of the clan are being rapidly devel-
oped their schemes will be upset; the
isms" and "side issues sought to be
fastened upon the Democratic party by
few men, led by an interested new convert,
will be Topped off, and the old party return
to the cardinal principles which, near a
century ago, gave it birth.
E. B. STAHLMAN.