The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-09
TO HEAD OFF OTHER BILLS.
How The Mission Of the DOOlan Rail-
road Bill Was Accomplished.

the MeaSure-Capt Eurse hecelNeu II
in an Anonymous Letter Prom New
York on Nov. 17-Hearing That Meas
ures of Similar Mature Were on Foot
in Atlanta, He Had The Bill Intro
duced to Head Them OF, so That It
Could Be Withdrawn at the Close Of
J the Session and Adverse Railroad
Legislation Stopped.
I There is an interesting history con-
nected with the introduction in the legis-
/ lature Of the Doolan railroad bill, which
I was intended. so far as could be seen, 10
/ prevent the consolidation OF competing
( lines of railroad or the control Of one
| competing line by another.
OF those who went up TO Atlanta Thurs
day night to appear before the railroad
committee Of the House of Representa-
tives on Friday with regard to the bill,
Judge William d. Harden. of the deben-
ture holders committee. Capt. II. c. Cum
ningham. Capt. D. G. Purse and Mr.. B.
A. Denmark returned to the city yester-
day morning. Judge Harden gave a re-
preventative of the Morning News a state
ment of the facts in the case, in which
Capt. Purse, who took the responsibility
for the bill. concurs.
II seems that the bill was introduced
with the idea of stopping any other leg
islation of a like character that was
liable to come up at this session of the
legislature. The action of that body with
regard to the measure has been carried
out, according to Capt. Purses idea. Last
. nj
Harden and Capt. Flannery of the deben-
ture holders committee. showed them the
correspondence with regard to the meas
ure, gave them his reasons for having
it introduced in the legislature and put the
bill, so far as he was concerned, in their
absolute possession.
On Nov. IL an anonymous letter was
mailed to Capt. Purse from New York,
containing a copy of the bill. This was
one OF three anonymous letters he re-
ceived to all appearances from the same
source. Shortly afterward Capt. Purse
obtained information that copy Of the
bill had, in a like manner, been sent to
Atlanta, with the object, probably, that
it's introduction might be assured. Capt.
Purses idea was that If this bill was in
troduced by a populist or one of the demo-
I Gratis who affiliated with the populists, il
would stand some chance of receiving a
favorable Endorsement from the railroad
committee. He saw Mr.. Doolan, gave
him the bill, and explained that it would
be to the interests of Savannah to have il
introduced by some one who was opposed
to it. With this he gave Mr.. Doolan the
bill, and in due order it was introduced.
He bore the adverse criticism, and in some
cases, the insults which his action had
entailed on the part of his friends, be-
cause, if it had appeared that he was di-
rectng the measure in this way the con-
troll of it might have been taken from
him and Mr.. Dooan.
In a letter to Mr.. Doolan with regard to
the measure which was shown to those
railroad men who had gathered in Atlanta
to appear before the committee in oppo-
sition to the measure, Capt. Purse told
him to hold onto the bill, as all legislation
of this class must be killed on the last day
of the session or just before that time,
so that there would be no possibility of its
coming up again this session.
Friday morning Judge Harden and the
other members of the debenture holders
committee saw President Spencer of the
Southern, Receiver Conner and others and
showed them the correspondence which
Capt. Purse had had with regard to the
measure After a conference between
all those concerned, it was decided that
the best method was for them to appear
I
House, and in case there was no quorum,
this being the last meeting of the railroad
committee that would end the BILL or if
there was quorum present the measure
could be withdrawn. There was quorum
of the committee present and the railroad
men were there ready to appear in case
their presence should be required. The
| course agreed on, however, was pursued.
Mr.. Doolan withdrew his bill stating that
it was not perfect and he did not desire
that the committee should act on it, Rep
resentative Fouche of Floyd county OBJ
! jected to the withdrawal of the BILL and
even after it had been withdrawn, he
wanted to introduce his bill anyhow.
He was convinced, however, that it would
be the best policy for the bill to take the
! other course and be withdrawn by the rep
/ resentative who had introduced It, The
| committee then adjourned sine die
The chairman of the committee, it is
| understood. has reported to the House
| that the bill has been withdrawn. The
\ report was adopted by the House yester-.
| day, and that is the end of it. The way
| this bill got into the House before that
! in the possession of Mr. Fouche of Floyd
/ was that Chatham comes ahead of Floyd
I in the call of the roll of counties, and af-
ter the introduction of the bill in Mr.
| Doolan's possession, there was no reason
for the introduction of another measure
/ on the same subject
| Judge Harden says the matter has been
arranged harmomously and entirely sat
! isfactory to all interests. He is satisfied
/ that Capt. Purse acted in Savannah's in
| terests, and while the Introduction of the
measure in the legislature had a some-
what damaging effect it was not near so
/ bad as it would have been had the meas
ure come from some other source, where
it might have gathered supporters around
| 1t. he says that the reorganization plan
of the Central railroad was Temporarily
delayed to see what the legislature in
tended to do, and that it might have been
| published in his opinion long before this
but now that the matter has been so bar
moniously disposed of and with such good
effect he thinks the reorganization win
1 progress favorably and rapidly.
Representative Fouche of FLOYD stated
that he was going to introduce the same
bill at the next session of the general as
sembly, but it will be too late then for the
/ operations of its deleterious and damag-
/ ing effects.
There seems to be a pretty we'll founded
opinion that the bill was sent from New
V int