The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1896-07-30

been made in regard to the State road
Jesse will well apply. with equal force,
to the Georgia railroad. II 10 an open
secret that parties high in the coun-
ellis of the Southern railway have
stated that the rental paid for the
Georgia railroad is far in excess Of
what should be paid. and that as other
railroad properties have reduced their
fixed charges this rental should come
down.
whenever the Southern railway
deems IL has become sufficiently pow
erfui. the holders Of these securities
may look forward to an attack being
made upon the Georgia railroad lease
and TO destruction OF the values OF
their present holdings.
That il is the purpose Of this cor
poration TO dominate this State, il il
surface Indications. which point TO
much below the surface that one only
can surmise.
POLITICAL LAWYERS.
ALREADY do We see parties employed
as attorneys Of the Southern railway
who have no fixed duties in the court
house and apparently do not attend to
any litigation, but who can always be
found at political gatherings, at nomi-
mating conventions and in attendance
upon sessions OF the legislature. 1t is
already reported that legislative cand-
idates who have been supposed to have
entertained views antagonistic to the
Southern railway, have experienced
the weight Of its political influence
thrown into the scale and have been
defeated for the legislature. 1t is also
| currently reported that other gentle
men occupying professional relations
to the Southern railway are promi-
| nent candidates for the legislature,
and even for high positions therein.
Rumor has it that selection has al
ready been made of a candidate for
Governor to succeed the present excel
lent executive, whom it is understood
| will leave the office at the expiration
of the next term and whose admirable
| and just administration tOall interests
has been matter of cOngratulation to
| the State.
at is an easy step if the Legislative
and executive branch of the govern
ment can be controlled to render the
powers of a railroad commission absO-
| lutely null, and it is also to be appre-
hended that should the Southern rail-
way succeed in repeating in Georgia
that political domination which it is
said that another railroad established
IN sister state, the commission will
be filled with persons who will take
| care of the interests of this dominant
railroad, instead of pursuing that
| course of justice to the railroads and
to the people, and of fearlessness in re-
slsting corporate greed, which has
heretofore made the railroad commits
sion of Georgia under the presidency
OF yourself and your excellent prede-
cassOrs the model for railroad COM
mission throughout the country
| ATTACK ON THE sEABOARD.
"The Southern Railway Company
realizes that the Seaboard Air Line
system stands as an insuperabie obsta-
Gle to this programme. 1t has there
fore attacked the Seaboard Air Line
system and is endeavoring to break it
down In that manner which it deems
the most certain to secure that result.
This method is by depriving it of its
connections, and having shOrn it of
these dts natural defenses) then of
crushing it.
1.-The Southern Railway Company
has had line to Baltimore for years
via West Point and the steamboat line
from that port "a majority of the CAPT.
tai stock of which is controlled by the
Southern Railway. This line IS over
forty miles shorter than its present
line to Norfolk. Recently, without
any apparent sufficient reasons, the
Southern Railway made arrangements
for running into Norfolk. Having
done this and ostensibly desiring to
establish competition with the Sea-
board Air Line to Baltimore, the Bay
Line. which has been for years the
Seaboard Air Lines method of reach
ing Baltimore, offered to the Southern
Railway to give it exactly the same
terms and facilities for handling its
freight between Norfolk and Balti-
more that it did to the Seaboard Air
Line. This, however, did not suit the
Southern Railway. 1t is alleged that
the Bay Line was too closely allied to
the SeabOard Air Line to suit it. Then
the Merchants and Miners Transpor-
tatlOn Company, which is the Southern
Railways preferred connection on its
business from Boston, offered to give
the Southern every facility for bust
ness from Norfolk to Baltimore. Each
of these is an old established line. ia
vored by shippers, and with very IA
|
only now, but for years to come The
Seaboard Air Line was quite ready to
have the Southern compete with it
upon equal terms, but the Southern de-
sired to cripple the Seaboard Air Line
and its connections in order to shut out
such opposition; it therefore rejected
the otfor of the established boat lines
and at greatly increased expense in
stltuted line of its own on the bay
Had this line been necessary to secure
competition it mi ght have been justi-
lied n lnaugurating it, but it afforded
no other or further competition than
had already been offered by the lines
on the bay. The business done between
Baltimore and Norfolk barely pays the
existing lines. That business is man.
testify Insufficient to sustain another.
The only effect of such a line is to
cripple the Bay Line. If, however, the
Bay Line can be crippled to such an
extent that the Southern railway can
drive it out of business, or following
its favorite policy, purchase the COM
peting line. it would then be able to
deny to the SeabOard Air Line CONNIE
tent facilities between Norfolk and
Baltimore in connection with its bust
ness. 1t is frank to say that such a
| ueprlVatlon might seriously damage
the SeabOard Air Sine and might place
1t In position where it would be una
BILE to sustain itself, and should finan-
clai embarrassments happen, it might
afford to the Southern Railway Com
pany, the opportunity of doing that
which 1t has been engaged in through
ont the south, namely, purchasing the
Seaboard Air Line and eXtinguishins
it as competitor.
"The Seaboard Air Line system is
composed of roads which have not,
like the Southern Railway lines, gone
| through series of receiverships and
foreclosures, but its principle lines are
owned by the orr ginal companies who
oullt them and they propose, as far as
possible, to protect their stockholders
and security holders. A majority of
the stock of the ,SeabOard Air Line and
of the Bay Line is in hands where If