The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-25
liz RAILROADS AND RAILROAD
COMMISSIONS.
No.

To SCOTLAND NECK DEMOCRAT:
During the session of our Leg
i8lature last winter there was feel
ing of intense excitement over the
proposed passage of an Act creating
a railroad commission, as rule the
Republicans and few Democrats,
some of whom were known to be in the
employment of sore railroad com
pany, and the great army of railroad
lobbyists persistently earnestly and
bitterly opposing and denounClng
the measure and everybody else,
with almost equal carnestness. ad
vocating it. During the discussio?
in the Senate ofthe bill GRATING the
commission, and which had passed
the House under the superb leader
ship of that man Of the people,
Charles NJ Cooke, of Franks in the
lobby was crowded with farmers,
BUSINESS men lawyers, editors po
litiClans railroad men, and railroad
lobbyists. There were many ladies in
| the gallery, among whom could be
seen the excellent wife of a dI5tln-
guished railroad president. pencil
and paper in hand ready to keep the
count of the vote, and who, as was
apparent to tue most casual obse- v
er, was deeply, Intensely, interest ed
in the discussion. TIE result OF
that discussion, or perhaps, to be
more accurate, should say what
followed that discussion, is vel!
known to all our readers.
But why this intense excitement?
Why was there depicted in the faces
Of those who were there such un~
usual and greet even painful, anx-
iety? The scene made deep im>
preston upon me; and from that
time to the present have been try
ing to ascertain its cause.
went to one Of the many railroad
lobbyists, hired to influence legis-
IatorS as to measures pertaining to
railroads. whose business it was to
hang around the legislative lobbies,
the hotels, the boarding houses, and
everywhere else legislator might
happen to be, and, by hook or by
crook get control Of hIm. | went,
| say, to this honorable lobbyist and
asked him please to explain to me
why this excitement, why this IN
usual and, Of course, expensive fight
on the part of the railroads against
the creation of a railroad commits
sion; and his answer came, prompt
and fluent:
"a lot Of politicians desiring
lat places for themselves and
friends, and others wishing to re
ward party leaders. are playing upon
the Credulity of the honest plain peo
pie if the country and seeking UC
place ou; proper les" zone of these
big Capitalists never speaks of "hi:
property" but always says his pro
pertIes'j in the hands Of three in
experienced perhaps ignorant mei
to say how much we shall charge OIL
a barrel Of apples from WaynesYill
to Raleigh. We have invested ou
capital in purchasing, repairing ant
building rallrcals IN North Caro-
lima, in engines, cars. &c. for tn
transportation of passengers am
ptuduce. We have given our time
thought, experience and money t
the development of the material II
terests of North Carolina; and nov
this farmer legislature proposes t.
rob Us of our properties by putin
men in Office with power to Ssy to u
where we shall build our depot:
how fast our trans shall run, an'
what we shall charge for the trans
portation of passengers and produce
. The Legislature has no more rlgI
to say how we shall manage our pre-
perties, and how much income "
shall receive for the use Of our capit'
tAap it has to declare how often th