The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1886-05-29

has the right to participate IN this
just as every portion
of the United States has the right
to participate in the commerce
with foreign nations. This can
not be if the the power stops short
at State boundaries and cannot be
exercised within the territorial
jurisdiction of a State. This pow
er, "whatever it may be, must be
exercised within the territorial in
risdiction of the States.n All this
was long ago decided by the Su.
preme Court of the United States.
So much for the question of
power; aud 1t is now left to con,
slider the best mode of exercising
it. 1t should not in any mode be
exercised harshly or oppressively,
unjustly or unreasonably, or 9th.
erwise than with perfect impair
tiality between the people on the
one hand and the railroads on the
other. Let it be done dispassion.
ately and with due regard for the
rights of all parties aud for the
public welfare. For one, | would
see it employed as fairly as if the
people had the power, and the eff
fort was to restrain them and make
it impossible for them to oppress
the railroads. 1t may be SAID | am
a friend of railroads, and so | am.
Where is the thinking man who
has his country's interest at heart,
who will say he is hostile to these
great enterprises or TO any other
which add vastly to the cOuntry's
wealth and increase intellectually
the conveniences of the people 7
Who is there among us that would
see them so crippled in their credit
or impaired in their powers that
the eonveniences and promptness,
the regularity and comparative
safety of their operations, can not
be kept up to its present standard
OF even improved9 Is there one
who would favor a law imposing
needless burdens on them, or re-
quiring their service for less than
reasonable compensation, or 9th
erwise unjustly dealing with them 7
The people are friends of rail
roads, just as | am they want fair
dealings with them, just as | do /;
but they want il on both sides, and
so do !. | would see reciprocal
relations established between them
and the people, founded on spirit
Of toleration and justice on either
side. | would see the parties deal
reasonably with each other. Their
interests are so far interviewer
and there is snch interdependence
between them that antagonism can
not fail TO injure both. There is
nothing for tho people and moth
ing for the railroads in the blind
partisan championship of either
side, and the people want none oil
this. That man hurts and harms
the public who foments discord
between any classes of the com
munity and breeds antagonism be
tween any of the business inter
ests of the country, and he is @
public benefactor who reconciles
great interests which conflict ant
brings the contending parties to @
proper middle ground of under
standing and adjustment. | be
lieve such results can be reached
in the matter we are considering
though the process may be gradu
al, if only both sides will be tenn
perate in the discussion of the
evils and of the remedies which
are proposed.
Already the movement for the
supervision of railroad companies
has had effect aside from the en-
actment of laws; rates have beer
reduced In some cases, and in 9th
ers the railroad companies hay,
found it necessary to explain tht
basis of their tariffs, and thus th,
public have gained information
which has satisfied them on man,
points not before fully understood
The opinion that the movemcn
has led to good is gaining grount
with many thoughtful railroad
managers and investors, and man,
who at one time looked upon it al
endangering all railroad interests
because in the outset extreme
measures were proposed, lool
with favor upon reasonable law
regulating transportation as tb'
means at once of satisfying tn,
people and restraining railroad
companies from excesses wbicl
may be expected in the absence 0
restraint.
AS to the exact mode of exer
cising this power the range of in
quiry is so broad and the subiec
is so far.reachlng and difficult tina
no mode has ever been suggested
that 1t is not open to objection
even in the mind of the party pro
posing it. The subject bristleI
with difficulties, and the field il
full of dangers, and as yet has no
been wholly explored. The sub
| iect .bas been fully discussed il
legislative halls and before th,
people. There has been mucl
defamation as to the grievance
and no little denunciation of thos
charged to be the authors of them
better calculated to excite tn
popular mind than to point on
remedies which may not prov
worse than existing evils. On tb
other hand, much that is instruc
tive aud Of practical value ha
been written and spoken on th
subject by men who have earnest
ly sought to master it and so t
deal with it that the rights bot
of the people and the railroa
companies shall be respected an
protected. Such men have recoe
nized that the rights of both mus
suffer if the laws of trade whic
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