The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1896-07-24
CARD TO MIR. RAINEY.
Asked to Name Parties Charged With
Burning Toll Houses Etc

July 3. 1895, OF your valuable paper,
the Columbia HERALD, there was
published an article styled, "Mr.
Rainey's propositions and signed by
Mr.. Horace Rainey. Because of
certain statements in said article we
feel called upon to publish this card.
We, in connection with ether citi-
zens of Maury County, believing
that under the laws of Tennessee,
we Were entitled to certain rights
and privileges and that certain du-
ties and obligations were by law i'm
posed upon turnpike companies,
submitted in legal and orderly
method to the courts of the country
the cause of our complaint. We at
tempted in legal way to show to
the court the grievances of ourselves
and of the travelling public caused
by the failure of the turnpike COM
pany under the control and manage
ment of Mr.. Rainey to discharge the
obligations and preform the duties
imposed upon it by the law of the
land.
We believe that the courts were
the duly appointed arbiters to deter
mine the rights and privileges as
well as the duties and obligations of
the citizens to each other and to the
public.
We Were content to await the ac-
ton of the court when it should have
the facts before it by the sworn evil
dence of competant and credible
witnesses, and pass Judgment ac-
cording to law. However, Mr..
Rainey has seen fit to go into public
print in advance of the trial in
communication, ostensibly as a
proposition to sell his roads, to viii
lily those whom he considers OPP
posed to him, and upon their heads
to empty the Walls of his wrath. We
make the following quotation from
Mr.. Rainey's communication:
Mr.. Davis also says, in substance,
that 'tO attend to my business l
must pass through three toll-gates,
and [ get value received. / prefer
the pixies with their toll than no
pixies at ALL" Mr.. Davis, head is
level on that proposition. Every
man in the county will admit that
he gets the worth of his money for
the use of the turnpikes, and 50 per
cent of them pay their toll cheer
fully and willingly; but the other 3
per cent is what is causing all the
trouble, and forcing me to offer val
liable property for half its value.
This 3 per cent of the people have
done more harm to the good roads
interest in Maury County in the last
five years than Esq. Jim Sanders
and his cOnvicts can do good in
twenty years. This five.per cent is
composed of four classes.
Ist. Men entirely without business
sense or Judgement, and who cannot
understand a refusal to give them
cheap rates, based on the argument
and the fact that to give the rate
they ask is to give up all profits and
to do business without profit, means
bankruptcy. They do not care who
sink, just SO they swim; they must
have cheap rates, and such rates as
they themselves dictate, or they will
have trouble.
End. Men who have large accounts
at the toll-gates and will not pay
them, and get mad because the gate
keepers will no longer credit them.
3rd. Men who have no credit any
where, are habitual loafers and dead
beats, beat their way all they can
and then get mad because they cam
not beat the gate-keeper.
18th. Men who have private or
imaginary grievances at the turn
pike company or some of its MEM
bers.
These four classes soon get to-
gether, and as the turnpike Is their
common enemy, they make trouble.
l have known them to burn toll-gate
houses, tear up bridges and colverts,
and destroy other property belong
ing to the turnpike companies, and
do it all at night, while honest men
were asleep. The friendship and
good will of these four classes could
be purchased by giving them cheap
rates and submitting to other de-
mands, but to give these rates to
some and not to others means more
trouble, and to give these rates to
all, means no profits and bankruptcy
If to do Legitimate business, /
must make such enemies, then
confess, and confess frankly, I am
forced to surrender to them and in
order to get out of their dirty clutch
es, am forced to offer valuable
property at half its value; and Just
so long as this class of men are un-
checked, there will not be another
turnpike built in the county"
We desire to ask Mr.. Rainey tC
name those of the complainants he
has known to "burn toll-gate hous.
es, tear up bridges and culverts and
destroy other property belonging tC
the turnpike company and do it al
at night while honest men were
asleep
In the event he cannot name any
of the complainants as engaging il
such conduct, will he please name
any other citizens of Maury County
who have done so. Will be please
state if he has ever heard any of the
complainants to these law suit:
charged or accused of burning toll
gate houses, tearing up bridges anC
culverts and destroying other prop
: erty belonging to turnpike compa
nies, and doing it all night while
: honest men were asleep. viii ht
, please put his finger upon any in
! stance where the people of Maury
f County, day or night, have burneC
t toll-gate houses and done the othel
things charged in his communica
7 tion