The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1890-09-04
vcly small number Of privat, citi-

"In all its uses the railroad is the
most public of all our roads, and in =
all the objects to which its work re- z
lates, the railway corporation, is as I
public as any organization can be.
But in the start il was labelled a
private corporation. and, as far as
its legal status is concerned, it is
now grouped with eleemo5ynary in
and private charities, and
enjoys similar immunities and eX-
1t remains to be seen
how long the community will suffer
itself to he the victim Of an abstract
definition.
"To day it requires, with unbiased
minds,a stretch of the common ina
gination and much refinement ard
subtility of law to maintain the old
fiction that such organizations are
not public corporations. 1t is a real
condition and not an abstract theory
that to day confrOnts the American |
people. The government must soon |
recapture and control the Railroads !
or be captured and subjugated by
them"
Then, too, this question OF
of reasonable rates is only one
of the seven points in which we
conceive it to be the duty of the
State to guard against the dang
crou5 powers of railroads and
other corporations.
The State should:
End. Prevent determinations
between individuals.
Bird. Prevent determinations
between locations.
4th. Prevent determinations
in the shape of rebates and
drawbacks.
5th. Prevent the pooling or
combina ton of roads.
9th. Require the establish
ment of joint rates between in
dependent lines.
7th. Require the publicity Of
all rates.
The wrongs and injustices
every day committed that the
above actions Oh the part of the
State would prevent are crying
evils and call loudly for a rem
| edy. The above points form
the great points OF the Inter
State Commission bill as PASSED
lbv Congress and it is desirable
that every State should have a
similar law, SO that there would
be uniformity and completeness
of action with reference to
matter of such high importance
AZ to the second position o.
the News and observer, that thu
charters Of the bulk Of the road
are perpetual free license con
tracts, and that therefore tn
g State has barg aimed away it
power to protect its citizens, W
will simply say that that is
difference Of opinion. We d
not believe and never shall
!. that the Legislature intended t
grant and vest any such power
and privileges as cla lined by tn
old lines under their interprets
ton of their charters. And tn
people will never submit
such an Interpretation until s
decided by court Of last al
, peal, and one that has no susp
. cion of being under corporal
influence, direct or indirect.
4 is the opinion Of a number
the best lawyers in the Stat
that the decision of the Supren
Court of the United States,
the case Of lhe Georgia Railro'
). and Banking Co. VS.. Smith,
- al, will apply to the charters
the roads of this State. 20
Scales, in his message to Il
- last General Assembly OF II
49, State, advocating the create
~ of Il Railroad Commission, sa.
>; That the Legislature has the po
er to control and regulate these G.
en- D orations. and that it is their du
he if not done by the corporate auth
. tiles themselves, TO remedy
'u- wrongs, will hardly admit of a dou
IL At any rate the people
ell mand that a commission be G.
ated and that this point be te
=. ed.
~ The third position Of t
ON News and Observer is that
is freight rates in this State
already reasonably low. 1t sa
Or THE CAUCASIAN lays great ST.
wn on the work done by the Railr
E a Commission in Georgia, and
os- rates given by THE CAUCASIAN
of the principle Georgia railroad ar
rry fol lows:
of Rates allowed by Railroad Ct
rly mission per 100 pounds.
em - u Z x TX