The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-23

The Plight on the Southern.
! II is sometimes very hard for a hun
/ cry person to turn away from a delecta-
Bile morsel without having asted Of it.
| The Southern railway bun was almost
within touch a week or so ago. when the
/ governor held Il back Now there is an
appeal to the court TO push it within
! reach once more. 1t is hoped by the NOV
ers for the receivership that the federal
court Will be more jealous of the states
| constitution than the governor was.
Neither the state nor the people are
aware that the constitution is being VIC
knLy assaulted. But the movers against
the Southern are IN a frenzy OF righteous
Indignation against the corporation which
has the audacity to act in such manner
as to suggest the remote possibility Of
technical infraction of the constitution.
The very shadow of such possibility, it
is held by the anti-ranroad element. is
sufficient reason to warrant the destruc-
ton Of properly valles by throwing half
Of the railroad mileage of the state into
the hands Of q receiver. Their effort to
"vindicate the constitution" they seem
TO think. would be ample compensation
for resulting reductions of wages Of thous
ande of railroad employees. unsettling com
mercial arrangeuents. and the shaking
of confidence in the stability of invest
ments in the state of Georgia.
There have been sundry suggestions of
the presence of a 'nigger in the wood
pile" in this matter. in the dispatches
from Macon and Atlanta. While we do
not vouch for the correctness of the
statements, we are inclined to think that
there is some foundation for them. One
Of them, published last week, said: TT
was developed to-day that the whole
scheme was the work of a former official
Of the Georgia Southern and Florida rail-
road his object being in his last move
to become receiver Of the Southern" An
other suggestion, published yesterday,
was to this effect: ''The movement has
very little sympathy in this community,
(Macon) and is discouraged as much as
possible. The petitioners have nothing
to lose, but might possibly turn penny
by wrecking corporate interests"
At the beginning of the matter the
Morning News drew attention to the fact
that there was no general demand for the
proceedings. as there most certainly
would have been If the Southern were
dlsregarl ing the constitution and using
its power for the oppression of the peo-
pie. We also directed attention TO the
fact that judging from experiences, the
only people, who are benefited by such
attacks upon corporate interests are a
few lawyers and the receivers, who man.
age TO line their pockets with great fees.
while investors are forced to bear big
losses.
The laws governing receiverships are
faulty They permit irresponsible persons,
who have nothing to lose. but may turn
a penny by wreckinS corporate interests"
to throw valuable properties into the
hands of receivers upon technicalities, and
for the nominal purpose of righting al
legged grievances. A change is needed.
It should be required of persons seek
Ing to throw property into receiverships
that they give ample indemnity bonds, to
secure the owners of the property against
loss in case of the failure of the movers
for the receivership to substantiate their
allegations. If such bonds were required
it is a matter of doubt If the present suit
against the Southern would be pending.
The petitioners "have nothing to lose"
but the owners Of the property and the
employees have much to lose.
Ex-Gov. Northen has written a very
pungent letter with regard TO the fight on
the Southern, which we publish in an
other column. He goes on to say, with
truth, that the railroads ARE doing more
for the state than the state through its
general assembly is doing for itself" He
most heartily hopes" that the case will
fail before the courts, as It seems to have
failed before the governor" And we join
him in the hope. There is no more con-
sistent advocate of the laws and the con-
stitution than the Morning News, but
we are opposed 20 wrecking property in
order to accomplish private ends