Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-03-07
WHILE THE LAMP HOLDS OUT, &C.

II there is one thing more than an
other that does our very soul good
and carries us into state Of transcen-
dental beatitude, it is to see sinner
turn aside from his wicked WAYS and
walk in the paths of truth and sober
ness.
We have long wept and prayed over
the unregeneracy OF our very bad
neighbor, the GAINESVILLE Democrat,
and it is with emotions of sincere
pleasure that we notice in that hither-
TO hard hearted and stiff necked jour
nal, indications of a penitent and con-
trlte spirit. 1t was the repentant
sinners tear that gained the Peri adj
mission to Paradise, and we are cher
ishing these signs of conversion in the
Democrat as precious amulets-
1t is the following from last weeks
Democrat which gives us so much
pleasure. Some people may think it
is a reproduction of one OF those pious
editorials which appeared in the
CHRONICLE during the last campaign,
but seriously it is from the Democrat,
and here it is:
If it be worth fifty cents a load to
ship flour from GAINESVILLE or Erin to
Memphis, and in carrying on a vigor-
Gus river competition the railroad
chooses to reduce the rate from Clarks-
vile to twenty-five cents, but does not
reduce the rate from Erin. How is
the Erin shipper hurt? He pays no
more than is fair, and reasonable and
that is all he has a right to demand.
To insist that the rates should not be
reduced from GAINESVILLE would be to
deprive the citizens of GAINESVILLE of
the natural advantages given by their
situation.
This is point we have repeatedly
urged and illustrated by the parable of
the men who worked different lengths
of time in the vineyard and got the
same pay for their labor. The fellows
who worked all day growled because
they received no more than those who
worked a few hours, though their sti-
pend WAS as large as they had contract
ed for.
The original sin in the Democrats
nature was too strong to allow it TO
experience and express full CONVEX
sion at one kneeling at the mourner's
bench, so it hedged about the above
with the following, which we consider
a very remarkable hypothesis:
If, however, the road should be al
lowed TO reduce the rate at GAINESVILLE
to twenty-five cents and, in order To
save itself from loss, to raise the rate at
Erin 10 seventy-live cents, then the
Erin shipper would have right to
complain. The railroad would be tax
ing him i'm order to enable il to carry
on war OF rates mt GAINESVILLE. This
is precisely what Is sought to be nv old
ed bv the establishment of a railroad
commission.
Does the Democrat not know that
every railroad in Tennessee is limited
to certain charges by its charter !?
Does it not also know that no road in
the State is now charging, from any
point, as much as its charter allows
The fact Is. when the Democrat
Yields the injustice of "the long and
short haul idea" it yields the whole
thing, and would do better to make a
clean breast OF it. This is virtual
admission that all of its talk about
Improper discrimination" was hum
buggcry aud stuff.
There is no necessity for saddiing
the State with an expensive commits
sion that will have nothing to do but
relieve the State Treasury of about
$4,000 year.
A Railroad Commission will impede
railroad building in the State, because
it will take the management of the
property out OF the hands of the own
ers and put it in the hands Of three
incompetent politicians. 1t brings the
railroads into politics and that would
ruin any business in the world.
What the people want and need is
that the present commission bill be
repealed and the matter be allowed to
rest there.
If the Democrat will acceed to this,
our cup Of happiness will be full. We
come not to the righteous, but to call
sinners to repentance.