The news & observer., 1897-03-09
It Meant the Validation of the
90 Year Lears.
REJECTED BY TIE HOUSE
THIS WAS THE SERPENT UNDER
THEIR ROSY COMPROMISE.
THE PEOPLE WON THE FIGHT
The House Asked Settlement in the
Courts--The Senate, With a Trick
ed Bill, Asked For Validation
The House Refused.

Both sides seemed to be claiming the
advantage yesterday, as far as the lease
was concerned.
The Southern Railway men seemed
20 be happy that the original Avery bill
had not become law. The peoples
men were quite satisfied that the corpora
tion Senate substitute had been tabled
in the House.
The House had asked the privilege
of having tested before the courts the
validity of the lease.
The Southern Railway had become
panic-stricken at the idea of having a
judicial decision upon the monstrous
action at Burlington, and had, there
fore, pretended to the people through the
Senate: "If you will not insist upon carry
ing the matter before the courts we will
consent to the terms of the lease being
cut down from 80 TO 80 years. Enough
pritchard Boilers were secured" TO
grant this petition in the Sen
to get the House to- do like
pass the end. But the House said mo-"
by tabhng the substitute, after the Su-
preIne Court had decided that the passage
of such substitute would be equivalent
TO validating the 80 years lease.
So that was one reason for the
tabling. The substitute bill was trick"
bill. The decision of the Supreme court
lifted out the snake that was deYihshly
coiled in it to strike the pe0-
ples' interest at the proper steal
thy moment, The passage of it
meant an amendment to the charter,
which had to be accepted by the directors,
and which if not accepted, would vail
date, as indicated, the 90 years lease.
So that what had been the original Avery
bill had shifted into another question.
This was the question: Will you people
by accepting our substitute according to
the unexpectedly sought advice OF the
Supreme COURT thus validate the 90
years lease? The people said no!
First the railroad attempted in a
stealthy manner to have passed substi-
tute whose effect would be to validate
the 90 years lease, but Of which effect
the people were ignorant. The railroad
did not expect the people to seek light
from the court. That was a species of
shrewd flank movement of which the
railroad did not think the stupid people
capable. Therefore, when the railroad
was surprised with Sutton's Supreme
court resolution asking for light, it was
quite natural for BIackbu to jump out
OF his chair, as if he had sat down on
a railroad spike. His name is not men
toned here or at any time because of any
force that anything he may do or say
may have. He can shout: that's
all the lobby wants him to do. He
is simply button to be pressed in order
TO ring up the rest. 1t is not supposed
that any action is taken because Of Mr..
Blackburn's antics. The ground has
been well seeded by the railroad and needs
no sowing by him. He and some others
were simply the haryesters put there to
gather the crop But they had short
crop. The season was not good. There
was just bit too much frost in the
peoples Indignation.
OF course, then, the railroad fled in
front of the search light. That was
why they became frothy and desperate;
they hugged their darkness to their
hearts, and their eyes glared, and they
fought not like men, but like the miser
as who would say: Give me my gold
my darling goldr' All, and they clutched
for it and crawled for it: they shivered
with horror in front of the light that was
coming to their darkness. They had n
midnight substitute ia Burlington mid
night, but the court came, and their
night was made day, the secret validation
of the 80 years lease was made plain.
and they scampered like rats i'm a burning
barn. They were caught at their game
They had been pretending to give ND
90 years; they were giving up, in fact,
nothing.
So when the light had come and the
people knew the plot, they determined to
shake their hands Of the whole matter. |
Such is a statement OF the situation;
the reader may judge OF who is the victor. |
THE AVERY BILL SAID: LET THE /,
COURTS SETTLE 1T.
THE RAILROAD SUBSTITUTE
SAID: LET THE 90 YEARS LEASE
BE VALIDATED (UNDER COVER
OR A PRETENDED 80 YEARS COM
PROMISE.)
THE PEOPLE, WHEN THEY
WE'RE ENLIGHTENED BY THH
SAID: WE REFUSE TO
Or to state it again:
THE SENATE REFUSED TO LET
THE PEOPLE SEEK THE COURTS.
THE HOUSE THEN REFUSED TO
VALIDATE THE PRESENT LEASE.
And now the House having been re-
fused by the Senate its request on behalf
# the people, will not renew that request.
Z will turn to the people and let them
iecide whether they will have this lease
tested as to power (the question of ultra
Eireel or otherwise