The news & observer., 1897-02-11
THE PEOPLE ARE BEHIND US.

The people of the State are behind
those who are battling to annul the nine
ty-nine year lease for the North Caro-
lima railroad.
They are in their humble homes, at
their workshops, in their places of busl-
ness. at their offices. They consider the
matter unbiased by the horde of lobbyists
that infest the city of Raleigh, and unin-
Huenced by the agencies of the Southern
Railway.
They see that their trustees have at.
tempted to make lease of their property
to a giant corporation for a century upon
such terms as virtually takes out of their
pockets $4,000 annually, and puts it
into the treasury of the Southern Rail
way. They understand that this wrong
is not only one that they must suffer, but
that their children and children's children
will inherit Is it any wonder they are
indignant, and are restiye at the delay
of the Legislature in making a way to
redress the wrong zone to three gem
erations?
Not a day passes that letters are not
received at this office from people of all
conditions, the poor and the rich, COM
mending the course this paper is taking
in the struggle the people are making
to undo the century's wrong that has
baan cauahf fn ho caddIad f1uor tho MOO
pie without asking their consent or ap-
proval. One of the ablest men in the
State, a gentleman who has graced a
seat in the Federal Congress, in a per
sonal letter received yesterday, said:
THE withdrawal of your pass on
January 1st, 1897, proves your whole
case, although the work done by you
for the road in the publication of
schedules, rates, ETC., was doubtless
an adequate return for it. Yet they
think you MUST do this in order to
keep your readers posted in such mat
ters of general interest, and when it
failed to influence you in behalf Of the
road, regardless of your own opinion,
as to the right or wrong of the matter,
IL is CUT OFF. No, sir; you must
not oppose ex0rbitant tariffs in both
freight and passenger rates; you must
not oppose and thereby enlighten the
common people as to the facts and law
bearing upon the lease Of their road.
A lease, entered into six years before
the expiration Of former lease and
for the term 0f century Of years,
lacking one. Without notice to the
people and without giving other roads
an opportunity of bidding! On that
dark and d0Iefui night, in private
cars and the storm, near the depot at
Burlington, 50 well described by your
correspondent st the time. Now,
because you think, and in my opinion,
a large majority of the people are
with you, that such things should not
be done in a corner, or under cover
of darkness, but In open broad day
light, with notice to ali the world, so
that the property may bring as much
as its value for the benefit Of the tax
payers of the State, you must be
CUT OFF from among the MORE
COMPLACENT! Can there be
stronger argument against free passes
TO those in public place?
THE Legislature of 1891, when the
question was up as to the propriety
of our Judges, both Supreme and
Superior Court, accepting and using
free passes, passed an act giving to
each Judge $3.50 FOR TRAVEL
LING EXPENSES, in addition to the
salary. This was thought to be say
ing sufficiently plain to those who
wore the erInine, you must accept no
more free passes. Now, if the EX
FOUNDERS of the law are to be
thus inhibited, should not the MAX
ERS of it be so too? If, undue influ-
enee be allowed to creep into the Leg
islatlIre, the Legislature may bind the
Judges 1t should be made unlawful
either to give or receive them"
There is whole sermon in the above
short extract 1t voices the sentiment
Of the people who have no personal in
terest to subserye. no free passes they are
afraid Of losing, no railroad magnates
whose good graces they court, and no
private stock which gives them an escape
from taxation.