The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-03-11
RAILROADS AND RAILROAD
COMMISSIONS.
No. z.
[COr. Scotland Neck Democrat.]

trust no one viii consider me an
enemy to the railroads because [ de-
sire to see them under the control of
the State. 1t would be very unfor-
tunste for the State if the people
should array themselves against the
railroads and the railroads against the
people. This seems to be the tendency
now; and anything that will bring
harmony between these corporations
and the people will add greatly to the
contentment and prosperity of the
whole State.
Every reader of the times knows
that there is an unrest among the peo-
pie and dissa sisfaction towards the
railroads. Whether this discomfort
arises from any injustice from these
corporations towards the people or
not, is not the question we are con-
sidering. Suppose the feeling against
the railroads is unjust, it exists all the
same; and the railroad authorities
ought to do all in their power to quiet
it. A railroad commission to stand
between the people and the roads
would satisfy the people and would
not damage the roads in their legiti-
mate and honest business.
There is no power in the legislature
to cripple the roads or cut their rates
so as to prevent them from clearing
dividend on their capital invested;
and the legislature cannot delegate to
commission greater power than it
has itself. If this is SO, how can q
commission hurt the roads in their
business
The difference between the legisls-
ture and commission dealing with
the roads is this: The legislature is
an unwieldy body composed of more
than hundred minds, each acting for
itself. This body is also composed of
mem bers of two political parties, many
times striving for the mastery of the
State, regardless of the greatest good
to the greatest number. Each mems
Der is swayed more or less by local
issues and local surroundings, forget
ting all interest except that of his own
locality and the qualification of his
own personal ambition. You may
say this is an insult to the legislature,
but it is not It is the plain truth and
ought not to be construed otherwise.
The leg stature never has been, and
never will be composed of Solomons
and saints. They are fallible human
beings like other men, moved with
like passions, motives and sentiments.
This body being large, each party
and each individual attempts to, and
often does, shift responsibilities of
shortcomings to the shoulders of
others.
Then the legislature is incapable of
correcting the mistakes of the cor
porstions as they arise. Not so with
a commission. It would be composed
of one or three members Zone better),
who could have only so many minds
as compose it; not more than so many
special localities to look after; who
could not shift any responsibilities
from themselves to others, and who
could and would be held responsible
both by the people and the railroads
for any short comings, fraud, or cor
ruption.
The only possible motive that could
actuate an honest man On this COM
mission would he a desire to do exact
justice to all parties concerned, re-
gardless of public sentiment 1t is
impossible to elecs one hundred un.
biased men from the two political
parties in any one election. But from
among the more than one hundred
and fifty thousand white men of the
State, surely one or three honest men
could be selected. Dishonest men
who are not tampered with will vote
for honest men for position of trust.
Besides these advantages a commits
sion would look into any individual
charge against the roads. 1t would
investigate every alleged wrong. It
could ascertain the facts in each case
against the railroads and publish the
same to the country, and public opin
ion would drive both the people and
the roads to do each other justice.
A commission would do justice to
the courts and jurors of the State.
Nearly all the judges of the State are
charged by many good people with
favors towards the railroads, and
the jurors are charged by many
of the judges and railroads with preju-
dice against the roads, and this charge
is not without foundation. A COM
mission would soon eradicate all preju-
dice of every kind against the rail
roads, and the railroads would take
pride in doing right in all things.