The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1890-02-06

No 9.

The highest and most obligatory
dotv Of a sovereign state or power Is
to refrain from expressing or taking
advantage Of any citizen euhJect 10
that ROVER. It's next duty is to sec
TO it that neither any of its creature
nor any Of its citizens or subjects
Cypress any other citizen or subject
under cover Of law. And as soon
as any law or granted privilege
becomes unjust and oppressive the
law ought to be repealed; and a.
soon as that privilege is exercised
TO the dctrimtnt, damage or annoy
snce Of tic people, it is the duty oil
the sovereign power to withdraw it ,
and the state that fails to do this
falls fsr short of its duty to its
citizens. When these special priv
lcscs to Guild roads and bau! frelgbts
and passengers vc;e granted to The
railroad corporations City years ago,
aud exempted them from taxation
until they paid a diyidend Of eight
per cent. on the capital invts' ed, i
was not contemplated nor even
suspected, that these corporations
would become tie controlling money
power Of The state, and that they
would extend theIr power and IL flu
CnCc into every nook ard corner CT
the state and dictate TIC nomirce
for every important Cfliec within The
gift Of the people,
Our fathers in granting these
spcCiaI privileges 10 these special
corporations thought rot Of The
possibility, much less tho probability
Of these organizations combining and
controlling the power that makes
and executes the Laws of the state
And yet every we'll informed citizen
knows that the railroad Presidents
and their paid attorneys absolutely
controlled the last three legislature
on the subject Of a railroad commits
sion, and to some extent the lcgisla
lures for twenty five years past.
Now | am not making war agains'
these railroad kings. They ere
eIec:cd by the stock holders to lool
ont for the best and greatest interes
Of these roads. They are discharg,
ing their duty as faithful servants
They are doing what they have con
tractcd to do; and if they were
discharging theft duty in the servic,
of the people as they are in th'
service of their present employers
the people would say, Amen. Wei
done good and faithful servants"
Now, how shall these wrongs b,
r,mcdied? Surely not by abusin!
the railroad authorities. or by break
ing down or even crippling thes'
corporations.
They are as indispensable to tn
prosperity Of the ST ate rs the farmer
the merchant, the black smith, tn
lawyer or the dO>toF. They ST
entitled to make money and cOntr0
the state as much as any other elias
Of citizens, provided they use n
corruPtIng funds or und le influ ence
The majority does not exist wit
the railroad authorities. their attol
Dc}S and stock hOl icrs. The 3le0pl
constitute the m+jOrity in this state
anil if they desire to control th
Legislature and TO test tie cOnstlta
tlunallty Of a railroad commission
its cxre 1iency and its power t
requisite the tariff and transportation
let them See to it in The primaries i
I'll the counties and townships j
the state, that none but good an
true men are sent to tie county an
state conventions.
Railroads control just as i1dlvit
uals ccBtrol-ty being kind Ell
extending couItcsic5 to those VII
can help them when they need hell
When they do favor @. extend
courtesy they expect a dozen
return. When they allow o man
g2ther an apple from their orchar
tlcy expect to gather a dozen fro
his. As soon as man is elected
The legislature tLey send him FRI
pass. Wien s. man is elected or q
pointed circuit Judge or Sollcit
they scuj him free pass.
All THIS is wrong. Toere is I
reason WHY legislator, j ldee, S
licitor or Governor should not p,
his fare over the 1OllrOadS. The
have no more interest il thesc roa'
than other people ard no more rig
TO ride free than other people.
fact il would seem that the man W
gets four dollars a day and ten Ger
q mile C0inr and 60 ,nino IS q lpoi