The state chronicle., 1891-02-25
EXCITEMENT IN SENATE
4rPON THE QUESTION OF FEH'
SONAL PRIVILEGE.

There was an exciting occasion Ia IHo
Senate Wednesday. After the Senate na1
fully considered the House Amendments
TO the Railroad Commission bAl' ~ ~
BELL, Of Clay county, rose TO q q'e9.''i1
Of personal privilege. He SAID that "ii9n
4ha Railroad Commissicn n bill came nl' Nc
voted for certain amendments ana o.
tered certain others which nc thou8H1
would give the people better measure
He did so conse1entiouslv. ana yet u
tho Clinton Caucasian Of Feb l2th (Inis
naner is edited by SENATOR BLILEhl, hl7
motives were impugned. ne reau 'ho
foll3wing extract from the Caucasian
r,a contest on Saturday (on the Ran
road Commission bill) has aroused c9nslo-
able interest and made the rairo%i,i iiel i's
hoDeful Of cripplIrg he blIl 4 ne loooIeS
and galleries were crowded. The senators
,.I,n ycere On the side OF the railroads made
. strong and cunning fight. Ihey an
claimed to be strongly n favor OF Cpin- m
mission but wanted a conservative piii,
tbou0h every amendment they offered was |
intended to either cripple the bill or make |
the Commission advisory. There were
ei0ht Senators absent VINO were Tor The
bllI. bu, every enemy to the Commission
vas in his seat.
Aoain, continued Mr.. BELL, l read
from the Caucasian of the same date:
The railroad lobbyists are here in full
force. We did not think they would nave
the audacity to fight the Commission TINS
time They say that they are not opposed
to a Commission but they are secretly do
inp everything in their power to cripple
the bill and make 1T worthless. - hey are
having their agents in the Legislature 10
offer amendments to the bill that would
81, .fTa Of m "a
visOry commission instead OF rate liking
Conn mission as the people demand; aud
strange to say, some men VINO came mere
pledged To support a commission are / =
no compromise, but fight square for rate
fixing Commission or nothing.
This publication, continued Senator
Bell, places the Senators in an awkward
attitude. When the assertion is made
that we are agents of corporations,
and not for the people, it is unfair and
unjust to Senators. Their motives ought
not to be impugned. | have walked be-
tween the handles of the plow and stud
led the grave problems of to day, and
seen that the liberties of the people are
being taken away from them. l have
seen rich corporations ride into power
with the blood of the poor dripping from
their garments. OF late / have seen
many new converts to the cause Of the
farmers. | have seen men who said they
favored the Commission bill as it came
from the committee without crossing a
st" or dotting an 81" [ do not i'm
pugn others, but that is too easy con-
science for me and my constituents.
While pledged to Railroad Commission,
! felt | could say what kind l want
ed without being denounced as an agent
of the corporations. The time has come
when demagogues have taken the farmer
by the nose and are leading the Alliance
and the Democratic party to rum. ! am
an Allianceman and a Democrat. The
people were willing for us to be the
Judges as to what sort OF commission
we should have. Because | wanted tc
compel the Commissioners to consider
the cost of railroads in fixing rates
am denounced as the agent Of railroads
by the Caucasian.
The editor of the Caucasian couldn't
tell the difference between a bean stick
and fishing pole. Let US save ant
guard the peoples money and do right
and the Farmers Alliar .ce influence will
be felt everywhere. I don't want dem
agogues to tell us how to vote. l vote(
conscientiously and | allow no man t(
impugn my motives.
MIR. Grissby's Speech.
Mr.. Grigsby, who has been sick, sale
he was the nominee of tie Democratic
party in his district, and he defended the
Democratic party on every stump. Il
was unjust and ungenerous that tht
motives of any Senator should be i'm
pugned when he voted his conscientiou,
convictions. He held in his hand the
resolutions adopted by large meeting
in jefferson instrucCing him to vote
against Railroad Commission bill, anC
he had letters from all over his county
saying that the people did not want d
Commission. There is not railroad il
Ashe county Editor.
The Senator from Sampson had no right
to impugn my motives. He goes further
than that aud reflects upon the Presi
dent of the Senate, and charged in Nor
canton that the Lieutenant Governor
had loaded down the Railroad Commits
sion committee against the bill. My mo
tives were pure aud / voted under in
structions. l regret that 1 am too un
well to say more.
Mr.. Walser Speaks.
Mr.. Walser regretted that the edito
of the Caucasian had written the article
The newspapers take the most undu,
license by impugning mems motives. Mr.
Walser went on to say that it was sat
spectacle when Senator could not stant
up for his principles. In the campaigl
he explained his position of two year
ago and issued 200 copies of his ad
dress, and the people elected him owe
Mr.. Williams, who four years ago was il
the Senate aud chairman of the committe
on the r. L. Commission. Here L hav
carried out my instructions. Is it righ
to inpugn a mans motives? [ offere
no amendments to kill the bill.
wanted a Republican placed on the Com
mission Two sub Alliances in David
son endorsed my position, and vote
for me- I have been riding on fire
passes and shall do SO until this bill pas
ses. This was the sixteenth time Nj
Walser has told the Senate that he de
feated Mr.. Williams. He has never ye
told them how slim his majority was
Ed.
Mr.. Kings Explanation.
Mr.. King said that all he wished t
say was that the Clinton Caucasian wa
too previous. The very amendment
offered was afterwards adopted by th
House, and to-day by the Senate, an
therefore l stand approved.
MIR. Butler Takes the Floor.
All eyes were turned upon Mr.. Butle
as he took the floor and said that tn
word 'agents" meant ''acting for an
other" and that he had used the word i
that sense. If there were any amendment
or substitutes here prepared by som
one else the word ''agent" was timely.
suppose Mr.. Bell meant to iniure me b
saying that l vas demagogue. Hi
saying so does not make me one. 1t lack
great deal of making me so. Mr.. Be
put the cap on and said 1T fits me, an
rears around and makes an exhibition {
himself in the Senate chamber.
Mr.. Bell would make a good pair wit
the ex-senator from Sampson, who hs
delighted to call me demagogue, an