The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1885-02-11

-Nr. Editor -
There has been a bill before the SEN
ate, but which. ! think, is now with a
committee, and which is known as Sem
| ate bill No. lG5.
The title Of this bill like most bills OF
its kind is \ No. l. Let Us read it to-
gether:
"A bill to be entitled an Act to en-
| able railroads and other transportation
companies to extend their lines and to
aid in the construction of railroads"
The craftsman forgot to add, If they
want to-"
No public spirited citizen in North
Carolina a object to the title; but let
US see. We will take the ID section and
read: THAT any railroad or other trans
portation company may acquire and
hold or guarantee or endorse the bonds
or stock, or may lease any railroad or
other transportation line in this or any
adjoining State connecting with it d.
rectly or indirectly.'
The liberality of this section is bound
less. Under it, who will deny that the
Wilmington & Weldon Railroad, may
buy off the Atlantic, Tennessee & Ohio
Road. | believe this is is the name Of
the road, which operates between Char
lotte and Statesville, for do they not
connect indirectly by means Of the \.
{. r. Il. Company? And the same
power would exist in the Raleigh u
Castor Railroad to buy the Williamson
& TarbOro Road; and the Wilmington
& Weldon TO purchase tue Cape Fear
& Yadkin Valley Road, and thus pre-
vent competition with its proposed line
from Wilson or Goldsboro to Eayette-
vile.
OF course. I do not intend to declare
that these things or their like would be
done. The fact is they c0uii be done if
Section , of said bill should become a
law and if the bill granted such priv
leges to anything in all the world be-
sides, except innocent railroads, | should
declare they would be done.
OF all creatures, either those created
by the Great Creator, or those who oc-
cupy His f%ootstool, the most harmless
aud unotlending and careful Of the PEG.
pies rights are the railroads, if YOU
listen to their paid promoters.
Why do the railroads, the trunk lines.
we may term them, wish and urge, somt
in the BACKGROUND, and Others in the
F lIoill. u4Et anu ~ tSS dtIu SGutCLt lOl
the passage OF Section 2, unless it bt
hat they intend to bring to the guiilo
tine all opposition
1T the bill be, as its title imports, foI
the building Of railroads. why is it no
so declared in the body of the bill.
Why is not Mr.. BasOn's amendment
adopted, if the taxable property in th'
State is thereby to be increased, and i
the real purpose be to build and aid il
the construction Of railroads: Why i
= not some provision rendering this sure
beyond question, inserted in the bill
Give us an answer, you who woul'
r make this bill a law. The head-note i
f very pretty, and is calculated to crafty
, but when we read read carefully the de
, cision, we find the reporter has mad
a mistake in his statement of the case
. We should keep in mind this tact: n,
! railroad in its %swaddling clothes, how,
, ever beneficial it may be to the section
r through which it passes, is able to buy
and it is only such roads as have Ion
, lines and sJiti backing that have tn
capital to do so. And another fact. w
cannot keep before US too often that tn
larger the capital of any set of railroa
men, the greater the danger of the
possessing all their roads.
The title of the bill is altogethe
, wrong. 1t should be a bill to promot
monopolies by enabling the strong t
Cypress the weak.
Even though the Cranberry roa
should be built, and coal should be re
. duced to fifty cents 4 ton includin
] transportation to any point in Mort
5 Carolina, the price for the fddles woul
be too dear.
{ Who so ignorant as not to know tha
by competition alone are the people
: interests protected: Suppose the Gran
berry road be built, the gentlemen VIII
. own the mines, unless they W tt
railroad, cannot fix the cost of trans
u portatlon. And if the Cranberry roa
be built, and be a good paying road. I'll
der said Section ,, the building of an
q other road to the Cranburrv mines cou.
and would be prevented.
L This is a surety: capital is selfish, ar
. careless about the rights of others; al
no Legislature can scar too closely ar
measure proposed by large public CO
" poratlons. CAUTION.
~ The $3.50