The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-01-19

than would be that of a domestic cor
poration which would say that the
State cannot repeal it's charter granted
under the State Constitution which ex
pressly reserves the right to amend or
repeal all charters. This foreign cor.
poration derives it's right to operate a
railroad within our borders by what is
substantially q license from the State
granted under an unWritten law. Every
one Of home railroads derives its
powers and franchises under a written
license, that is, it's charter. AS to these,
the legislature may revoke the license
by repeating the charter. If it cannot
revoke the unWritten license then it has
come to this: that foreign corporations
may come upon our soil and exercise
these great powers and franchises with
out our consent and thereby obtain i'm
porttant privileges which are denied to
our own people.
1t is,most important that this North
Carolina Railroad shall not be crippled
or its value impaired by permitting
any corporation or person to parallel it
by the construction Of any line, or Of
one mile of railroad which would con
meet existing lines so as to have a con
nection through the State, competitive
to our own. If there be any charter
heretofore granted by our State which
pc! mits this to be done, it should be
promptly repealed.
You are invited to adopt every and
all measures within your competency
looking towards the recovery Of this
property for the benefit of the people
and the tax payers of the State.
RATE CUTTING BENEFICIAL.
Recently the producers of the State
have derived some benefit from an
actual competition between two great
railroad systems running through our
State. Judging the future by the past,
we must conclude that this competition
so beneficial to US is only temporary
and may end in the absorption of one
line by the other. Our Jaws should
prohibit the control OF any railroad by
any road, route, or system competitive
to it, and especially by any road that
runs in the same direction or connects
with the same termini. Much good
may come from a statute carefully pre-
pared and providing every practicable
protection against evasion.
THE PEOPLE HAVE NO LOBBY.
Among the evils that beset honest
legislators is the system of lobbying.
But let it be remembered that not IN.
frequently legislative Hobbies swarm
with concealed and hired representa-
tives of corpcrate and other interests
who seek to promote or prevent meas
ures in which their concern is purely
pecuniary. These men are frequently
trained politicians and lawyers. They
represent one side and often the side
that is antagonistic to the real welfare
of the State. The people have no lobby.
These old bearers of burdens, the COM
mon people, are never heard except
through their selected representatives.
WILL PROTECT THE CITIES.
Our present county government law
gives expression to the popular will
and representation to minorities. Coun-
ellis and matters Of local concern are
ignored in the strife of party men for
party rewards. This General Assembly
will be called on to deal with the man
agement of towns and cities. There
should be no attempt to avoid the neces-
sity of protecting the tax payers OF
these municipalities against the danger
of misrule by property less and ignorant
elements. We want no Tammy Hall
governments in North Carolina.
FAvoRs IMMIGRATION.
There is reason to hope the indus
trious and thrifty people of other states
and of Europe may be attracted to US.
Let us labor to show them a state with
a school system like those Of New Eng.
land and the Northwest and a code OF
just and equal laws soRdministered az
to make life and person and property
as secure and peace and order as pre-
valent as in the States whose ruling
elements point with pride to the insti
tutione, the manners, the achievements,
the moral ty, the religion and the glo
ries of the Puritan.
DO MORE FOR THE VETERANS
May we do a little more in the way
of homes and pensions for the destitute
survivors of the civil conflicts North
Carolina had her soldiers in both
!, armies. The national government cares
for those who fought for its flag. As
we advance in material wealth we