Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-10-03

iaeturlng! Let us measure both
together. The good and the
eFlI e, VIII balance In the five years before
the commission was established there
were only 100 miles OF railroad built, and
IN tne hVe years since the commission has
been created there have been 600 miles of
track laid.
THE PROPOSITION ABSURD.
Mr.. Usry spoke in opposition 70 the bill.
He said that to pass the bin was TO allow
the railroads to appeal from the law
making power down to the Superior
Court, and that the proposition was
absurd. 1t was going backward. He
did not see how the Legislature could
pass an act to allow the people to appeal
from the law-making power and go down
to the Superior Court and have the mat
ter passed on. He said that the roads
had first made the rates, and that the Com
mlssioners had regulated them once. He
referred to the trouble that would arise
from the great amount OF litigation
under the proposed bill.
THE NEWSPAPERS UNJUsTLY ATTACKED.
Mr.. Lewis, OF Greene, spoke in opposi-
tlon 10 the bill. He said that he would
not discuss the law. He would leave that
10 ADLER men, and would discuss the
policy OF the bill. He attacked the efforts
that have been made to have the bill
passed. He would notice first the efforts
that have been made upon the part of
some of the newspapers OF the State to
prejudice the public mind against the
Railroad Commission. Never before in
the history OF this State has such an effort
been made-so tireless and 80 question
able-as has been made by the press of
the State to pass this bill. Certain indi-
viduals and certain papers of theState have
lett no stone unturned. They have moved
heaven and earth, to say nothing of the
more torrid climate, in order to press the
passage of this bill. We have had thrust
upon us what the press of this State says
upon this question, and what the press of
other States has said upon a question that
Goes not concern them. Strange to say,
nothing has been said in defense of the
organic law of this State and the statutes
made in pursuance of it. We have not
seen any disinterested parties inter-
viewed.
ONLY THOSE INTERESTED APPEALED TO,
Railroad magnates. railroad lessees,
and political aspirants have been inter-
viewed upon this question. There is
something insignificant in this, and there
is something else that do not understand,
and that is that this bill should pass the
other branch of this General Assembly,
with only one vote to spare.
Mr.. Russell, of Harris county, spoke in
favor of Mr.. HarrelPs amendment. He
SAID that 1t was the only thing about the
Dill that was constitutional. Otherwise
the bill provided that power to make
rates should be transferred to the rail-
roads from whom the constitution pro-
vided it should be taken.
THE OVERCHARGEs.
He said the amounts overcharged for
private individuals would be too small to
authorize complaints and the,hnerchants
would be afraid to complain. He pre-
dicted that il the bill was passed. even
with the Jenkins amendment, the SUI
preme Court would declare the bill un-
constitutional and the commission would
be destroyed, and even if not uncOnstitu-
tional it was not polite bill. He said
of foreign capital that all the Georgia
roads had been built by Georgia capital
except the East Tennessee, which came
with a debt of $4,000 to the mile.
The State wants no such roads.
THE ROADS NOT MONSTERS.
Mr.. Humphries, of DeKalb, spoke In
support OF Mr.. Jenkins amendment. He
said that il the roads were monsters with
seven heads and ten horns the people ought
to rise up and crush them out of exist
ence. He did not think they were such
monsters. Civilization, Christianity and
prosperity comes with them. They were
entitled to respect, and the Jenkins
amendment was as little as they could
have akded for.
Mr.. Reagan, of Henry county, said that
the advocates of the bill made TWO
wrong assertions, one that every member
thought there ought to be some mOdIfica-
tion OF the powers Of the commission and
the other that the people demanded mod
ification. He had not heard any such de-
mand and he did not believe it existed.
They assume something that does not ex-
ist. The people are not here clamoring
for change in the law.
ANOTHER MAN HELPLEssLY BLIND.
They say the press is unanimous. A
very short time back and we find the
press almost as unanimous In their opin-
ion that the power should remain intact
as they are now that IL ought TO be modi-
fed. In very short time change has
come and they are here demanding its
passage.
There is one paper in Atlanta that has
not joined In the cry, and when this bill
meets It's defeat, as 10 should, the press
will come back and say, 1--WE did right"
1t is now proposed TO strike out the very
clause that they say the Commissioners
OF Georgia admitted ought 10 be in it.
Mr.. Hines, Of Washington, spoke on the
bill. He said the question should be
calmly and wisely discussed. Popular
clamOr should not be needed, and only
what is just and right should be consid-
cred. He feared there was so much heat
in the House that the question would not
be wisely and calmly considered.
THE LARGE AMOUNT INVOLVED.
The House was dealing with One-lfth Of
the property Of the State. He appealed
20 the sense OF right and calm judgment
and fairness Of the members. The owners
OF this vast property complain and ask
for redress. He did not know whether the
charge was true or false, but the charge
was made. What do they demand? Do
they ask TO have the commission ebol-
ished? For one, he was willing 10 have
the commission abolished. Mr.. Hines
argued on the provisions OF the constltu-
tion that say that the Legislature should
regulate" the rate. He said there was
nothing in the argument OF the gentleman
from Webster against the constitution
ality OF the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Putnam. The gentleman
from Webster did not believe that the
constitution was constitutional.
THE GEORGIA DIRECTOR.
From the opening OF the session almost
before the House was organized, he arose
with his constitutional objections, and If
we take him for tho guide on constitu-
tional points we will have done very little
this session that Is constitutional, and