Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1892-02-25

of each of these two railroads as they
turn and bend with the river. These
certainly are parallel and competing
lines within the full intent and meaning
of the constitution. No other two rail-
roads in Pennsylvania can possibly |
approach nearer to each other in con-
struction and similarity than the Lehigh |
Valley and Central Railroad of New Jer-
sey, the two roads in question.
Under the recent combination effected |
to freeze out competition, and consumers
of coal as well, the Philadelphia and |
Reading Railroad Company has absorbed
the Lehigh Valley and the Central Rail-
road of New Jersey, and SO far as these
corporations are concerned they are no
longer competing lines. Every letter
and line of section of article XNII of
the constitution of Pennsylvania has
been violated in the deal by which the
Reading gained control of these two |
roads, and. from now until the interests |
of the law-protected robbers shall re-
quire that the combination be broken,
the people will pay such tribute as may
be levied by those who control the entire
anthracite coal supply of Pennsylvania.
1t has been suggested that the Governor |
and the Attorney General of the State |
take action against the Reading for its
audacious and open violation of the
constitution, but it is doubtful if that
will give relief tothe people of the State.
Section 10 of that same article gives to
the old corporations of Pennsylvania the
privilege of overriding the entire consti-
tuition in these words:
| No railroad, or canal or other trans
! portatlon company, in existence at the
time of the adoption of this article, shall
have the benefit of any future legislation
by general or special laws, except on
condition of complete acceptance of all
the provisions of this article.
In that section the power to accept or
reject the constitution was given to the
canal and railroad companies in opera
ton at the time of its adoption. That
constitution binds only the people, in
their individual capacity, and such rail.
road canal and other corporations as
were organized since 1873. All railroad
and canal companies existing prior tc
that date are above and beyond the
constitution.
When the attempt was made last year
to impress upon the minds of the people
of this State the great importance of a
constitutional Convention, for the pur-
pose of placing corporations upon an
equality with others, but very few under.
stood the true meaning and intent of
that section last quoted They read the
other sections in the constitution and
asserted that the instrument, as whole,
was an admirable constitution. They
could not believe that the corporations
in existence in 1873 had no need for
"the benefits of future legislation" As
a matter of fact, the constitution, then
adopted, placed them above the law.
The very abuses which made the consti-
tutional convention of 1872 and 1878 a
necessity were lost sight of in the adop'
ton of that short section, and those who
threw dust in the eyes of the people last
year by repeating the parrot-cry that the
corporations were "anxious to have
another constitutional convention in
order to repeal article XVII" were as
dishonest as the article itself.
One hundred and seyenty-seven thou
sand citizens who voted for Peoples
Parliament, you are appealed to to again
take up the agitation for constitutional
convention. Now is the very best time
imaginable to begin the work, and those
who profted by the defeat of the meas
ure have furnished the best of argu-
ments in favor of that for which we
struggled last year. Emboldened by
our defeat, the Reading Railroad has
taken another step against the welfare
of Pennsylvania. 1t has committed an
other theft, and it lays with us to bring
the rogue the justice. In order that our
position may not be misunderstood and
that we shall be strengthened in the
stand we shall take, let each man of the
/ l77,OC0 personally write the Governor to
| take official notice of the treason of the
Reading Company and call upon him to
take the offenders before the highest
tribunal of the State for hearing and
investigation.
Demand of the Executive of the State
that the fullest light shall be thrown
upon this most outrageous of all en-
croachments on the rights of the people,
not alone of Pennsylvania, but of the
whole Eastern and Middle States. Act
at once, get up petitions, write letters,
interest others who are not members,
send delegations to the Governor, and
in every possible way strengthen his
hands in the work of ridding Pennsyl.
vania of the Jesse James wing of the
corporations. If he will not act, secure
his reasons, and, above all things, leave
nothing undone to find out beyound the
shadow of doubt whether article XVII
is binding on the railroads and canals of
the State. Let us ascertain whether we
can legally redress our wrongs before re-
sorting to -. 7. V. PowDERLY.
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