The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-04-11
WHAT'S THE MATTER ?
THAT'S THE QUESTION THAT ARP
ASKS ABOUT THE RAILROADS.
He Says it is on Account of Legislation
and the Damage Suits Brought I'm
justly Against Them.


ed better chance to make a living. We
hope so, and we hope that there is Il healthy
reaction going on III the public mind concern
ing them. 1t is Il strange and hateful
spectacle to see how these great CONNER
cial industries of the state are haWed at
and almost crushed by inyidious legislation.
Why is it that such men as Thomas and
Fink and Green and Conner and Hanson
have TO go before the commission and as
The Constitution says, beg for llfe!'
Their freight rates reduced A per cent
within twelve years and their net earnings
forced down to an average of less than
q per cent on the capital stock, what does it
mean! Are our people untrelndly to rall-
roads because of any harm they have done
us. We old people remember when the
Central and The Georgia and the State
roads We're the pride of the farmers and
the merchants who lived along the lines and
it was Il rare thing for a heavy damage
suit TO be brought against them. we re-
member when the fare was D cents Il mile,
and the freight rates double what they are
now, there was no persecution, no law
!crS running i'll hot haste to the wrecks to
get up cases against them, no strikes OF
engineers, no failures to meet the interest
on their bonds or to pay the usual dividend
OF per cent per annum on their stock.
Everything was peaceful and prosperous
then, and the people were friendly and con
tent What is The matter now! Major
Green says the Georgia railroad cannot,
at present rates, earn more than . per cent
and yet the lessee has to pay IL per cent
TO the stockholders. We'll, of course, the
stakeholder is not complaining, but Is this
continual reduction of the rates just TO the
railroads or their lessceS. What other III
dustry or business is so hedged III and
bridled by unfriendly legislation! Who
says that the great merchants OF Atlanta
and Macon sell their goods too high and
they shall make lower prices! Who limits
the manufacturer OF the farmers or the
miners in the prices of their products! On
what principle does the discrimination
against railroads come in? DO they not
serve all branches of industry and com
merce? Could the people get along without
them: Have they not reduced the cost OF
living to us all? Then what is the matter!
Why are more than half the roads Ill
Georgia in the hands of receivers! ReceY-
ers whose certificates are better than the
stock or the bonds, Certificates that grad
ually undermine the stock and wipe out and
then undermine the bonds and wipe them
out and finally Il sale is ordered by the
court and t.xs whole concern passes INTO
new hands and the money ii brought is all
consumed in the receivers certificates, aud
the charges of the courts and the lawyers
fees. There are as many Jobs and pcrqul-
sites and professional cmolumcnts in the
windup us there were in the Ryan case hat
took $4,000 for court expenses and lett
$3T 600 for the creditors.
Whenever railroad or anything else falls
into the hands of Il receiver the average
creditor may sing farewell vain world,
I'm going homo. "
There are many kinds of wrcckcrs in this
world who watch and wait for some strand
Cd vessel to come ashore in a storm SO that
they may rob the dead and grab the cargo,
bat why the state should help TO crush her
own railroads is a mystery to me. II IS
fvip ia C1lr
eternal fitness of things to see such honor
able an brainy gentlemen as those who rep
resent our railroads down almost
on their knees before our rali-
road commission and begging for
life" Why. it hasent been many months
since a powerful political party made
public declara ton that il favored the seizure
OF all The railroads and their operations by
the national government. Demago&ues start
ed that, and some of them rode INTO office
upon it. The time was when strikes and
boycotts were unknown in the south, but
now most every department of labor has
lis organization for sef-protection, Just as
though all the rest OF mankind were their
enemies. Contracts are made and broken
1T their pleasure and at their pleasure they
walk out and the wheels of business
must stop until they get more concessions.
We see that one federal judge UP north has
had the nerve TO say 10 them. thus far
shalt thou go and no further You may
break your own contract but you shall not
interfere with other roads, nor intimidate
their wOrkmen. Commerce must 60 on "
Why this pursuit Of railroads by the pco-
pie, the courts. the iu:iee. the legislature?
Why theas frequent and enormous verduts
for damages? A few days aGo there were
four men blown up and killed at 4 lime
quarry near here. There was q pren2-
turc explosion because Of q defect in the
fuse. or the cap or something. or maybe
from carelessness of the workmen. VIII
Ia Il ss,.l sun f.,T., Il