The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1898-02-18
DEFENDS HIS POSITION.

To the Editor of The Times: | have
read with care your editorial under
caption of "Truly Roanoke's Benefac
tor, which appeared in your morning
issue of February II. I am IN the
article mentioned taken to task for my
temeritv in telling the t.Ith about the
Norfolk and Western Railway Company.
| have no desire TO reply toypnr editorial,
nor to make statement of my positions:
but to say that every word spoke on
Sunday night was true 1 can prove it.
and now want TO reiterate every phrase
L uttered on the occasion mentioned,
with even greater emphasis than l did
then. There ls an old.saying THAT it is
only the truth that hurts" and il in
quite evident that in this case The truth
reached vital spot. judging from the. de
lenses it called forth Another irite say.
ing is ''That facts are stubborn things;"
and what | stated in my five minutes
talk on Sunday night are stubborn facts
that t"n lie proven, the Norfolk and Wes
tern Railway Company 20 the contrary
Notwithstanding.
repeat thst the Norfolk and Western
made Roanokei that is true. 1t is Just
a. tue that they have our city down.
With their feet upon her neck, and they
intend 10 keep bel there. ! accuse The
Norfolk and Western Railway Company
and the coal combiue oi deliberately
planting themselves T. the way OF indus
trial enterprises coming to Roanoke, eX-
cept on their terms. challenge CONTRA
dicton on this point. The capitalist
who wanted TO establish his iron plant
here, said that 1t would have been saw
ing OF $40, 600 in buildings and having
the machinery on lis foundY items to stay
here, AID Il quote from your editoriaU
the motive that compelled the capitalist
to move his plant away from Roanok e
was because the Norfolk and Western
would not give him reasonable rates
nor the coal combine sell coal cheap
enough to operate. In fact the coal PEG
pie even went SO far as to say they did
not have slack to spare. The capitalist
mentioned is one Of the leading iron men
Of Pennsylvania, and it was by his I'M
allied effort that the cut nail trust was
broken up few years ago. When the
Norfolk and Western does what is right
I will comm end; when as IA corporation,
like all such, it becomes oppressive.
will as Il man and minister of the Gospel
condemn without fear or favor, leaving
the result in the hands OF my God.
But further, do the business men of
Roanoke know that this railroad com
pany, With no competing line, has the
power to destroy the business Of any zone
or dozen firm s in our city if they chose;
The deadly weapon they would use is de
scribed by Henry ID lloyd it is called
the ''sm okeiess rebate He says of il:
"rhe terrible weapons used by railroads
is the rebate, smokeless, invisible, of
extraordinary range, ana the deadiest
gun known to commercial warfare"
Woe to the business man against w HON
This deadly missile is directed; his failure
is inevitable How does tie coal COM
bine secure and hold its deadly clutch on
Roanoke? BY the smokeless rebate? Try
to ship here ear of coal and find out
Business men Of Roanoke. beware of the
rebate; it will ruin you. Again. how
about the employers liability bill. Who
defeated it, The city solicitor of Roam
oke and paid lobbyist for the Norfolk
ana Western can probably tell yc-.
People Of Roanoke, we want n compel
ing line of railroad Who of our prom
inent men will take the lean? Agitate
the quest ton of n line Of road to connect
with the Chesapeake and Ohio. People
who are under the dominion OF the Nor
folk and Western coal combine will rise
and call you blessed. Now, as 10 my
own position, ] stand by every word
spoke on Sunday night, and recognizing
only God ns my master, intend TO de
N d n zrs;777E, g1