The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-04-23

ular demand for IL on the parI Oh JIG
people. / will not answer that argu-
ment further than to say that the man
who will go over North Carolina,
among the merchants, the manufac-
turers, the miners, the farmers, and
then make such an assertion must be
blind and dumb.
Again, they say, that there is no
need for a Commission; and some of
our friends on this floor promise that
if we point out any good a Commits
sion can effect they will vote with us
for one. We need a Commission for
such a multitude of reasons that | can
mention only a few. First, because
in North Carolina the travelling pub
lie are given the most uncomfortable
and filthy depot accommodations Of
any State in the Union. Second, be-
cause in North Carolina freight and
passenger rates are higher than in any
State that has a Commission. Third,
because inf North Carolina, railroads
discriminate in favor of some towns
and against others, against small
towns and in favor of larger ones; in
favor of one man and against a COM
munity. These and numerous other
evils demand correction from a Com
mission. But the most convincing
reason for the Commission is the fact
that our North Carolina railroads dis
criminate against North Carolina
towns and North Carolina industries,
and l believe that every important
railroad in North Carolina save one
(the G. F. & Y. v. R. r. is owned OF
controlled by men living in other
| States and whose interest and desire
it is to build up other towns and States
at the expense of North Carolina, and
they are doing it. By their discrimi-
nations they have placed an embargo
upon the prosperity of our State, and
until that embargo is removed u
State can never prosper. Look at the
condition of the towns in North Car
DINA. Not a town in the State a
be said to be prosperous. Not a town
in the State seems to have any great
future before it (unless Asheville has
as a resort and sanitarium(, and it is
because the railroads have made it
impossible for them to become COM
mercial or industrial centers. In our
borders we have immense quarries of
the best brownstone in the world. The
demand for this stone is constant and
unlimited, but we are shut out from
the markets of the North because the
railroads carry the same stone from
Georgia through this State, by our
quarries, to New York for less than
they will haul North Carolina stone
half the distance. We have in Pen
der county immense deposits of phos-
phatic limestone. We need it on our
sandy soil, but we cannot use it be-
cause the rates of freight are higher
on that line on the same road than
from Richmond, Va. Result: Our
lime kilns are closed and neglected and
we are forced to use Virginia's pro-
duct. Wilmington ought to be the
distributing point for all the fertilizers
in North Carolina, but it is not be-
cause we al get cheaper freight rates
from New York and Baltimore to
most of our inland towns than from
Wilmington to those same towns,
though the distance is many times
greater. Towns in Eastern North
Carolina cannot buy the apples, cab
bage, grain, hay and live stock grown
by our brethren in the West, because
we a get the same products delivered
cheaper by having them shipped from
Western North Carolina to Baltimore
and then to us, than to buy direct
from the grower. The people of
Raleigh cannot use the corn grown in
Hyde because the rate on corn from
New Berne to Raleigh is greater than
from Chicago to Raleigh. This is the
way the people of North Carolina are
treated by the railroads, which were
built largely by taxes paid by the
people. The people contributed of
their means to build these roads, gave
them unexampled privileges in their
charters, exempted them from taxa
ton, and this is the return they have
received. Shall it longer be permitted ?
Lastly, u enemies say that this is a
bad, tyrannical bill. Such, Mr.. Presi-
dent, IS not the case. Ten States have
MOI rigid laws, and those States and
=. cailroads in them are prosperous.
compared to the laws of some States
ours is a mild and conciliatory meas
ure. No greater powers are given
the Commissioners than are necessary
for the protection of the people.
Mr. President, l have finished. The
bill is before you. The people de-
mand its passage. They sent us here
to pass it, and [ would be unwilling
to return to my home unless my vote
and influence had been for the passage
of this bill
THE WAY THEY no I'M nAX0TA