The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-04-11
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20 you that thcGc gentlemen are 20
ing to Try to take advantage or that
fact, but It Is the duty OF the Councils
TO see that they do not and cannot do
SO III me future Suppose this fact be
true. have we any guarantee that,
though he American Telephone and
Telegraph company will not cut its
rates and thus bring about this monop
Oily by crushing out our company, the
zen company will not do 1t? Who
won't do it, If the American Bell Tclc
phone company OF Boston controls tho
southern Bell company, and IL 1t Is Il
large holder OF the stock in this com
pany that desires to come here? What
ulilsrence does 1t make to the same
cecds' ana profits, whether it comes
through the medium Of the American
Telephone and Telegraph conlpany's
reccipets or through the medium or the
Sout hern Bell comDany's receipts? And
II 1t looks to them u good business pro-
position to say, who is that they win
nor say, to the Southern Bell company
III Norfolk, Cut, cut, cut to the bone.
cut 70 the bone, our pocket Is; getting
empty, 1t is true, while you arc doing
the cutting, but when YOU have crush
ca these people out and we get into
norfolk with our other sucker-I use
mat word III the agricultural sense
Whcn we get into Norfolk, unlimited us
10 the maximum price. our left pocket
VIII get so full that It Will equalize
wnat we have lost out Or the right
Gentlemen, these are things, which,
as representing the safety anu interests
or the city OF Norfolk. you, gentlemen.
Il wont say should, but will lool, out
FOR l know IT, "}
But are we to be put III the position,
being only humble suppilants, TO give
MS only what has been promised us.
"a "a "a
upon which we have relicd-that being
orr position here entirely Is the burden
TO be put upon us To show just exactly
now ana exactly when and exactly
where the citizens OF Norfolk may be
imposed on by this company which Is
coming IN, when we can tell you, and
When You yourselves do see that there
IS Just one thing that you can do that
VIII inevitably and in every contin-
Eency protect the citizens OF the city Of
Norfolk, ana that is fix q maximum
price. not our maximum price-any
maximum. You will know where you
stand then.
These gentlemen say they will give
YOU another Notwithstanding ex-
cept what is good-they will give you
another protection. Before we get to
thar point. let me say, though, that
they seemed little doubtful whether
they could persuade you that we didn't
have any legal rights here anyhow.
ana they step UP to the Council and say,
violate your terms with these people.
we know that they can't force ii out
Of you by the law; If they do, we will
pay YOU back--if you lose we will pay
you back-we will give you 4 bond for
$4,000 or $4,000" That is their at,i-
lude here. entlemen-'volatc your
promises, these gentlemen have got no
standing in court, it don't make any
difference that they have expended
their money upon the faith or your
promise, 1t don't make anw difference
that they have given you Il first class
service, 1t don't make any difference
notwithstanding makes any differ
ence. violate Your promise TO them and
you can't lose. Now. my friends don't
be afraid, you can't lose. they can't
possibly win at law. in this case they
have got no case: but if through any
stupidity Of judge and jury-and
know from experience that there have
been stupid Judges on the bcnch--if
they should do il. we will pay you back"
Gentlemen, If these gentlemen should
be wrong about that-and ! don't say
they are-we will fight them when the
time comes il necessary-if they should
be wrong about that, and the Southern
States company should sue the city Of
Norfolk for violation OF this alleged
contract and get $4,000 damages out
Of the city of Norfolk. out Of the treas
ury OF the municipality, and these gen
tlemen, living up to their agreement.
should pay that $4,000 back into the
treasury, can any man say that the
citizens OF Norfolk as contra-distin-
guished from the city as a municipali-
~, are protected? Why the treasury OF
the city don't lose anything, 1t Is true,
but does that protect the individual
citizens against the increase IN price
in the phone which they use in their
offices? That is no protection except TO
the treasury of the city as such: il l.;
Brown. or Mr.. Jones, or Mr. Anderson.
or Mr. Henry. or Mr.. Anybody else for
an Increase In the price of phones from
s3S TO s140 or whatever it may be The
citizens are the people who have a
right to ask you for protection.
Well. now, they say another thing. If
all that p:otcction-and they have trot-
ted all around their elbows to get to
their thumDs--if that isn't enough for
you, you may revoke their franchise.
Gen .lemen how much litigation would
ensue from an attempt 10 DO Il. litga
tion In which YOU might win IN the
long run SO far ars rcvoking the char
ter Is concerned? Blu. ! am told that
It has been decided by a United States
judge that these people have the right
to use the streets OF ci;y as post roads.
J. do not know, gentlemen, and [ am
not ashamed 20 confess that there are
questions Of law that | do not know.
l don't know whether :hc revocatio OF
their charter or OF their franchise
would drive Them out OF the city.
But there is another thing about 1t,