The news & observer., 1897-07-18
IN SPITE OF THE DECISION
HE HAS NOT YET SEEN THE
REPORT MADE BY THE
STENOGRAPHER
HOT SHOT FO9 SOMEBODY'S SHOES
Col. Eiott's Ponderous Point--Mr. BuSbee' S
Parthian ArroWs--Burton's and Bux-
tons Righteousness The Rate
Comparison Fallacy.

Comparison fallacy.
morning just before he left for his
home in Wilmin gton to ask his opinion
touching the decision of the Railroad
Commission regarding the taxation of
railroad property in the State.
why did they send us an invitation
to reply to the railroad lawyers and then
decide the case before we knew what
we had to reply to-" He asked.
| assured him that l could not tell,
and asked what he proposed to do about
it.
''Of course there is nothing left for
us but to expose this thing to the public.
And here" he added, pointing to some
typewriter sheets upon his desk, lis
letter-or rather parts of two letters
| had started to write them. Now this
letter will not be sent. If you want
to know my views on their action you
can get them here"
And on the papers he handed me was
the following, addressed to the Railroad
Commissions:
Yours received inviting me to appear
before you and reply to the railroad
lawyers. You began this by making
an order that they should argue in writ
ing. You invited Judge Clark and Mr..
Daniels and myself to come and present
our views orally. We elected to make
our arguments in writing; and | express
ly wrote you that / did this because it
was fair that the rule should apply to
both sides. After having made this
order and entered it on your records you
allow these railroaders to run over you,
to treat your order with contempt, to
come to Raleigh in all their painted pomp
to lombard and batter you with their
mouths, to fling jibes and sneers at those
whom you had invited to represent the
peoples side, to insinuate that we were
afraid to meet them in their mightiness
face to face, to talk about my firing "a
letter and then running off to the seashOre
all this and much more you listened
to and never said one word about en-
forcing your own orders or in explana
ton or defence of your having misled
us by declaring that these railroaders
would be restricted to answering and
arguing in writing. 1t will be in order
now for you to apologize to them for
ever having caused them to leave the sea-
shore and the mountains to stoop down
to such earthly affairs as taxes and
rates. One of them, who belongs some
where out of the State, did give you to
that they were getting tired
of being subjected to such petty annoy
ances. If you do not placate that fell
low he may report against you to his
millionaire masters.
''Since l wrote the above | am inform
ed that you have actually passed an Or
der declaring that you will not reduce
railroad charges. On yesterday you in
vited us to examine the reported argu-
ments of the railroad side. We have
not been able to see them. They have
not even been written up. Not one
Of them has come into our possession.
So on yesterday you asked us to make
reply in favor of the people. Before we
can see what we have to reply to, you
enter UP Judgment against the people.
This is rather an improvement upon ex
post facto laws, bills of attainder and
star chambers.
81 notice that Col. Elliott thinks he
has got point ON me by citing that l
told the Legislature that while freight
rates should be cut, it was questionable
whether we should go into a policy of
general reduction of all passenger rates.
/ am not now advocating that. l am
only insisting upon reduction on GER
tain roads that are amply able to bear it.
l meant to intimate against a general
legislative cut, believing that the matter
of special cuts applying only to few
railroads could be better determined
by the Railroad Commission. There is
no conflict between what l then said and
what l now advocate.
"Col. Elliott's argument speaking COM
paratively was very strong and convinc-
ing. He is reported as saying in sub
stance that he Virginia Board of Ap-
praisers, who it seems, unlike yourselves,
are disposed to make railroads pay taxes
like other property, are a set of crazy
people. In other words he says to us
in answer to our arguments, you are
fools. In this assertion / find the
strength, the logic, the reasoning and
the arguments of their case. When the
Colonel said that, it was more like an
argument than anything that was report
ed from the whole lay out. 1t was the
best point they made.
"And / ann inclined not to traverse it..
Why is it not true? What are we doing :?
We are advocating right against might,
we are standing for the weak and the
wronged against their oppressors, for the
cause of humanity hunted by the hounds
of averice and hate. This is just what
John Hampden did. And so did Gran
mer and Sydney and Russell and Dan
ton and Lincoln. Every one of them