The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-07-16
SOME poPuL1sr DOCTRINES.
The Railway Question" Discussed
From the Standpoint of Reason.

The Railway Question" Discussed
From the Standpoint of Reason.
Quitman, Ca, July 14.-Editor of the
Morning News: You VIII confer a favor
by allowing space in your valuable col
umns 10 many of your readers in this sec
tion for this article, wherein the writer
proposes to scan the acts and doings of
the great seditionist, Mr.. Thomas Wat
son.
One of Mr.. Watson's apostles of the
third party way of thinking of the politi-
cal situation handed the writer one Of his
papers containing his fourth article on
The Railway Quest ton" with the re-
quest that read it and return the paper
at once, which did His former articles
have not seen. This apostle alluded to
seems to think that MIR. Watson's arti-
cIes are not only convincing and proselyt-
ing, but would tend at once to convert
any reasonable man to the faith of the
third party doctrine-nolens yolens.
MIR. Watson enumerates the land dona-
lions of the several southern states as
follows that may be given to aid the
building of railroads, namely: Arkansas
$500 acres per mile, Alabama 1885 acres,
Louisiana 1000, and Florida 1000 acres
per mile.
He then says, think of the luuacy of
giving 7O00ac of the peoples land for
one mile of railroad, and then think of
allowing the corporations to keep both
the land and the road. The people give
everything and get nothing.
Now, Mr.. Watson, is this fair, honest
way Of presenting this question to that
class of people already possessed of strong
anarchical proclivitiesl Did the people
ever own these lands2 Can they own
them without buying them and paying
for them?
You will not dare deny the fact that if
these lands belong to the states, that they
have the right. through the wisdom of
their legislative bodies, TO dispose of them
in way that will hest suDserve the in
terest of the states. And in doing so,
the lands thus donated become a part of
solemn compact between the states
which have donated them, and the rail
road companies, as a valuable cOsidera-
ton, to have them settled and developed
in that part of the public domain wherein
the country is not affordedswith trlnspor-
tation facilities. What is the result?
Those very lands which have had no
value before, now become not only valu-
able, but desiraD ole for homesteads and all
other purposes for which they are adapted
or best suited; and at once the states
begin to gather in revenue from taxes,
both from the railways and settlers, where
they got none before Nor is this all, for
railway companies, once possessed of
| these lands-in the most lioeral spirit
set in TO get them peopled in order that
their investments may become remunera-
tive to them. In the peninsula portion of
| Florida for instance, which was a wilder
ness wild ten years ago, when there was
no railroad transportation TO that section,
is to-day the most prosperous portion of
| not only the south, but il would not be
putting 1t too strong to say the continent.
| There are at least a thousand people to
every hundred then, and a million of dol
Oars of wealth to every thousand then.
Now, Mr. Watson, does this look like
much Of a transformation? If you say
1t does, then l ask the question
| Who brought it about! Was it by acct
dent} Did it just happen to be sO3 Or
was it brought about by the liberal dOna-
tiOn of lands offered by Florida to have a
railroad built through that country? And
yet you, by implication, in your endeavors
to teach your fellows to become anarch-
lists, tell them that they have been robbed
OF that they never possessed. Where is
your logic! You say the public domains
belong to the people. Can they occupy or
possess them without paying for them
except squatters, who may be driven off
at any time? Then what difference does
it make from whom they purchase lands,
so they get good title? And is it true
GudG bu6 puUllC uOuldlQ D6lOl2 10 the D6O-
pie! II true, why do they have to pay
for them before they can pos
sess or occupy them2 If you in
slst that you are correct in
what you assert to be fact. then where
is your boasted intelligence? If YOU ad-
nit that it is not true, then where is your
honesty? If it is your avowed purpose to
deceive and mislead those you may lie
able to dupe and set them against our
rRnnhliraO form Of r,o,,
are pursuing the right course to accom-
plish your infamous ends. But Mr.. Wat
son, your sins have found you out. You
desire to make the term corporal tom
the most obnoxious of any in the English
language. This is your first lesson. Your
second lesson is that railroads have no
rights that the people should respect.
Your third lesson is that the government
should disregard all rights and fix price
upon these private properties at an ex-
ceedingly low rate and take them
upon the governments promises to pay
and wipe out all states rights and lines
and build upon their ruins a strong cen
trail government with you and your ilk
at the head of it in perpetuity This or
something akin to it seems to be your
only aim. If for the want OF patriotism
and patriotic motives you will deceive
the people in one instant, you will not
hesitate to deceive them in any and all
others. You most unquestionably pos
sess the astuteness of a fullf1edged dema-
gogue under the guise of patriotism. You
can but admit that the creation of rail
road transportation has been the only
means of active life in building up and
making great not only this but all other
countries. Yet in the face of these potent
facts you set about to impair the
traditions of the country by violating the
most accepted ideas of justice, and lead
your fellows TO where they know not
except it be to anarchy, despotism or a
complacent loss of liberty and iudepend-
ence. In your mad career there is one
thing it will be well for you to bear in
mind, which is, there is no fore-ordina-
ton in national affairs. The leaders of
the people may be wise or they NAV be
foolish. One foolish act may prove fatal
and irreparable. Your zeal began with
hypocrisy and will end in treachery You
at first deceive, at last will betray. You
need never expect a recompense for such
waste of honor. At the most active
period of your life, for learn that you
are yet young man, you will
find in the end, which is nearing, that
you will be forced to quit the busy
scenes of badly conceived political life,
and conceal yourself from the world, if
you would hope to save the wretched re-
mains of ruined reputation. Your DO
litical life has been mysterious, as well as
conference.-the in the ewes of ALI boneet