The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1889-03-19

Now that the Legislature has provided lot a
State Board of Health we trust that 1t Will give
its early attention to the repeal OF the law creailng
and providing for State Railroad Commission
After two wears Of experience we beneVe me
thoughtful business men Of Florida are Sa'lsneu
that the Railroad Commission for This State was
premature and that the effect has been preJudi'
cial to the commercial inter and the develop
ment of the State. Florida wants all the out
side capital that can be induced to come mere, 10
assist in developing her resources and promoting
| her prosperity. Let there be no fight made
upou capital or corporations. Throw the doors
wide open and invite capital 10 come in and build
railroads, engage in manufacturing enterprises
in cultivatlng sugar cane, rice ana orange groves
! We want all the capital that can be induced to
come to Florida We want more railroads and
! better transportation facilities. and we want
| more business for the railroads and transporta-
| ton lines now doing business here. Let Us get
things going all around here. Let US raise more
| produce for railroads to handle, anc let US exer-
! else more care and better judgment in the mar
keiing of our products. Let us stop the leaks
and sealings in the marketing OF our products,
and we will have less occasion TO ind fault with
high transportation rates.
The above is from the Orlando Re
porter Referring to the remarks OF
Brother Gore, we wish to say that we
have made somewhat careful study OF
the question of the propriety of the re-
peal of the Commission law, if, indeed, 1t
can be called question But our con-
illusions differ from those expressed in
the article copied. II there is any con
siderable number of people in Florida
who favor the repeal of the law we have
failed to discover the fact.
On the other hand, it is becoming more
and more a necessity to the very pros
peritv so much desired, that there should
be Commission.
As to the invitation to which re-
ference is made, has it not been long
and generously extended? We think it
has, and that it ought to remain open
still +; but it ought not to be that kind of
invitation which, while it brings corpora.
tions in, drives the people out.
1t is hard to understand why it is that
railroads and railroad officers alone
should be exempted from reasonable
ameritv to legal restraint, while so much
care and expense are bestowed upon per-
fecting statutes and enforcing laws for
the government of all other people and
institutions.
Beyond this it is evident that deep
down in the very best thought of modern
times, conviction has taken root that
either the people shall control the cor
porationS or the corpora tions will control
the people.
There NAV be. AMI we think there is,
some question. and for a considerable
time to come there will be, as to what
precise legislation will best protect the
people, aud reasonably, not harshly, but
firmly, restrain the roads But. in our
opinion i. is clearly demonstrated by the
management Of some railroads, most
torcibly, too, that railroads can and
should be restrained, and to this end
there should be Commission.
Railroads may have done much for
Florlda-it is claimed and quite generally
admitted, that they have. On the other
hand, it has dawned upon the minds of
the people that Florida has done much
for the roads. On that score the people
are not in debt We are not the enemy
Of the railroads. That moment we dis
cover unreasonable or oppressive meas
ure> proposed against the roads, the
FLoEIDIAN will not hesitate to say so.
Moreover if the law, or its administration,
is unwise or inefficient, let it be shown
Turn on the light. The law makes it
the duty of the Commissioners to suggest
such amendments to the law as they con
slider necessary, and We presume they
have made them, or will make them
They will be considered carefully,
doubtless. But when the Reporter pro-
poses to repeal the law, we think it starts
on the backward march