The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1893-04-19
BILL AEP ON RAILROADS.
They are all Bankrupt on Account of Leg
islation and the Damage Suits Brought
Upjustly Against Them.

ue NOuSlltuIlOu lulIudteS ludI Lu!S
being an of year in politics and no
elections to be held and therefore no
demagogues to ride the anti-railroad
hobby will be allowed a better chance
to make living. We hope so, and
we hope that there is healthy reac-
ton going on in the public mind con-
cerning them. It is strange and hate
full spectacle to see how these great
commercial industries of the State are
hawed at and almost crushed by in-
vidious legislation. Why is it that
such men as Thomas and Fink and
Green and Conner and Hanson have
to 60 before the commission and as
The Constitution says, "beg for life ?"
Their freight rates rednced As per
cent within twelve years and their
net earnings forced down to average Of
less than 8 per cent On the capital
stock, what does it mean 4? Are our
people uufriendly to railroads because
of any harm they have done US. We
old people remember when the Gen.
trail and the Georgia and the State
roads were the pride of the farmers
and the merchants who lived along the
lines and it was a rare thing for a
heavy damage suit to be brought
againt them. We remember when the
fare was 5 cents mile, and the freight
rates double what they are now, there
was no persecution, no lawyers running
in hot haste to the wrecks to get up
cases against them, no strikes of en-
gineers, no failures TO meet the interest
on their bonds or to pay the usual
dividend Of S per cent per annum on
their stock. Everything was peaceful
and prosperous then, aud the people
were friendly and content. 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 II per cent to
the stockholders. Well, of course, the
stockholder is not complaining, but is
this continual reduction of the rates
just to the railroads or their lessees.
What other industry or business is so
hedged in 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 or the farmers or the
miners in the prices of their products?
On what principle does the discrimina-
tion against railroads come ia > Do
they not serve all branches of industry
and commerce? 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 in
Georgia in the hands ofreceivers? Re
ceivers whose certificates are better
than the stock or the bonds! Ger
tifcates that gradually undermine
the stock and wipe them out and
finally sale is ordered by the
court and the whole concern passes into
new hands and the money it brought
is all consumed in the receivers GER
tificates, and the charges of the courts
and the lawyers fees. There are as
many jobs and perquisites and pro-
fessional emoluments 10 the wirdup
as there were in the Ryan case that
took $4,000 for court expenses and left
S37, 900 for the creditors.
Whenever railroad or anything
else falls into the hands of a receiver
the average creditor may sing "Fare-
well, vain word, I'm going home"
There are many kinds of wreckers in
this world who watch and wait for
some stranded vessel to ashore in a
storm so that they may rob the dead
and grab the cargo, but why the
State should help to crush her own
railroads is mystery to me. 1t is
mortifying to our sense of justice and
the eternal the fitness Of things to see
such honorable and brainy gentlemen
as those who represent our railroads
down almost on their knees before our
railroad commission and "begging for
life" Why, it hasen't been many
months since powerful political party
made a public declaration that it
favored the seizure of all the railroads
and their operations by the national
government. Demagogues started 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 its organization for self-pro-
lection, just as though all the rest of
mankind were their enemies. Con-
tracts are made and broken at their
pleasure and at their pleasure they
"walk out" and the wheels of business
must step until they get more conces-
sions. We see that one federal judge
up North has had the nerve to say to
them, Thus far shalt thou go and no
further You may break your own
contract but you shall not interfere
with other roads, nor intirnidate their
workmen. Commerce must go on"
Why this pursuit of railroads by the
people, the courts, the juries, the legis-
lature? Why these frequent and enor-
nous verdicts for damages? A few
days ago there were four men blown
up and killed at lime quarry near
here. There was a premature explo-
sion because of a defect in the fuse, or
the cap or something, or maybe from
carelessness of the workmen. Will
their kindred sue for damages? No.
But if they had been killed on train
that seemed to be safe, and there was