The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-06-23
KANSAS CITY, MEMPHIS & BIR.
MINGHAM RAILROAD.
Some Structures Upon the Action of
the Last Session of the Mississippi
Legislature Upon the Subject of
the Charter.

MARSHALL COUNTY, June II, 1886.
EDITOR CLARION: Recent specula-
tions in the newspaper press of Mem
phis upon the subject of the probable
purchase by the Kansas City, Memphis
& Birmingham Railroad Company, Cf
the Memphis, Birmingham & Atlantic
Railroad, brings forcibly to mind the
heated contest, during the last session of
our Legislature, over what is known as
the ''Simonton Amendment" to the bill
introduced for the purpose of granting
charter to the former company to
build railroad from point Eas. of
Memphis, on our Northwestern border,
to the State line in the direction of
Birmingham, Ala. The contest was pro-
tracted and not altogether free from
bitterness. The bill finally passed with
the amendment which restricted the X.
c., M. & b. r. r. Co., and forbidding it
to build its road within twelve miles of
the Memphis, Birmingham & Atlantic
Railroad, which had been previously
chartered with all the privileges and
franchises, that its most exacting friends
and advocates demanded. With this
the company (Which we will call the
Richmond Company and its friends
professed to be entirely satisfied. But
when the bill came before the Senate,
proposing like privileges and franchises,
in behalf of the K c., Nj. & B. Company,
the Richmond Company, and its friends
discovered mares nest" and taking
the cue from the lobbyists then in Jack
son, urged the adoption of the odious
amendment, upon the fiimsy, not to say
shameless, pretext, that the Kansas
City, Memphis & Birmingham Company
had no intention of building their road,
and only solicited charter to force the
Richmond Company from the field, and
the result would be no road Southeast
| from Holly Springs. to which point the
road was then, and had been for six
months, in operation. This contention
seemed so illogical, and wholly wanting
| in sound reason and good common sense,
that many of the fair-minded members
of both Houses could but regard it as a
practical joke. Subsequent develop
ments-the determination of Kansas
CITY Company, to build with the restric-
ton fastened upon it by the charter
shows the farcical absurdity of such rea-
soning.
This class of legislation is always OBJ
iectionable, and in this particular case,
when viewed from the standpoint Of
sound reason and genuine common sense,
| it becomes shocking enormity. One
organized company of gentlemen asked
for chartered privileges to construct a
railroad through certain counties OF the
State FROM the Northwestern to the
| Eastern border thereof. The charter
was granted, comprising all the fran
chises necessary TO enable the company
to execute its purpose, and with which
the company and its friends expressed
entire satisfaction. Then another or
eanized company Of gentlemen apply
Il for like privileges to construct line oi
/ railroad, to extend in the same general
direction, and penetrate tile same coun-
ties or section of the State, and make
the same connections, the effect Of which
would be to go much furt.aer and make
Il MANY more and much more important
q connections between the Southeastern
and Northwestern or Western sections
I of the Union. To the granting Of thin
icharter the Richmond Company and iii
friends. which had received from The
Estate All they had asked for, objected,
], except upon condition that restrictions
/ and difficulties should be engrafted npor
lit, such ns they professed b believe
would so embarrass the x. G. Co. that 4
would not make the venture, and thu.
! defeat the enterprise altogether an(
create : monopoly IN the Richmon<
J Company, whereby il could build ant