The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-09-17
REPLY OF MR.. ST. JOHN
Vice President Of the Seahoard Answers
the Open Letter Of President Spencer.
THERE IS NOT ANY MIHGIA6 or WORDS
He Says the Southern owns Three
Competing Lines between Macon
and Atlanta, In Direct Violation
OF tho Constitution of the State OF
Georgia Discusses Other Matters.

GeoEgia- Diseases Other Matters
Mr.. E. st. John. vice-president of the
sea board Air Line railroad. has written
the Following reply to the open letter
addressed by MT. Samuel Spencer, presi-
dent of the Southern railway, to Mr.. L.
N. Trammell. chairman OF the Georgia
railroad Commission, in which 1t was
explicitly denied that the Southern
Georgia railway. MT. st. Johns letter
follows in full:
Portsmouth. Va, Sept. Is. 1896.
To Mr.. Samuel Spencer, President Of
the Southern Railway Company, No.
so Broadway. New York:
NV Dear Sir:-I am in receipt of your
open letter to Hon. l.. N. Trammell,
CHAIRMAN Georgia Railroad Commission
Atlanta. Ca. and mailed contempora-
neously to many other persons through
out the country, in which you under
take to reply in behalf of the Southern
Railway Company to my letters of July
23d and 9th. addressed to Chairman
Ira mmell. am extremely glad that al
though you approve of the silence with
which Chairman Trammell thought
proper to treat the matters to which l
directed his attention concerning the
violation by the Southern Railway
Company OF the constitution and laws
OF the State of Georgia, you have deem
ed II appropriate to make reply thereto
even after this long interval of time
The reason for my pleasure Is that 1t
not only enables me to deal directly in
| the discussion with the responsible head
| OF the Southern Railway Company, but
IL gives TO the people Of the State an
| opportunity OF securing from you that
full and complete answer to q number
or questions which have been seriously
occupying the public mind, and to
which alone the Southern Railway and
those connected with it can make full
| answer The subjects under discussion
are or too great importance to the pub
TIC Tor 1t to care at all for any personal
| controversy. and although exception
might be taken on my part to some of
the expressions applied TO me in your
letter. l am too deeply sensitive Of the
real Importance of the issue to suffer
these expressions TO in any way inter-
fere with the proper discussion of such
| issues. All that 1 desire, and / feel
sure that on reflection you will concur
with me. Is that the fullest and most
complete understanding may be given
to the public of the railroad situation
| which now exists in Georgia. l regret
| that you should not have seen mt to
sooner reply to my letters of July 23d
and 9th. while the facts therein con-
tanned were fresher in the public mind.
fail to perceive why the Injunction
OF the Port Royal and Augusta railroad
and so earnestly supported upon the
| nearing by the answer of the Southern
| Railway Company and the arguments
of Its legal counsel. should have been
any greater obstacle to an earlier reply
than Is the injunction issued upon the
10th Of September at the suit OF certain
merchants of Augusta, and now pend
Ing and undisposed of. The only rea-
son which suggests itself is that per-
haps the attitude and relation of the
Southern Railway Company to these
two suits was different AS 1 under
stood your letter. you challenge the ac-
cusation brought by me against the
Southern Railway Company that 1t is
owning stocks in railroad companies
and Is controlling and operating rail-
road lines in the State of Georgia in
violation of her constitution and laws
The constitution OF Georgia provides
that: THE General Assembly of this
State shall have no power to authorize
any corporation to buy the shares or
STOCK In any other corporation in this
State or elsewhere. or to make any con-
tracts or agreement whatever with any
such corporation which may have the
effect or be intended to have the effect
TO defeat and lessen competition in their
RESPECTIVE businesses or to encourage
monopoly. and all such contracts and
agreements shall be illegal and void
To further carry out this constitution
in 1893. the Legislature of Georgia en-.
acted that mo foreign corporation shall
exercise within this State any corporate
powers or privileges which by the con.
stitution or laws of Georgia are denied
or prohibited to corporations, created
DIV this State. or the exercise Of whio 4
Is contrary to the public policy of this
State. anything in the charter or cor.
porate powers of said foreign corpora
lions to the contrary Notwithstanding >
1t must. therefore. be apparent thai
II the Southern Railway Company own.
stock in another corporation of the
state of Georgia with which II is in com.
petition. or If II has made any CONTRACT
or agreement with any corporation In
the State of Georgia which NAV hav,
. the effect of defeating competition or O.
encouraging monopoly, such arEumen
Is contrary TO the laws and public polio,
of the State Of Georgia in the violation
of her constitution, and will place tn,
Southern Railway Company in the atti
, tude of a lawbreaker.
AS TO whether or not the Southern
Railway Company owns the stock of Tn,
Central OF Georgia Railway hay,
stated the same upon authority which
deem to be sufficient, the authority he
ing none other than your own utter
=. ances. / have before me the speech n
: Mr.. Samuel Spencer, made. at the publi
; banquet in the city of Savannah on tn
: same night the Central of Georgia wa
taken possession of by it's new owners