Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-09-29
The Railroad Commission Bill in
the House.


the House.
1t was expected, of course, that tho op
ponents Of the bill to modify the railroad
commission law would make as strong
n fight against it in the House as they die
in the Senate. 1t is pretty safe TO assume
however. that they will be again defeated
! The people are beginning to get cleal
idea OF the M rits of the claims of the
railroads, and their representatives are
feeling the change that is taking place in
public sentiment.
The railroads, in this contest with the
Railroad Commission and the Legislature,
in which they have been engaged for
months, have in fact appealed to the peo-
pie for Justice. They have argued their
case before the public in the newspapers
because they felt that they had good
case, and that the people would respond
in the right way when they fully under
stood the question at issue.
The railroad commission, doubtless, is
responsible for a great deal OF the mis-
understanding that has existed with re-
spect TO the claims of the
railroads. For some unaccountable
reason the commission has felt it TO be its
duty to antagonize the railroads in their
efforts 10 secure relief At one time the
impression prevailed that the commission
aimed to protect the railroads as well as
the people-that Is, that it understood its
duty to be TO see that both the railroads
and the people had fair treatment. There
- Ind.
ing BY what has taken place within the
last few months 1t would seem
as il the commission thought it to
be its duty to do what
1t could to ruin existing railroads and TO
prevent others from being built. Unless
the commission has been misrepresented
the effort to have the railroad commits.
sion law modified would have succeeded
long ago, II it had not been for its active
opposition and bitter hostility.
There are reasons for thinking, however,
that the House fully understands all the
points at issue, and that when il reaches
vote the bill will be passed by very
satisfactory majority.
The idea that railroads have no rights
that are entitled to respect is not as pop
ular as 1t was. To continue to act on
that idea would do the State incalculable
damage. 1t has already done the State
more damage than can be repaired in
many years. Railroad Enterprises that
would have opened up for settlement and
improvement immense sections of the
State have been checked. They will
never show any life as long as the pres
emit policy Of dealing with the railroads
prevails.
There is not member of the Legisla-
ture who would not protest vigorously
if the law-making power should attemp
to deprive him OF the management OF his
private business; and yet every men,
Der who stands by the present Railroad
Commission law uses his vote and his
voice to deprive the railroads OF the man
agement Of their affairs. Why should
there be difference in the treatment Of
railroads and individualsl II 1t is wrong
to deprive an individual Of the control Of
his business it is also wrong to deprive u
railroad of the control OF its business.
There ought, of course. to be some sort
OF check on railroads, because they are
liable to do things that are oppressive:
but because their acts are not always in
harmony with justice 1t is no reason that
they should be deprived Of all voice IN
their own affairs. II is probable, hOwev-
er, that the acts Of injustice chargeable
to them are not greater or more numerous
than the acts of injustice from which they
suffer.
Laws are all the time being passed
which injure them, or burden them with
heavy expenses. A little bill granting an
opposition company the right to build IA
parallel line, or directing the building of
new depots, or requiring fencing to be
erected, attracts little attention, but it
means great deal to the railroad affected.
The Railroad Commission in this State
was established as ar experiment, and it
has not proved to be satisfactory. 1t is
safe to say that the best opinion is that
It wilFbe far better for the railroads and
for the State TO clothe the commission sim
ply with advisory powers.