The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1890-02-27

tween the sovereign power Of the
state and the corporate power OF
the railroads. and also the relation
between the railroads and the people
as individual patrons Of the roads,
we must bear in miud that these
corporations peti:ioned the state to
grant them special and absolute
privileges and :mmunitjes above al
other citizens. and over the territory
of the state and over the citizens
lands in defiance of, and against the
will of the unwilling. Keep in mind
also that these corporations paid TO
| the state not one dollar In return for
their eXacting rights to transport
| persons and freight over the state.
| No other individual has any right
| whatever to run his vehicle over
these public highways.
Under these conditions ordinarily
all competition is shut out; and if
the position of the railroads and
their attorneys be the law, then the
| legislature has created q new class
of citizens and clothed them with
power and prerogatiyes greater than
are possessed by o,her citizens
! power to Cypress Others of the state
even unto the contiscation of the
property of all other citizens. TO
suppose that the legislature granted
or intended to grant to these corpor-
atiOns any such power, is to suppose
that they were composed uf very
ignorant or wicked men. And if
any legislature ever intended to
grant such rights it had no power to
grant them.
If the legislature can not regulate
the tariff TO be charged by these
corporations for these services, then
they charge the full value of a car
load from Raleigh to Weldon for its
transportation, provided the owner
of the same could not get it to We'll
don for less money. And the right
having been granted to corporations
to transport between these two
points, and it being equipped for
work, no other person or corporation
can afford to build and equip new
line, because the first lice can haul
cheaper than a new one and if it
could not it would buy OFF the second
line or pool the freIghts and kill
competition, and it would still take
the value of the car load to get it to
Weldon on either line.
The Constitution in allowing the
law making power of the state the
right to charter these corporations,
did not iutend to surrender the right
of self protection. Nor could the
law making power have intended to
destroy competition in transportation
and place t0e cltlzenS oil the stare at
the mercy OF these souiIess coTpo7
ations. And 1t IS believed by many
able lawyers Of the country that g
combination Of the traffic between
r these corporations for the purpose oI
keeping the rate Of transportation
t above nigh water mark IS peFver
, sion of the power of the corporations
sothclent TO forfeit all rights under
= these charters. Ii 1t were otherwise
there coul[ be no limit to the power
f Of the railroads. If they can charge
z what they please, then they car
+ charge TO the value OF the goods
! transported. Ifthey can not charge
+ what they please then there is !imi
to their power to charge II there L
a limit to their power to charge eX
orbitant and oppressive rates, where
does the power exist to limit tht
power of the corporation TO charge
up to the point of condscation.
1t must exist in the same bo1,
{ hCF n y q n n