The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-03-25
RAILROADS AND RAILROAD
COMMISSIONS.
No. g..

duty or q sovereign SGdG0 vi power Is
to refrain from expressing or taking
| advantage of any citizen subject to
that power. It's next duty is to see
to it that neither any of its creatures
nor any of its citizens or subjects
oppres IS 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to be repealed; and as soon as that
privilege is exercised to the detriment,
damage or annoyance of the people, it
is the duty Of the sovereign power to
| withdraw it, and the State that fails
to do this falls far short of it's duty to
it's citizens. When these special priv
| ileges to build roads and haul freights
and passengers were granted to the
railroad corporations fifty years ago,
and exempted them from taxation
until they paid a dividend of eight
per cent. on the capital invested, it
was not contemplated, nor even sus-
pected, that these corporations would
become the controlling money power
| of the State, and that they would ex-
tend their power and influence into
every nook and corner of the State
and dictate the nominees for every
important Office within the gift of the
people.
Our fathers in granting these special
privileges to these special corporations
thought not of the possibility, much
less the probability, of these organiza.
tons combining and controlling the
power that makes and executes the
laws of the State. And yet every
well-informed citizen knows that the
railroad presidents and their paid at.
torneys absolutely controlled the last
three legislatures on the subject of a
railroad commission, and to some ex
tent the legislatures for twenty-five
years past.
Now l am not making war against
these railroad kings. They IRE elected
by the stockholders to look out for the
best and greatest interest of these
roads. They are ~discharging their
duty as faithful servants. They are
doing what they have contracted to
do; and if they were discharging their
duty in the service of the people as
they are in the service Of their present
employers, the people would say.
"Amen. Well done good and faith
full servant"
Now, how shall these wrongs be
remedied -? Surely not by abusing
the railroad authorities, or by break
ing down or even Gripping these cor
porations.
They are as indispensable to the
prosperity of the State as the farmer
the merchant, the blacksmith, the
lawyer or the doctor. They are en-
titled to make money and control the
State as much as any other class Of
citizens, provided they use no corrupt
ing funds or undue influence.
The majority does not exist with
the railroad authorities, their attor
neys and stockholders. The people
constitute the majority in this State:
and if they desire to control the legis
lature and to test the constitutionality
of a railroad commission, its expedi
ency and its power to regulate the
tariff and transportation, let them see
to it in the primaries in all the coun.
ties and townships in the State, that
none but good and true men are Sent
to the county and State conventions
Railroads control just as individuals
control-by being kind and extending
courtesies to those who can help then
when they need help. When they dc
a favor or extend a courtesy they ex
pect a dozen in return. When they
allow a man to gather an apple from
their orchard they expect to gather {
dozen from his. AS soon as a man il
elected to the legislature they senc
him a free pass When a man il
elected or appointed circuit Judge o.
Solicitor they send him a free pass.
All this is wrong. There is NJ
reason why a legislator, Judge, Solici
tor or Governor should not pay hi.
fare over the railroads. They have
no more interest in these roads thar
other people, and no more right t.
ride free than other people. In fac
it would seem that the man who gets
four dollars a day and ten cents
mile going and coming as a legislator
is better able to pay his fare than thu
man who gets fifty cents a day. An
the Governor or Judge who get
twenty-five hundred or three thou
sand dollars salary is better able tx
pay fare over the railroad than tn,
man who gets less than twenty-five
dollars a month for his labors. d.
the railroads send free passes to farm
ers and laborers of the country? Well
why don't they? Because as a rul,
the latter have no apple orchards from
which twelve apples can be gathered
to one. Of course the railroads have
never intended to buy any of thes.