The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-08-21

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mates, was entitled to $500, 900. 1t got
1860.
Now for the defense, or rather ex-
cuse for this plunder of the people and
spoliation of the State: The Whining
ton & Weldon Railroad Company in
consideration of receiving this royal
bounty, some $500, 900, which it owed
to the people, agreed to surrender its
claim to exemption from taxation in
the future. AS part of the $40, 600
already mentioned, about SIG, 900 was
paid to the counties along it's main line,
Pender, Duplin, Wayne, Wilson, Edge
combe and Halifax. In the next few
weeks you will have a lot of machine
made roosters Growing around about
the big money THE PARTY" got out of
this railroad for the counties. Now for
the answer which shall put them down
The Petersburg and Weldon Railroad
Company is an indispensable link in
the chain of the Atlantic Coast Line of
which the Wilmington Sc Weldon is
the richest and greatest member. The
owners Of the Wilmington & Weldon
are the owners of the Coast Line. The
Petersburg and Weldon was in 1891 in
the articles of death by reason of the
expiration Of its charter by lapse of
time. The LegislatureNof 1891 refused
to renew it except for two years. In
1898 the Wilmington & Weldon and
Coast Line people were at the mercy
of the State. By refusing to extend
this charter and by proper restrictive
legislation the State could have annihi-
lated the Wilmington 6 Weldon Rail
road Company and the Coast Line. An
honest Legislature would have said to
this band of foreign capitalists who
had for 25 years enjoyed the benefits
of the States protection, the use of its
courts and the police without contrib
uting one dollar to help bear the bur,
dens which fell on the people: 1--WE
have you in our power. You shall pay
the taxes to the last dollar which you
owe the State and counties and towns.
We may or may not enforce the penal
ties and demand interest as would be
done with ordinary citizens under like
conditions. Before you can come here
asking for favors and for franchises
without which you cannot live, you
shall pay the taxes which you owe and
some of which you have evaded by
sorry subterfuges and criminal con-
cealments. Do this and do more. Sur
render your claim to exemption from
taxation in the future. Do this and do
it quick, or we will knock the bottom
out of your properties and privileges
and franchises"
When that music had sounded, the
Wilmington 6 Weldon Railroad would
have begged for terms in tones louder
than those of Robespere whose voice,
as he stood before the Revolutionary
tribunal begging for his life, was said
to have been heard across the Seine.
But no. The boys who had got to the
Legislature, leaving at home the men
who were elected, did not see it thusly.
They knew that they had parted com
pany with the people, and that in the
future they must look to the machine
and that the railroads would control
the machine. And this is just what is
in the mind of every judge who dis,
torts the law by ruling n favor Of cor
porate privileges against popular
rights. Some glaring and recent cases
of this might be given. AS to the ex-
emption of the Wilmington & Weldon
Railroad Company which it surrend-
cred it is questionable if the people got
anything by that. I have already
shown that this surrender should have
been obtained without giving tax
money for it. But it is doubtful whether
they had any exemption at all for more
than $500, 600 of their $12, 900, 900 of
proper ty. The railroad from Halifax
to Weldon has been liable to taxation
under the law for sixty years and never
paid a dollar.
In 1891 the railroad company listed
for taxation 5000, 900 of personal prop
erty. 1t never listed it before or after
that year. 1t owned this much, prob
ably very much more, for many years
previous to 1891, but simply lodged
the tax lister.
In 1892 it transferred this personal
property to a corporation in Connecti-
cut at valuation of 50, 500, 900. By so
doing it removed it from North Caro-
lima law and North Carolina taxes. The
farmer who makes false returns of his
land or cattle is mulcted In penalties
md mt in chains The railroad mil