The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-10-07

can yarn. InlS exploration might not
prove so profitable as an investment,
but IL would give an air Of sincerity to
their efforts which tho revelations of
of the experiment station do not put
upon their plans and purposes.
RAILROADS ARE NOT COERCED,
The Original ackage shipmon,s
Have Been Boycotted for Business
Reasons.
AN Impression has prevailed to some
extent that Governor Ellerbe used
coercion upon the railroads which
caused them to refuse tho shipment of
original packages, where the pack.
ages were separate glass bottles not
packed In wood or in such O way as to
protect them from breakage. 1t is
charged that the railroads were
slVe lltlgatlon, with possibly adverse
legislation in the future, and that the
railroads acceding to this demand were
favored with the regular shipments of
tbe d1spensary, which would DO given
10 the lines cooperating in tn s boycott.
"A railroad official has been Interview
ed by the Columbia Record. and he
repudiates the idea that the railroads
were coerced by the Governor and his
rich and powerful corporations as the
Atlantic Coast Line and Southern are
as able to stand the expense of litiga-
tlon f.s the State Of South Carolina,
ana they have no fears of adverse
legislation, for they consider that there
are too much brains and independenc g
In the Legislature to permit that body
10 be used to punish those who do not
oend to the will OF the chief executive.
Governor Elerbe has no whip
which he can pop over the backs of
railroad officials and make them bow
| and cringe before him. The nev s.
papers which are induIging in talk to
that effect are simply making asses of
themselves.
With one possible exception. there
Is nothing behind the action of the
railroads. The attorneys of the
various railroads informed their
managing officials that no release of
the railroads from liability for dam
age could be signed which would be
binding and elective. If q lot of
liquor shipped in loose glass bottles
" 70 broken in transit, the railroad
| hauling It could legally be made to paw
for It, even though the shipper had
signed papers releasing the railroad
from liability. The worst of it is that
the shipper has four years in which to
make his case against railroad. Just
zee the effect of that A shipper OF
original packages light not bother
| railroads nov with claims for payment
OF damages for broken bottles OF
whiskey, even If every bottle in a car
load were smashed. But just let the
! Legislature change conditions in South
Carolina by passing a prohibition or
high license law, and q flood of suits
would BE- instituted against the rail
roads to collect damages for all wreck
age OF whiskey shipments which had
not happened further back than the
four years which the law allows us the
limit within which suits may he in
sttuted.
| Anybody with grain Of sense can
see that as a plain business PROPOSE
tion tie railroads were obliged to
protect their Interest," by refusing tn
haul liquor in glass, if it were not
properly packed in cases, kegs or bar
rcls, SO as to- protect it from damage
TO admit the right 0: a shipper to take
q lot Of bottles Of whiskey to q railroad
and compel it to receive them unpack-
ed and transport them would involve
railroads In endless trouble.
II the whiskey men have that
right, why could not poultry man
carry several hundred eggs to u rail
road and compel it to receive them
q I'd transpnrt them without being
packed In Il tox or in some other way
10 rcouce thG Danger Of damage to IL
ninum: why would not a crockcry
ucaicr nave Ihe Slgnt 10 take lot or
nhe l,orceia'h 20 railroad ana compel
u 10 haul IT. "ithout It's being securely
packed ~ Is pure nonsense to i'm
agihc IhaC Inc raliroad is IN any way
Obliged TO haul Whiskry unless it is
properly prepared lor shipment. VI
raliroad Is. can DC compelicd To carry
IrclRht oHcrcu 10 II, tut Judges nave
uniformly n IL tiat lC railroad has