The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1891-02-26
Excitement in the Senate
UPON THE QUESTION or PER-
SONAL PRIVILEGE.
senator He'll aud Other Senators
Take Exceptions to an Article
In The Clinton CauC asian.
Estate Chronlcle et Thurxsl.,.l

Estate Chronicle Of ThurxdA,.I
There was an exciting lceasion in
the Senate yesterday, Wednesgiay.
A fter the Senate hae fully consider
cred the House amendments u The
Railroad Commission bill, Mr.. Bell,
IT Clay county, rose to a question OF
personal privilege. lie said that
when the Railroad Commission bill
came up, he voted for certain amend
ments and offered certain others
which he thought would give the
people better measure. lie did ~
conscientisuslv; aud yet In THE
CLINTON CAUcAsIAS of February
18th tthis paper Is edited by Senator
Butlerl his, motives were impugned.
lie read the following extract from
THE CAUCASIAN:
The contest ON Saturday ION the Rail-
road Commission billy has aroused con-
siderable intei est and made the railroad
men hopeful OF crippling the biz. The
lobbies aud galleries were crowded.
The Senators who were on the side ot
the railroads made strong and cunning
fight. They all claimed 10 be strongly
In favor of a Commi sion, but wanteda
conservative" bill though every amend
ment they offered was intended Ia either
cripple the bill or make the Commission
| advisory. There were eight Senators
absent who were for the bill, but every
enemy to the Commission was in his
scat.
Again, continued Mr.. Bell, I read
from THE CAUcAsTAN of the same
date:
| The railroad lobbyists are here In full
force. We did not think they would
have the audacity To fight the Commis-
sion this time. They say that they ara
not opposed to Commission, but they
are secretly doing everything In their
power TO cripple the bill and make il
worthless. They are having their agents
Ia the Legislature to offer amendments
to the bill that would have the effect Of
making IL simply All advisory commits
sion instead Of rate-fxiug Commission
as the people demand; and strange 10
say, some men who came here pledged
to support q Commission are favoring
the change. We will agree 10 make no
: compromise, but fight square for rate
fixing Commission or nothing.
This publication, continued Sena-
tor Bell, places the Senators In an
awkward attitude. When the asser-
, tion il made that we are agents OF
corporations, and not for the people,
! 1t Is unfair and unjust to Senators.
Their motives ought not TO be i'm
pugned. / have walked between
The handles of the plow aud studied
. the grave problems OF to-day, and
seen that the liberties Of the people
are being taken away from them. /
have seen rich corporations ride into
power with tie blood OF the poor
! dripping from their garments. OF
late have seen men who said tney
favored the Commission bill IS 1t
came from the committee without
.. crossing q "t' or dotting an a." /
do not impugn others, but that is
too easy conscience for me and my
constituents. While pledged to u
Railroad Commission, 1 felt / could
say what kind ] wanted without be-
, ing 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 par.
ty to ruin. am an Alliance man and
q Democrat. The people were willing
for US to be the judges as to what
sort Of q commission we should have.
Because l wanted to compel The
commissioner to consider the cos
Of railroads In fixing rates am de-
{ nounced as the agent of railroads by
D THE CAUCASIAN.
The editor Of THE CAUCASIAN
e couldn't tell the difference between
= bean stick and q fishing pole. Let
. us sSve and guard the peoples mo-
. ney and do right, and the Farmers
I, Alliance influence will be felt every
2 where. I don't want demagogucs
to tell US how to vote. Iv0tcd con-
: scientiously and i allow no man 10
: inpugn my motives.
RI MR. GRrGsBY's SPEECH.
il. Mr.. Grigsby, who has been sick,
: said he was the nominee ofthe DEM
: ocratic party in his district, and he
). defended the Democratic party on
every stump. 1t was unJust and un-
lgenerous that the motives OF any
Senator should be impUgned when
n he voted his conscientious convic-
! ltions. He held in his hand the reso-
lutions adopted by q large meeting
!. In Jefferson iiistructing him to vote
- against Railroad Commission bill,
and he had letters from all over his
county saying that the people did
not want q Commission. There Is
not railroad In Ashe county.--ED.l
;, The Senator from Sampson had no
+ right to impugn my motives. He
j. goes further than that and reflects
;, upon the President OF the Sena.e,
" and charged In Morganton that the
r Lieutenant Governor had loaded
u. down the Railroad Commission com.
y mittee against the bill. Ny motives
. were pure aud voted under instruc'
20 tions. Iregret that I am too unwell
to say more.
Mr.. wAIsER SPEAKS.
20 Mr.. Walsei regretted that the edi'
n tor Of The CAUCAsIAS had written
a the article. The newspapers take
4 the most undue license by imrugn
ing mems motives. Mr.. Walsei
went on to say that 1t wa a sad spec
tacle when Senator could not stant
;. up for his principles. In the cam
= paign he explained his position o
90 two years ago and issued &c, ,OoO cop
ne les Of his address, and the peopl
~ elected him over Mr.. Williams, VIII
y, four years ago was In the Senate asi'
eo Chairman Of the Committee on th'
Railroad omm:ssion. Here hav
carried out my instructions. is |
right to impugn . mans motives
nd offered no amendments 10 kill tn
!; bill. wanted Republican place.
to on the Commission. Two sub -Aiil
s.aces In Davidson endorsed my po