The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1896-08-27

A'p's''."'' 1850 '- 80 |
the entire globe, has been pauperihed.
All the profits Of tine soil have been
drawn in the shape Of rents by non
resident land owners To London aud
nothing going back, the country has
been Impoverished like held from
which all the crops are cut ana noth-
ing returned. In like manner today
the south and the West are Empower
i-hed by all the profits OF agriculture
being taken 10 London and New ORR |
in the shape OF excessive transporta-
ton charges and nothing being re-
turned, or spent among us, the south |
and West are rapidly being reduced TO
the condition OF ireland.
In honest fact, the railroad commits
,ions Of the several states have served
only AZ buffers TO protect the railroads
from real criticism by the people, ana
from direct legislation TO reduce their
rates, while the states have uselessly
taxed themselves To pay the reFeral
coss--ions' salaries 10 cram u d0
soIufthUtg.
In the public distress, we demand
real relief, and We must have 1t, ana
not It's phantom.
What /, the remedy The remedy il
to cut the rates and exactly IN proper
tIOn as these multi-millIOnaire railroad
kings have, IN combination with 9TH
ers OF their KIND, cut the prices Oi our
produce.
o.. SUPREME COURT DECISIONS.
The Supreme Court OF the United
states has decided Chicago II. Il. W.
wcllmAn / Is [. =. and IN several other
casazy that rates which viii allow
moderate rate on the actual value oil
the railroad property are yalld. III
that case It sustained a passenger laFe
OF two cents per mile. pom the same
basis, every passenger ana nearly ey-
cry freight rate should be cut III two.
It il what has been done with our
produce and will simply restore rail-
road charges to their former basis.
Can the railroads stand IL! Upon the
basis Of watered stock, making the
railroad patrons pay dividends and IN
terest on three Of four pmes the value
oi the railroad, they cannot. But upon
the legal requirement of moderate M
terent on the real value OF railroad
property, they can. BesIdes the uiVi-
bends and interests on STOCK ana
bonds on three or four times the value
of the property, are not all the present
high rates are levied for. In the ilrsl
place, the freight shippers and pas5en'
gers are taxed to pay enormous sala'
ries to railroad officials, ranging from
100000 per year down. The officials
are rs numerous rs their salaries are
eXorbitant. j. pierpont Morgan pays
out Of tins levy upon the poor south
ern people, SjO,OOO n year 10 his cine
manager, President Spencer, while his
like ali other big railroad systems, ha
three or four honorary sub president
i,,,a nlar }, gu n rtA
with palace car and stan of servant:
and host of other officials with hig
sounding titles, salaries in proportio
and duties in the inverse order Whil
the real work is done by hard work
ing subordinatcs with moderate saia
ries. In addition, the travelling an
shipping public IS loaded with III
sums used in running newspapers, &c
itOrs aud lawyers, the maintenance
expensive Hobbies at all the State cap
tails and at Washington and with IL
free travelling OF all those whom I'll
corporations think can be influence
in that way, for the cost OF the pa
sage of those who travel free must
added to the charge against those wi
do. Ii must be noted that this host
100000, 100000, S20O 900 and $4,000 sa
aries-not one OF which can be real
earned-is collected out OF the peop
by the station agents as surely as u
salaries of the Governor ana 9th
state officers are collected by the she
liz. The people of the greatest al
wealthiest States do not pay. the
highest officials upon any SUCH sea
and they have the same right to reg
late the salaries Of railway oliCia
unless they can be paid inside the
per cent. interest upon the real vail
OF the roads, to which point and belO
it the legislature has power To c
down the rates. The Supreme COu
of the United States in many cases b
said that these high salaries and 9th
unnecessary expenses need not be co
sidered by the legislature in iiXiI
reasonable railroad rates.
PEOPLE PAY LEASE MONEY.
Here may be noted another favori
extortiOn praCticed on the travel
and freight shipper. One railroad W
lease another. The leased road is OF
entitled to rates that will produce Il
exceeding q per cent. on the value
its property and these rates should +
be increased by leasing to another, J
the lessee road will put its rates
high as to earn not only the 6per &c
cent. To 20 per cent. addition
for itself besides the high ga
ries To the great officials, nel
papers and lODbes of tile less
This is making the people pay the r,
tai for them and the operating CO
pany, though not spending dollar
build a ROAD, taxes the people an All
tional per cent. to 20 per cent. Oh
paper capital. Reduce The charges
fares aud frelghts to the legitlmat,
per cent. on the cost OF the lea
roads and we would cease to see &C
petition stiileu by leasing rival ros
TWO CENTS PER NILE.
IL the people insist on the relief &
are entitled to there is scarcely a
senger or freight rate that cannot
cut IN two. Two CD cents per mil
the highest that can fairly be allo,
for first class fare on any railroad
on most of them economists say
one cent per mile would pay a fair
terest on the property actually u
We should make fewer milliOnail
railroad salaries would be more III
crate, railroads woui, run fewer NE
papers and Hobbies. But on the OF
hand, the country would be pros]
Gus. Instead Of u few cars half Fl
with people, and a large part of Il
with free passes in their pockets, ii
would be more trains and cars, fl
with people. The freight rates W,
not afford few residents of
York and London palaces with
their adMnCts. where low BIO
baseness watts perfume to pride
there would be countless thousap,
happy homes when the producer
get his produce to market withou
the margin being taken Off TO pay
the transportation.
THE REMEDY.
How can these moderate rates b,
tanned? Clearly experience has
onstrated that We cannot get
from the railroads themselves nor
the railroad commissions, eli