The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1892-12-15


to Transp prtation Intcrasts.
COLUMBIA, Dec. 7.-President McBee
Of the c., &. Il A. aud &. & Il. roads
appeared TO night before the Senate
railroad committee and spoke on the
Wilson railroad bill, helnU preceded by
Maj or Ganahi, Of the Port Royal Il
Western Carolina, Receiver Chamber
lain, of the South Caroiina. and Senl.
tor Wilson. Captain McBee's speech
will probably attract much attention by
the downright character Of some of its
utteranctS. 1t WIS as follows:
Gentlemen Of tie COn1mittee:
must thank you for deferring final
! consideration until we could collect
our people and prepare statement,
Which may at least, give you some ma
terial for discussion Of the questions
embraced in this bill. | appreciate the
Importance and necessity OF amending
the general railroad laws of our State
and us a citizen Of South Carolina, favor
the passage Of an Act to regulate the
railroads, and prevent hard ships upon
our people. But it looks us if we are
coming to point where TIE legislature
is to say that TIE only regulation is by
conliscution, and the only protection
for the people IS III tie persecution of
those who Try TO serve them, hoping
for reasonable pay Tor work done.
at the beginning, gentlemcn, l ask
your attention 10 the fact that the rail
roads in this State have for Years fol-
lowed policy of patient submission
and silence. We have oEeyed the laws
faithfully, although knowing some of
them to be unjust, and feeling that they
were harshly enforced. This policy
does not seem, judging by this develop
n fNr -, IL,
or consideration, or 10 have secured for
us even the mercy of decent respect for
our rights, to say nothing of our inter-
esiS.
| A crisis has been forced upon u.s.
Now, while tavoring laws which will
protect the public, | AM here to urge
you in all the honesty and with all the
Vehemence / can command, to give your
hep in preparing a bill which will re-
cogniZe, and in some respects at least,
protect property and rights.
Railroads are not lmmortal: There
IS no mysterious strength Or power Of
every thing else, dependent on favor
able conditions, and living chances for
their lives, and they can te pressed,
choked, and starved to death. They
are different irola other things in one
poiNj however they can not die alone.
When they are kiilcd, States, commuu-
ltleS and industries DIE with them,
You may make blackberry patches of
our road.bcds and rights OF way, but
when you do 1t, you will make good
paSturaGe i'll The streets Of some of your
towns. l am talking plainly. but not
so plainly as the facts Of receivership
and figures Of losses in earnings alread y
before you, and to which l call your at
tention, and which you are familiar
with from the monthly reports; and l
feel very deeply the wrong proposed to
be done us by no fault Of ours
llere are millions of honestly invest
ed dollars being seized from their law
tul owners, and thousands of people be.
ing put III danger OF losing their bread
anu meat, ana /! Is too serious a matter
TO be determined by freaks or tancies,
or prtJ;:dlcea, or temporary political
considerations. Too much time and la
Dor and thought, and too many vital
interests are involved, for wantOn or
careless slaughter. | have studied this
Dill closely and anXiOusly, and ind it
lllled with explosives and poISOnS. Dyn-
! amllo with liked fuses and arsenic in
the bread pan, are mild mixtures and
harmless, compared with the principal
prcVlslois III the measure you are ask
ed to make a law.
They are the very cS5;nce of COM
mnnlSn--taklng property from the
control OF It's owners, by main force
But communism proposes 10 benefit
the public by div iSion Cl the prOpert T
seized, such aS land, money and houses.
This legislation cOnlcmplates, not di-
vision tor the general good, but lies
tructicn. 1t Il Moro like anarchy.
Digest the bal, gentlemen. You will
lind IT. requires schedules to be made
and operated by he Commission. All
depOLS and warehouses are to he de-
signed and built by the direction of the
Commission. The liking Of freight,
passenger and joint lOcal rates Is to be
dono by The COMMISSION The appor-
tioEmcnt Ut the monies received IS to
be done by the Commission and the
| contracts between roads are TO be an.
proved or dlSdpprOyed by II. In TACT
| gentlelnen, IL gives entire control of
the property OF th.S people and the i'll
| depreciation ard enforcement Of the
law TO three unknUW men, who may
be entirely inexperienced without any
right of appeal from their decisions.
My GOD! my friends. | appeal to you
before y0'l give your approval to This
act appeal to you in behalf of bank
rupt institutions, and ask you to look
at the inevitable results, and say what
our country is coming to, and what we
have done to justify the passage of any
such measure. These roads are corpO-
atlonS-crtatnres, we are told, OF the
state. But SuIely the State owes some
| ODliRatlonS to her creatures, as she does
TO her citizens. No contract can he en-
tlrely one sided, and when the legiSla.
ture granted the charters and franchis
es 10 bul!d these roads, did they DO SO