The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-08-18

VI INC SOA1O4OA S6LlGOAS "OOAO Hull cS6O
an hundred fold, carrying with it the
greatest prosperity to that highly fe-
vored section it has aver known.
We e~arnestly recommend to our State
railroad Commission that they use all
the powers they have to bring about
such reductions, and especially that
they urge before the Inster state Com
MERGE Commission all complaints of
extortion and discrimination with such
vigor and continuity that should they
fail to secure remedial action by the
Inter state Commerce Commission, all
the people would know where to place
the resp onsibility for existing out
RACES; and if their facilities for fight
ing the battles of the people before the
Inter state Commerce Commission are
inadequate for that purpose, that they
make recommendation to the General
Assembly Of amendments to existing
laws, to the end that low and fairer
rates may be established, both in the
State and Inter state Jurisdictions.
Resolved, That we recommend a con-
stitutional prohibition of the purchase,
lease or rental of parallel or competing
railway lines.
We favor a law ~forbidding the giving
of free passes to public officials, and
~torbidding their receiving the same.
We condemn the lease of the North
Carolina Railroad to the Southern
Railway Company for ninety nine
years, not only as a bad business trans
action in which the interests of the
State amounting to the large sum Of
IS. 600, 900 invested in good paying
property yielding an income, were sac
r fl ed but we also, in most emphatic
terms condemn the hasty and secret
manner in which it was done several
years before the former thirty years
lease, by it's terms, would have expired.
We call the attention Of the people OF
the State to the fact that some mystic
rious power has prevented an investi
cation, through the proper legal chan
nels OF this transaction, which was
30 universally condemned by the press
of the State and ali classes of our citi
z 9ns, when it first became known. We
therefore demand that the next Gen
eral Assembly fully investigate this
transaction, and to the end that inter
ests of the State may be fully protected
as far as it can be done, such legislative
action shall be taken rs to cOunteract,
as far as possible, this unwise and SO
cret transaction.
The removal of cases from the State
courts to the Federal courts for trial
wherein the plaintiffs are poor persons
and defendants rich foreign corpora
tions, on application of defendants, is
a growing evil in North Carolina, and
in it's PRACTICAL operation frequently
amounts to a denial of justice to poor
suitors, and therefore should be con
condemned. We demand, therefore,
that the NJ xt General Assembly shall
pass such a general statute on tbs sub
ject as to take from such corporations
doing business in this State the priv
lege of carrying on business in North
Carolina, and withdrawing the protec
ton of the State extended to their bust
ness, if they persist in escaping the
jurisdiction of our courts when claims
are sought to be enforced against them
therein.
We advocate such legislation as will
insure a just listing and taxation Of all
evidences of debt, aud make an equita-
BILE ad lstment of the burden Of taxa
tion between the debtor and creditor.
In order to keep our public servants
in thorough touch and sympathy with
the oppressed masses, and to check to
some extent the scramble for Office,
we demand a reduction Of salaries un-
til such time as through an Increase
of the currency the price of property
and products will Justify the present
rates.
THE K
Governor, William A. Guthrie, Of
Durham county Lieutenant Governor,
Oliver II. Dockery, of Richmond coun-
ty; Treasurer, W. H. Worth, LenOir
county Secretary of State, DIR. Cyrus
Thompson, Onslow county Auditor,
Hal. W. Aver, Wake county ; Superin-
tendent of Public Instruction, Charles
Il. Mebane, Catawba county Associate
Justice of the Supreme Court, Walter
A. Montgomery, Warren county; Elec
tor for the State at large, z T. Garrett,
Vance county.
Efforts were made by Senator Butler