The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-02
1T is WITHOUT FOUNDATION.
NO CIRCULARS SENT TO CENTRAL
RAILROAD EMPLOYEES.

President Conner Says the Report is
Absolutely GrOundIess and with
out FOundatiOn-The Reduction of
Three Cents per Hundred on Cot
ton Helps Only the Americas PeO-
pIe-RRiIrOad Men Surprised That
1t Was Not Asked for BefOre-Mr.
Denmark's Election to the Presf-
Gency of the SOuthwestcrn-Othe
Railroad News.
There have been numerous reports in
circulation of late, many of them based
on the flimsiest rumor, to the effect that
certain corporations had endeavored to
coerce their employees into voting for Nc
Kinley Many of them affected corpor-
ations, particularly railroads, in this sec
ton of the county. Not long ago the re-
port was sent out from Savannah that
the Plant system had issued a circular to
it's employees enjoining them to cast their
ballots for the republican sound money
ticket. No one in Savannah had seen
such a circular and the rumor seemed
absurd on the face of it. The officials of
II.
B. Plant himself, denied it in the Morning
News, and showed how absurd such state
ments WERE
Now it seems some one has been endeav-
oring to circulate similar report with re-
gard to the Central of Georgia Railway
Company. The report was started in
Augusta, where it was published in the
Et-k
the same article it was strongly denied
by those employees connected with the Cen
trail. who were approached on the subject.
President H. NJ Conner, who has just re-
turned from New York, was very much
vexed that such rumor should have been
given any publicity at all. When asked
about the matter he said:
II believe the issues in the present pres
idential campaign are important, and in
volve a great deal to the country, and in
my judgment every voter in the country
should understand those issues as well as
possible; but that there is or has been any
question or any idea of coercing, or at
tempting to coerce, any employee of the
Central railroad to vote in any way, is
absolutely groundless and without founda-
ton. 1 believe the large majority of the
employees of the Central railroad are in
telligent men, and are fully as capable as
any citizen of exercising their right of
suffrage intelligently, and 1 have too much
respect for them to undertake by coercive
measures to control their ballots"
This is undoubtedly the way in which
the majority of the railroad presidents
of the country feel about the matter, and
many of them have already expressed
themselves exactly along this same line
The recent reduction made by the rail-
road commission of three cents per 100
pounds on cotton shipped from Americas
to Savannah, was a change that was APP
piled for by the Americas people over two
years ago. AT that time the freight rate
over the short line, was pro-rated between
three different roads, between Americas
and Savannah, and the law would not at
that time permit the rate being reduced
as it was then lower than some of the
local rates, less ten per cent, and below
that, the commission was not allowed to
go.
1t was only after the consolidation of the
Sam road and the Lyons branch into the
Georgia and Alabama, and the securing
of a through line to Savannah, that the
commission could take cogniZance of the
matter and order a reduction of the rate
Railroad men say they are surprised that
the Americas people did not secure this
reduction before, since the through line
arrangement went into effect last April
1t is said however, that this reduction
of three cents per 100 pounds, win not be
of any advantage TO Savannah for two or
three reasons. In the first place practically
all of the cotton affected by it is shipped
to Savannah anyhow, and besides the re-
ducton to Savannah necessarily creates
the same reduction to Charleston to which
port the tariff from Americas is fixed at
five cents more than to Savannah So both
rates are reduced proportionately. The
only advantage seems to be in the saving
to the producer or the cotton merchant
who ships his product from Americas.
Mr.. B. A. Denmark of this city, who has
just been elected president of the South
western Railroad Company, at the Macon
meeting, is taking a most prominent stand
in railroad circles. He became we'll
known as one of the promoters and after
ward president of the South Bound rail-
road now a part of the Florida Central
and Peninsular. His firm, Denmark &
Adams, was the legal representative of the
receivers of the Savannah and Western
railroad prior to the reorganization.
Since that time Mr.. Denmark has taken
an active interest in the Marietta and
North Georgia railroad as the legal rep
resentative of the bondholders in and
around Savannah. Such was his init
mate knowledge of the affairs of that road
as well as of the Savannah interests that
as stated in the Morning News, he was
unanimously selected to represent them
on the board of directors of the reorgan-
lied NJ and n. G. The new company has
just paid up the last 100000. and the road
will now be known as the Atlanta, Knox
vile and Northern, with Henry X. Nc
Harg of New York as president
Mr. Denmark's unanimous election to
the presidency of the Southwestern is a
splendid tribute to his legal as well as
financial ability in the handling Of rail-
road matters.
Many of the southern roads are putting
on faster trains than have been running.
This is especially noticeable OF the north
and south lines. The Queen and Crescent
line has determined to put on a train be-
tween Cincinnati and New Orleans that
will make the run in twenty-four hours,
and the Louisville and Nashville will also
put one on that will make the trip be-
Al .s..F.