The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-02-17
A Review of How They Won
the Battle.
FORCES THAT THEY MET
THERE WAS NOT A LOBBYIST
FOR THE BILL.
LOBBYISTS ALL AGAINST 1T
How Cook and Hancock Stood Up
Against the Vaccinations of Per-
fectly Organized Opposition
Stating the Peoples Case.


make more than two speeches a year,
who rises in his seat as slowly almost as
Daniel Webster is said to have done who,
moreover, is of the temperament and
mental build and heavy movement Of
Daniel Webster, arose in his seat some
years ago in the midst of the silver de-
bate and looking around at the packed
galleries. exclaimed, in deep bass meas
ured tones: ''What means this gathering
of these people? Why come they here to
hear the talk about money and its laws g
and in this vein he continued, closing
with a touch upon the resistless movement
of the people when once their sense OF
injustice was sounded TO the depths. with
this exordium, Mr.. Culbertson went into
speech on the money question, which is
historic and which held hundreds breath
less during it's delivery.
This is said to bring home the notion
that no subject is dry or tiresome to the
people that brings them face to face with
their rights and wrongs.
And the lease of the North Carolina
Railroad to the Southern for so years at
per cent was such a subject.
Yesterday was the day set for the COM
ing up of the bill to allow the validity or
invalidity of this lease to be tested in the
courts.
There had been many bug-a-boos work
ed up by the friends of the Southern
who chose to call the bill in the discussion
q measure for the annulment of the lease,
etc.
But Chairman Cook reporting the bill
put this fallacy at rest when he laid down
clearly in three propositions just what
was Intended by the BILL
First. To test the validity Of the lease
before the courts.
Second. TO subject foreign corporations
to the same conditions as Stale corpora
tons
Thisl. To prevent monopoHes in the
State.
There it is in a nutshell-and it was the
first time the issue had been clear-cut
There was but one other bug-a-boo to
brush aside and that was the empty al
legged fear that the offer of President
Hoffman, of the S. A. L., amounted
to nothing, in complete answer to
which Chairman Cook quoted from
the News and Observer of yesterday the
special telegram from Portsmouth recit-
ing the action of the board Of directors
of the Seaboard and Roanoke Railroad
Downing a controlling share in all the
roads Of the SYSTEM and the Raleigh and
Castor Railroad, wherein they fully en-
dorsed and ratified the bid of President
Hoffman.
Thus the question was clear and the
rival bid was clear.
And so Chairman Cook, had he looked
about him and into the galleries, might
have now asked in the words of the great
Culbertson, What means this gathering
of these people?
There were people of all colores, and
kinds, men and women and youths, men of
divers pursuits, from near and far, LISTEN
ing with almost suppressed thrill at mere
talk Of a lease-dry as droughty forest
leaves.
Beneath this surface, there was a
warm, throbbing pulse.
For here was a question in which the
poor sweating people had an interest
people who knew the right, bat who
could not, except through their represen-
tatiyes, deliver their message
And SO they listened to Chairman Cook, |
who, according to agreement was maxi |
ing the closing speech at the end Of which |
he was to call the previous question.
They had been crowding in, Vice Presi- |
dent Andrews coming early, and he was |
SIaNEE. tStg4liR UtlG Sstlu IIdL 1t WAS Tie 1
first tine-certainly for many, many, |
years--tiiat Col. Andrews had favored |
the Legislature with his direct presence. |
But there was no doubt about the direct |
ness yesterday Of his presence, nor Of the |
directness of the presence Of Jim Moody, |
who was peremptorly asked by Hancock |
to leave the floor. lie took it good-natur |
edly and made his way down the aisle |
and out.
But Moody was not the only interested |
goer and conner; they went. divers Of |
them, up and down and cross-wise and |
lengthwise and diagonally among the |
members with whisperings was a |
sight to make sick the hearts Of freemen |
who felt in it's full force what ought to /
be meant by sending up by the people /
of good men and true to do well and |
truly the peoples will. And yet here |
they were being cajoled, and cunning |
flank movements were in progress, and /
tricks, and quips Of any kind, and cleo
trio directions at the proper moment from
the proper person to save the day.
Others had right on the floor, among
them Blackburn and Petree, who were all
attention. Petree keeping tally and sew
eral other systems of figures and Black
burn circling aimlessly around where he
thought his whispered eloquence would
do most good.
Then back Of these forces were the
reserve force of attorneys, who, in the
olden days, limited their duties to the
profession Of law, going into the courts
to handle cases after the manner of law
yers. But now, competition has enlarged
the limits of an attorneys usefulness. Are
not their duties now stretched even to the
business bidding of the chief official of
;