The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1892-12-22

GSE The following Is the final lcgis lative
action upon the Stanya-no Wil,oa R.ilrsal
law just pass-d From present indications,
unless the Commissioners selected are men
of considerable experience in railroad mat
ters and perform their duties with great
prudence and just regard for the rights
and privileges Of all parties involved, there
is great danger Of long and expensive lii.
cation growing out of tho law:
The railroad maguatss, says the State of
Saturday, did something yesterday which
they have never bseu forced to do before;
they made an earnest appeal to the Governor
of the State to exercise his right aud
stay the unjust legislation that gives every
Indication Of throwing every road in the
State into bankruptcy.
And for their answer they got what is
generally termed "turn down , Governor
tillman simply declined to take any place
in the picture.
About noon The following railroad men
called on the Governor V. L. NcBse, C, s.
Gadsden, &. NJ. Ward, J. III. Averill, j. n.
Barron, ID. CsrIwell, Mike Brown and MIR.
Lumpkiu.
The gist of their appeal, the full text of
which is too long for the space We can allow,
is summed up in the following few lipes:
We ask your Excsllsncy to consider these
facts and The inevitable results which will
follow. We accept all the other clndiions
and terms of the rai'roai legislation Of the
State, including the present measure, except
tEis bil over passenger rates and Joint
freis sht rates.
There was long conference OH the mat.
ter, tho Governor fully discussing all tho
points involved with the railroad men.
The discussion Of course was behind close
doors. Gove'n9r Tillman, when asked for
q statement Of hi- reply, spoke as follows:
"Ihe substance Of my reply was that ]
thought they were unnecessarily alarmed
that knew of no purpose on tee part If
anybody in the Legislature or anywhere
else TO act unjustly or tyranrica'ly toward
the roads, and that whi Q the present law
might be considered very stringent, 1 felt
satisfied that the commissioners when elect
ed would take care to infsPm themselves
and would endeayor to treat the roais lust
ly, while at the same time they would grant
such relief in the way Of changes in the
freight and tar # rates as they found could
he given without injuring the roads. de-
sinei tp interfere by veto or otherwise, and
stated that | wanted to rec tho law fairly
tried; and stated further that if found
zion had &c cd I'M Justly, L would exert ony
influence might have towards correcting
the evil. l said TO them that the people
were in no frame of mind to be tampered
with the railroads might blame then selves
II they do not receive that consideration at
the Lands OF the Legislature and the COM
mission it has created, which they have the
right 10 expect. Their refusal 10 pay their
taxes and the litigation which thsy had
forced Oh the State h!d cretted any preju,
dice that may exist. l sad also that
didn't think tho Leg islsture had any pur-
pose OF desire to do more than secure
equality before the law for all classes and
interests, and they could blape themselves
If the present apparent antsgonism between
the roads and the government did not cease"
LATER.
Columbia, s. c., Dec I9.--The railroad
situation in this State is becoming serious.
This evening the Governor signed the bill
after protest from the railroad authorities, !
and tonight 125 railroad employees held G
mass meeting and appointed committee to
visit The Governor. The committee submit
tel the following report; "The committee
stated to The Governor that they had been
appointed TO request him to postpone sign |
ing the bill until they could have time to
properly proSeuI tDelr ODJeCIl0nS. u0yefnor |
Tillman replied:
Tho bill has already been signel, and is
now law. The opposition OF eight o, ten |
thousand railroad employees does not
amount TO damn compared with the fifty or |
sixty thousand formers demanding the pas |
sage of this bill"
The committee stated that they did not |
come from the fiicials of the r,iiroads, but |
as emp Dyes whose bread depended upon
their daily Iabors. His reply was:
"lf thought you came from Bunch Nc
Bee General Superintendent of the Rich
mond d Danville division in this State) you
would not have been allowed 10 enter the
door, but as citizens you have q right to q
hearing in this matter. Two years ago I
had a bill before the legislature which they
would not allow 10 pass. As j stated to
Bunch McBee, they have already backed
this water upon themselves and now thsy
have ouly to sink or swim. The Governors
language was interspsrsed with numerous
o. hs."
Upon this report the meeting appointed
nn9thor committee which has issued a cali
for all railroad employees in South Caroline
10 meet here next Thursday night. The
speeches at the meeting were rod hot.
There were men present who have been
heretofore but who have taken
ls emphatic oatbs as the Governor did to-
hight no, 10 support the reform movement