The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1886-02-09
An Examination of the Protests.

EDITOR CLARION: Protesting Sena.
tors say the amendment to the Kansas
CITY, Memphis and Birmingham Rail.
road charter keeping that road twelve
miles from the Memphis, Birmingham
and Atlantic Railroad line TOR two
years,
/. Creates monopoly in favor OF
one railroad
2 That it gives an exclusive right
to build in a scope of country "A miles
wide, aud
3. That it is against principle, prece-
dent and public policy and the interests
OF the people.
Neither position is sound. TIE
amendment creates no monopoly,
gives no exclusive rights in the accepted
sense Of those terms; aud il not against,
but in strict accord with principle, true
public policy aud the best interests of
the people all of which may be easily
proved.
A State may grant or withhold q
charter at pleasure or saddle the grant
OF one with what conditions she CHOOSES,
the true principle and the true public
policy being that she s, tile the question
according to the interests and wishes OF
the people alone.
The Representatives of the great
Counties OF Lee, Union aud lLawamba
are unit in favor OF the amendment,
because they believe the charter, with
out il, is liable to or pple the NJ. b. aud
4 Read hon Far..H aud ln
built, aud that it makes doubtful the
construction Of any rod at all, aud
makes too oncrOus the condemnation OF
Contiguous rights of way.
1t - the people of these counties who
are Interested and every principle of
morals and state policy, all the doctrines
OF the Democratic party, local self gov
ernment aud local option demand that
their wishes be consulted.
If there be any principles of public
policy at war with these, it should be
promptly reversed. That Leg stature
would be despotic indeed which would
force AN unwilling people, aud without
any public necessity, to yield two rights
of way side by side
The iucurporators of the NJ B. and A.
II. K. Co. having bought fOrty.six miles
of road from Memphis 10 Holly Springs,
and invested an enormous amount in
coal aud iron lands near Birmingham
Alabama, want to extend their line to
that city, and the present Legislature
gave it a charter to do So.
The X. G., NJ. Il b. Il. r Co., after
failing to buy the Holly Springs road
when sold at judicial sale, having, up
to two months ago, declared its policy
not to extend eastward, having, since
the middle of December last, announced
a sudden change OF policy, and rogue t.
ed the NJ, b. q A. Co. to name its price
and give an option OF fifteen days for
them to determine whether they would
buy and, on being told that the owners
preferred to hold, having threatened to
parallel their road, and the present Leg,
lslature, having chartered the NJ, b 4
4 Co, without any exclusive privileges,
and without even the usual exemtion
from taxation; that same Legislature is
now confronted with the question
whether policy or principle demands
that It should become an instrument to
give dignity to private threats, leud itself
to private schemes to mar or impair the
usefulness of the previous charter, rem.
der doubtful the construction of any
road at all, and violate the wishes of the
people along the route, by allowing a
charter authorizing the X. c., VI. & B.
Co. to abut the right of way of the char
tered company.
A majority of the Senate have said
no, and, 10y the amendment, required
them to keep twelve miles away.
1t is Idle to talk of precedent when, it
is naturally supposabe there never was
a parallel 20 the demand of the X. &.
NJ. 4 B. Co., in the history of legisla-
ton. Wise men, legislators, should
Judge every case by the circumstances
which surround it, ard consult fair play
and the public demands.