The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-04-16

| place and Robinson has n place. That
has been the programme all along, and
the question of confirmation of a Western
man in the Eastern District is the only
thing that has been in the way of it. If
Andrews and Pritchard believe Boyd
can be confirmed, Boyd will be appointed.
He suits Pritchard better than Price,
and suits Col. Andrews just as well.
He il playing the game of get IL loyal
Southern Railway man on the bench both
because it is convenient to control the
Federal Judiciary and because 1T Is a
good thing for him to show his p6we to
to those few Republicans who do not
| wear his collar. The Colonel knows
better than any of us that the Southern
| Republican, with very few exceptions,
| is in that party for what he can get out
out Of it. If he shows that he and The
Southern control the Federal patronage,
| he knows he can lead them all about
like a boy leads q dog by a string. And
| the judgeship affords the best opportunity
| for this display of power. Besides the
| Southern Railway often needs Federal
| judges in its business.
| From the first / have believed that
jim Boyd would win. He is not candi-
| date--Oh, no. The Southern Railway
l
| Oh, no. But all the same, unless the
fear of confirmation frightens them,
Boyd and Andrews will tell Prtchard
and Mckinley to send Boyd's name i'll,
and I'm it will go if they say so. What
was the good of the Southern Railway
working for Mckinley and giving q guar
| ter of million dollars to the campaign
fund if it can't name a few judges?
/ Dr;+ fri hIspo Ia Of ipI
were saying that Purnell and Robinson
were killing each others chances by pre-
| ferring charges against each other, and
that it was because of these charges that
Pritchard recommended both in equal
| terms, saying that he could not take
sides since the charges had been made.
That was q convenient cxcuse--a pre-
tense-and nothing more.
1t is not only in North Carolina that
the Southern Railway dictates appoint
mcnts under the administration. 1t is a
political machine throughout every mile
| if It's length 1t rules with an iron hand,
| kills and makes alive. and its political
| creed is summed up in the words of JAY
Gould before the Congressional Invest-
eating Committee. He was asked:
| What are your politics." His reply
W
publican districts | am a Republican; in
Democratic districts, | am n Democrat;
| in Greenback districts, | am a Green
hacker But | am Missouri Pacific
railroad man every time.
Taking orders from the big Boss.
]. Pierpont Morgan. the big over-secrs
in the last campaign ran the railroad for
Mckinley. 1t controlled the Legislature
nd oil
man to the Senate. Having done that aud
having dictated every Federal appoint
ment it cared to control, rs it to he sup
posed these political railroad men will
not control the Judgeship Jast as they
please?
1t is not only in North Carolina that
conservative and thoughtful men of all
parties see the evils of railroad domina
ton of conventions, legislatures, and now
of cabinet officers. senators and presi-
dents. 1t is Il condition that means the
absolute destruction of individual ambI-
ton. 1t destroys the hopes of IRen whS
own their own souls and refuse to be
the agents of corpora tons. 1t strikes at
the root of free government. If the pub
lie servants are to he selected by the
great corporations, where is the hope
that the people will even get hearing,
much less even-handed justice?
know full well that when attention
is directed to- this evil, which is so potent
here that even blind man can see it.
the cry is raised that it is an attack on
corporations, species of demagegism.
and of popufism. Such appellations will
not deter honest men from declaring that
the evil must be abated. Railroads are
entitled to the same rights as private
citizens when they engage i'll business
that makes them public agencies They
are entitled to- fair profits on their in
yestments and to just treatment. But
when they demand special privileges and
also become dietators of politics and dis
pensers of public patronage they are
then converted into Il curse inStesEf of
blessing.
1t is true that in North Carolina the
Southern Railway may permit some men
to be named for inferior places, but even
| If every man they named was an honest
| official, the spirit of the thing would con-
vert men into vassals, and would put an
end to free government. The people
of North Carolina who voted for Me-
Kinley ought to at least have something
to say about who should be judge. But
they haven't as much as Il day-laborer
has in naming the King or Queen III
England. The Southern Railway saves
them the trouble of thinking and acting.
1t thinks and acts and appoints its OWN
agents under this administration where
ever it wants them.
Unless this political domination by the
Southern Railway in this section; The
Pennsylvania in the Middle States; the
Southern Pacific in CALIFORNIA;; and other
great railroads in other sections, we have
already government by railroads and OF
railroads and for railroads.
j. u.