The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-02-10
An Examination ofthe Prot e

: EDITOR CLARTos: Protesting Sena
tors say the amendment to the Kansa,
: City. Memphis and Birmingham Rail
road charter, keeping that road twelve
miles from the Memphis, Birmingham
and Atlantic Railroad line Tor two
years.
l. Creates a monopoly in favor OF
one railroad.
2 That it gives an exclusive right
TO build in a scope of country a mites
wide, aud
3. That it is against princi pie, 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; and Is not against,
but in strict accord with principle, true
public policy and the best interests Of
the people; all of which may be easily
proved
A State may grant OF withhold a
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 81 tile the question
according TO the interests and wishes OF
the people alone.
The Representatives Of the great
Counties of Lee, Union aud Ilawamba
are unit in favor of the amendment,
/ because they believe the charter, with
out it, is liable to Cripple the VI. b. and
| A. Road just chartered and sure 10 be
! built, and that il makes doubtful the
! construction of any rod at all, and
/ makes TOO onerous the condemnation of
! contiguous rights Of way.
| II Is the people of shese counties who
are interested and every principle of
morals and state policy, all the doctrines
/ OF the Democratic party, local self gov
| ernment and 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 g'slature
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 iucorporators of the NJ B. and a.
Il. Il. Co. having bought forty-siX miles
of road from Memphis to Holly Springs,
and invested an enormous amount IN
coal and iron lands near Birmingham
Alabama, want to extend their liue TO
that city, and the present Legislature
gave it a charter to do SO.
The K c., NJ Il B. r. r Co, after
falling 10 buy the Holly Springs road
when sold at Judicial sale, having, up
To two months ago, declared its policy
not to extend eastward, having, siuce
the middle OF December last, announced
a sudden change OF policy, and reque {
ed the NJ, b. q A. Go. 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
Is!ature, having chartered the NJ, b &
\ Co., without any exclusive privileges,
and without even the usual exemtiUn
from taxation; that same Legislature Is
now confronted with the question
whether policy or principle demands /
that II should become an instrument to
give dignity to private threats, lend 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., NJ. 4 B. |
tered company.
A majority of the Senate have said !
no, and, by the amendment, required |
them to keep twelve miles away.
1t is Idle to talk of precedent when, it |
is naturally supposabie there never was |
a parallel 20 the demand of the X. O. |
NJ. q b. Co.. in the history of legisla |
ton. Wise men, legislators, should /
which surround it, ard consult fair play I
and the public demands.
The amendment may he repealed by /
the next Legislature, and will oe if the |
public need demands it, But, the idea |
that two roads will be built side by side |
is SO palpabe an absurdiuy that even
the protesting Senators acknowledge /
that no sane man believes 1t. It's PLAIN
then that if the amendment is defeated, |,
the NJ B. & A. Co. will be crippled, and
that, to say the least of it, 1t will be
made doubtful whether any road will |
Oe built. A doubt is enough to settle
the whole argument.
If the X. O. NJ. q 3. Co., is in earnest,
twelve miles cannot hurt their project,
and SO if they build that far away, it
develops two sets of towns along the
ROADS, thus ADDING greatly 10 IaAaDie
values. Ii not in earnest, it should not
control legislation a. war, in such case,
with the public interests and every prin
ciple of fair competition.
1t as the settled policy of the State to
encourage railroad enterprises, not for
the sake of the railroad projectors, but
in the interest OF the people, and the
people should say whether they want
road and where they want it. In this |
case, those affected want il twelve miles
from the line of the NJ b. & A. road.
In New York a means of colossal |
speculation, until stopped by change |
IN the dangerously liberal policy of leg |
lsiation, was for aggregated wealth when |
wanting TO own road, to survey line |
alongside of it, thus depressing its stock, !
then to buy it and call off their sur
veyors.
This game should not be made posi-
bic in Mississippi where we believe in |
fair play and in encouraging honest |
enterprise and in tho voice of the people |
who are to be affected as potential.
FAIR PLAY.