The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-04-05

me GnaG Gn0ro was no evidence offered
before your board for the reduction of
passenger rates, while for maintaining
them the evidence was complete, and
it vas not c~ontroverted, as it was over
whelming.
II want TO say that this is not salts
factory reason for going back on the
reduction. If the Commission must
wait, or go around hunting for eVi
dence in these railroad reduction cases..
and must take everything as true that
is said by the railroads, then there will
never be any reduction.
Unfortunately, the Commission has
no counsel to get up evidence, and all
the hearings in these railroad matters
are substantially FIX perte. That is, the
only part in the whole business is the
part OF the railroad. They make their
answers. they bring up their own re
tainers and witnesses, they put in what
evidence they please, they have their
own counsel, and on the side of the
people there are neither counsel nor
witnesses.
Il do not think that there is any
rule Of law or right that requires the
board to believe all they say.
Il appreciate in ita full force the
point that Mr.. Caldwell makessas to
the ruling of the Supreme Court OF the
United States in the Nebraska case,
He takes the ground that the ruling is
binding upon him, and that he must
obey it, until overruled. At least, that
is the way I understand him. This
Nebraska case l believe to be a pre-.
medisated decision, rendered for the
express purpose of emasculating the
Railroad Commissions of the United
States. 1t is not a mere repetition of
preceding decisions, but it introduces
a new doctrine that is simply mon
strous, in its attemLG to take the rail
road corporations of the country from
the control OF the law making powers
Of the State. It decides that in fixing
the rates On domestic commerce, the
Commission must look at the value of
the plant-that is, the investment
either in whole or such part of it as
may be devoted to domestic commerce,
and then must go fix the rates as to
leave a reasonable profit to the rail
roads upon such domestic commerce,
excluding entirely their interstate bust,
ness. This is a ruling that the most in
telligent railroad men Of the country,
in my opinion, never seriously hoped
for. / think that our Commission and
our courts ought to give to that ruling
the same kind of respect and obedience
that was rendered by the Republican
party and the anti slavery men of the
North to the bred Scott decision. In
this case, before I would submit to such
judicial despotism and usurpation and
aggression upon the rights of the State
they should have a chance to decide it
again and then again, and so on; and
while that was going on in the courts,
possibly we could see whether the PEG
pie of this country can be brought to a
realiz alton of their condition, of the
slavery with which they are threat
ened.
Il want to say one word further.
Although l fully realize the difficulties
Of beating back an injunction in the
Federal Courts, which I know the rail
roads will grind out for themselves, I
had come to them conclusion that per
haps it was better to back up the Com
mission, by giving the counsel and pay
ing them out of the State Treasury. AS
the Southern Railway Company has
agreed to settle the ninety nine year
lease cas and pay back into the State
Treasury the money which has been
paid out for lawyers, I had about con
cluded that we could afford to take that
much Of their money and fight them
with it in this passenger rate reduction.
1 want to say, in conclusion, that while
1 greatly regret Mr.. Gallo wells conclu-
siors, and was never more astonished
in my life than / was within the last
sixty minutes to hear that he had given
such a vote, / believe that heis entirely
conscientious and above the calumnia,
tions that will be attempted to be
hurled at him."
OUR SIN EIMENTS.
The New York Voice, the Prohibi-
zionist organ, voices our sentiments ex-