The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-04
CONGRATULATIONS.
BY Hon. W. II. kitchin.

~A N<A'l' ~ iSh bSS ago
from the Charlotte Chronicle pur>
porting to be the avowed principles
of Sid Alexander, the head and front
Of the Farmers Alliance. The ex>
tract declared that Sid Alexander
was IN favor Of r. Z. commission
and also in favor Of the Federal gov
eminent taken pos ssession OF all rail-
roads and controlling and running
he same. We hope and trnst that
these are not the views OF Mr.. Alex
ander. If they are, then he can no
longer be considered the leader of
the North Carolina democracy. o.
If he is true type Of democracy,
then our democr' cy has degenerated
into republicanism of The rankest
and most cdlous kind. 1t is the
glory ard honor Of the democratic
party that it has "time out Of mind"
fought against Capitalization and
consolidation. 1t is the bed rock
upon which the party has ever stood
nnmOved and immovable, and when
it ceases to stand upon that founda>
tlon it will and ought to 90 to pieces.
TO take charge OF the railroads,
creatures OF the States, chartered by
the States, by the Federal govern
ment, would be the Quintessence Of
centralization. 1t would he terror
ism. dCsPotism, republjcanism, and
usurpation. What possible right
has the General government to take
charge OF the railroads within the
States? Why not take charge Of all
The wagon roads, cart paths, and by
way? Why not take charge OF al
the steamboats,? Why not take
charge Of al the stage coaches and
stage ways in the States!
AT the time Of the adoption OF the
constitution by the States, all the
commerce between the States was
carried on by means of wagons, carte,
stage coaches, AMI pack mules. The
:dea Of railroad reaching from the
Atlantic ocean to the Pacific ocean,
and from the lakes to the Gulf OF
Mex CO, with iron-horses, putting
Gre and smoke, drawing h:ty billions
Of commerce between the States
rca:lY never entered the trains OF
tic bull l;ers and fraue-s Of the con-
stitutiOn.
1t never coull have been con
templatcd By the master builders of
the organic law Of the land, that tn
General government conld at it.
pleasure and in its discretion take
charge Of the public roads leading iG
aud cut OF the States and fix the
rates each wagoncr, should charge
per hundred pounds from Philadelp-
hia Baltimore Richmond, Peters
burg, Charleston,or Sparatanburg to
Raleigh, Asheyiile, or Statescillc.
Why not Say what BIZ Smith shall
charge Tom Jones for hauling in ms
wagon a barrel o! -four from Rich
mOnd to Greensboro, as welt as to
say what the Z. & d Railroad ehali
charge for the same. All that could
possibly have been meant by the
fathers of the country in that clause
Of the constitution which says, The
Congress Of the United States shall
have power to regulate the commerce
between tie States WAS that nc
State should have power 10 lay 8
duty on goods brought from other
States. In other words that CLAUSE
| in the CONSTITUTION, meant that if any
State should attempt to discriminate
against its sister State by taxation
or otLcrHi e, the Congress OF the
Unit,d States should have power tc
pre.eut such discrimination and
compel a solute free trade between
the States. For these reasons We
have always believed the Interstate
commerce law unconstitutional Con
gress has power under this clause
of the organic law, to say that Dt
State shall charge duty or lay al
embargo upon the goods and pro
ducts Of another State shipped into
that Safe. And when Congress Las
established absolute free trade be
tween the States its functions ur0e
tbat clause Of the constitution Is a
an end. Yet many so called demo
Gratis take or hold exactly the op
posite view. Mr.. Alexander is no
alone on this point. A man cen b.
! houest, t,upright, az, q gentleman an
, entertain these views; but how h
, can be a a simon pure, o.d. fashioned
, democrat from the bottom of Iii
a heart Is beyond our cuDpreh, n HOD
II. =