The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-01-27
COL. H. R. THOMAS DEFENDED

OummeflOu, >. ", Jan. 20, LOU.
Editor Manning Times,
Dear Sir:-You and [ had a little
falling out some time ago, and you
said to me on visit here since, that
if you had had little more time
YOU wonld have roasted" me little.
However, all that may be, I will ask
you to allow me little space to an
swer your editorial in the last issue
of the Times. "Tell your troubles
to the polio" In it you take sides
in the railroad rate war, against Com
missioner H. R. Thomas. Now I
lave not read all the different COM
munications and explanations given
out by the commissioners, and could
not understand them if l were to do
it, but the gist of the matter seems to
be that the commission with the ez-
ception OF Mr.. Thomas seems de-
termined to reduce freight rates on
fertilizers, below what Mr.. Thomas
thinks is justifable, in order to give
the railroads a fair showing.
Now in regard to Mr.. Thomas you
say: 'It matters not whether he is
right or wrong, the fact that he COM
plains of hisbrother commissioners
lowering the rates on fertilizers is suf-
fcient to turn the people who are to
be benefited against him" Then
you 60 on to say that "the people do
not care whether the railroads make
money or not" Now is this fair
either to Mr.. Thomas, the railroads,
or the people? You are plainly en-
deavoring to array the people against
Mr.. Thomas, and hardly any public
man has had more adverse criticism
than he. You make it appear that
promises to the people are necessity
for successful canvas for office. 1t
would seem that the balance Of the
commission were catering for votes
and Mr.. Thomas was not. I admire
the independence OF the man, and
hope he will be put back when his
time is out.
Now Mr.. Editor, I am no great
friend of corporations, and IN fact |
incurred the i'll will Of our railroad
people over here some months ago,
when I Ijoined with others to try and
get the c. S. & n people to do what
they promised to do when they OBJ
tained their charter, you will remem-
Der that you spoke rather slightipgly
of the effort and of ftbose who were In
terested in it. We did not ask them,
to do anything but what they prom
ised. We held that if they could not
do that then let them sell out to those
who would.
You can shut down The Manning
Times when you please, you are un-
der Obligations to nobody. Suppose
your subscribers say that 75c. is
enough for its subscription price.
You say you cant do it for that and
quit, and no one can say anything.
Now if I understand the law correct
ly, railroads in getting charters must
make promises to run trains to ac-
commodate the public and provide
for its convenience in such and such
manner. To do this they establish
rates of freight. In order that the
rates shall be just, the state provides
a commission to either approve these
rates, or make just ones.
Every man must make a profit on
his investment, railroads must make
theirs. As matter Of fact the rail
roads are not making much money.
If they are cut down to bare expen-
ses, then they are running at a loss
they have no profits from which to
repair unlocked for accidents, and
the investment is a dead loss. Yet
they are forced by the state to keep
their trains running.
A feature of the case we should
not overlook, and one that makes it
very different from private enter
prise run without patronage from the
State.
want cheap rates too, just as
cheap as they can be made, but l
would not ask the railroads to haul
for me at a loss. When we are not,
willing for them to make a profit
then we should haul as our fore
fathers did.
You as good as tell the people to
vote for the men who promise the
most, and "don't care whether the
railroads make any money or not. "
I believe you misrepreseut the peo-
pie, when you make this assertion.
it is bad politics, to put these ideas
into the peoples heads. and you
ought not to array themagainst a pub
lie official in the manner you do. As
a matter of fact the Tillman admins
tration went into power on the
strength of its promises, promises
among which was the one to reduce
taxes. They found that the taxes
could not be materially reduced and
the expenses of existing and proposed
institutions met. Mr.. Ellerbe says
that if we want to erjoy the highest
civilization we must be willing 10 be
taxed in order to get it. So if we
want the benefits of a railroad SER
vice we must pay for it.
Do not teach the people to vote for
the promising candidate, but for the
one who is capable of performing the
duties of the Office, and who IS not
a friend to have an opinion and to ex-
press it, though he bein the minority.
The News aud Courier while not
afraid of Mr.. Thomas has said that
"however wrong he may be he attends
strictly to his business as railroad
Com missioner" I do not remember