The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1898-09-01

ness: LET'S see some tuin8s tuht sos
has accomplished ]
The present Administration has 1
succeeded in increasing the taxable
value OF railroad property i've or s,a
million dollars. This means. addi-
tional revenue Of nfty thousand del.
lars year for counties, towns, and
the State.
Free passes have been abolished.
How? Simply by enforcing the Law
which has stood on the statute books
since 1891. and which tue Democratic
Administration at the bidding OF the
railroads refused To enforce. Our Ss-
pPeme Court has decided shat during
all the time OF the Democratic Admin
istratiOns from '9l to ~ the railroads
were violating the Law by giving free
passes. and that they were doing TINS
in the face Of the decisions of the
United States Railroad Commissions
which told them in seven different
cases that the law Of the Uuited states
prohibited free passes, and the words
Of the North Carolina law were copied
from the United States law. Thus II
WAS that the railroads were defyipE
the law and the Democratic Govern
Ors were helping them no that they
could issue their free passes TO the
rich and the powerful and the politi-
clans who would serve them in the
legislature and in Congress and on
the bench. According to the best in
formation there were tens Of thousands
of free passes in 1897 when the Sovei-
norwas try ing to set aside the Midnight
Lease. About every negro politician
in the State had . pass over the South
ern Railroad. People were charged
three and quarter cents mile, while
the politicians and the railroad IA
vOrites and the rich men and women,
whose influence was wanted. were
riding on free passes.
Before this administration began
there was hardly one man In thou
sand in North Carolina who knew or
had ever heard that the Railroad Com
mission, established 10y the Legislature,
had the right to make a general Law
fixing passenger and freight rates by
uniform rule-that Is, . rule fixing .
rate certain for every railroad IN the
State. People were making complaints
about side-trscks and depOts and shan-
ties and DISCRIMINATORY but there WAS
never any petitions from any public
meeting or association of any kina iVs
| a general reduction i'm freight aud pas
sengef rates. The Governor set TO
WI n ~ kCb u IcuuCbsOu pcoPics
He found that the Railroad Commi--
sioners were under the CONTROL Of the
| railr0ads-thzt they belonged to the
railroads, and simply did what the
| railroads commanded. lie found that
two of them had vioiaied the Law and
had become 50 far interested In rail.
roadS that they were prohibited from
holoiDg Office, and he removed them
according TO the power invested in
him BY the law. He appointed two
Others-one John Ii. Pearson, Demo
crat-and, in spite Of treschery and
railroad influence and power, he has
succeeded in getting q decree of the
Railroad Commission making . reduc-
ton Of % per cent. on all passenges
rates on the Coast Line System. luis
is test case which goes TO the courts
Of the United States. NotWithstsnd-
ing their favorItism for the corpora
tions il is believed that the people will
stand . chance Of winning this case.
IL they win X, then the other railroads
IN the State will have TO surrender.
This is test case. Now, what have
the people gained! They have gained
40 opportunity 10 assert their rights
they have gained q chance TO get lower
rates; they have gained Q chsnce 60
every time they get ob the railroads
and they will get It il they will elect
legislature against mon0p0lies.
PART SECOND.
now want to run . little bit fuFth-
e.. have read it in the Democratic
papers this way. / read il in she Raj
| eIEh News and Observer not long aEo
that there was not Q department vi
the Government, Federal or State, 90
administered in North CarolIns to-
day that was not tainted with cosrup-
ton, fraud, incompetence, and jobs.
Did yol read It. Did you rea1 iti
The Democratic press mas hurled
against this admi nistsatiOu its snatbe-
mas and denunciation for drunken
ness, for incompetence, for fraud ~ d
for jobbery. And ye. 1 say that this
administration 10 as clean rs any that
the Democratic party has given 70 the
State OF North Carolina as any time II
all; a. competent, ~ fee from CO. :
Eruption, as free from jobs. Ii il freeT
from drunkenness than any Admins
tratiOn that has preceded u for fifteen
or twenty years. / say Is, and let u
be printed IN the newspapers that
did say it; that it is the first time that
the State Of North Carolioa has been
officially sober for fifteen years. The
POpuiists in North Carolina have bees
proud Of the good name Of their State
and they never have been given Il
holding up and bersiding 10 the world
The shortcomings Of the officials OF
the Democratic party. Dem0cratis
officials in time past have gone as ray
The POpulists have kept their no -
shut, or spoken Of il with sorrow "a
one another. And yet, when thsr re ID
the least shortcoming in any ofiicial
Of this administration, the Democratic
press Of ths State herald the baml
70 the nation. Judge Norwood, q Re.
publican fusion Judge, . genial gen.
tleman l Am told, and . man Of ability
In the Lac, Q most excellent jaags
with whom the drink habit periods.
cally is disease when his course "a
called ~ the attention Of the Governor
Of North Carolina about the time Oi
the last legislature, the Governor 0l
North CarViins Wss ready 60 pr0ceet
With the impeschm est Of t0i'
judge and relnove him from
the bench. Who was is that came u
the Rescue Of Judge NvrWOOo! 4
Was largely his Democratic friend.
i 1hrn MAJ md ri .f~A Ma u-ss.a