The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-12-17

1 mora EDlS4S0OASg WV ~SP~N&A
can form of government ii these ma
hobs would not display their wealth
before the eyes of the suffering poor
around the depots.
It would be more consistent with
Christianity if they would not spend
quite so much on their own bodies and
| give a little to the naked and hungry
people of the State during the frosts
of the winter. Let them not indulge
in the idea that God is not listening to
the long suffering cries of the poor,
and the cry of the 'laborer for his
wages, :" shall He who made the eye
not seer" ''5hal He who made the ear
not hear9" shall not the Judge of all
the earth do right9"
WHAT OTHER STATES HAVE DONE.
The State of South Carolina, in the
exercise of its c institutional rights, as
heretofore set forth, has, by a consti.
tutional amendment, absolutely for
hidden any foreign railroad corporation
to do business in that State, and re-
CURED every railroad man doing bust
ness in its borders to take out a char
ter from that State.
Our State might wisely follow that
pr5c9de so al to place all railroad
corporations foreign and domestic, on
a legal equality, and not subject our
home companies to burthens which
these foreign invaders refuse to C lrry. ,
In order that our Legislators may
C airy out these just and reasonable
reforms I will endeavor, in some future
communication, to draft and publish
acts to be introduced in the next legis
lature by them in order to effect this
purpose, of course subject to amend
ment or improvement such as their
wisdom may suggest. / know that it
often happens that an honest and faith
full legislator wishes to acc omplish some
beneficial legislation, but has no n to
draft an act for him. 1t is very neces-
sary that the bill be drawn carefully
and in such shape as to be sustained
by the decisions of the courts, and that
the legislature be warned of the effect
of amendments which the enemies of
the people may endeavor to place upon
them.
METHODS OF CORPORATIONS.
The corporations always have a few
men in each house to do their dirty
work, and these members receive their
instructions in secret at railroad head
quarters and after night. Corporations
are rich enough to employ the best law
yers and they exact of them the best
of work. These gentlemen do this work
professionally and are not responsible
for the propriety of these acts. Law
yers have yer to defend the thieves
and murderers; but this does not make
the lawyers thieves and murderers. It
is the hard lot of a lawyer to apologize
for many crimes in the courts which
he loaths in his private life, and rail
road attorneys are called upon to de-
fend the misconduct of railroad com
panies, which conduct they despise as
other men do. The lawyer is not re
sponsible. It is the salaried officials
whose greed for gain sears their con
sciences and destroys their power to
discriminate between right and wrong,
and finally they have no conscience, no
humanity, no patriotism.
1t is self, and self alone, which con
trolls their actions, It is these fellows
who are heaping up wrath against
the day of wrath" when their damna
ton will come suddenly upon them
Some of them boast of their capacity
to profane Gods name, and they utter
curses loud and deep against those who
dare question their conduct. But God
will not hold them guiltless'' for this
crime. The judgment will come sud
denly upon them some day and they
will be compelled to admit to the wrath
of a righteous God.
SURPRISING COMPETITION.
Again, a most useful reform is needed
in North Carolina to prevent this in
satiable foreign corporation from own
ing and controlling every railroad in
the State. The charter of the South
ern Railroad Company allows. it to
issue mortgages and raise a hundred
and twenty million dolIars-an amount
so stupendous that the mind can
scarcely comprehend it. What is the
purpose of this9 It is to raise money
enoughto buy competing, parallel roads
which they cannot destroy or intimi
date, and thereby force every citizen to
patronize them and pay them tribute
as slaves because there is no other line