The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-12-27
The Ex.Railroad Commis.
siorer Begins q Book of
Revelations.
Charges Of Inoompetency and Ras-
cality Against His Late Asso.
ciatss-.-hs Governor Called
on 20 Take q Hand.
wedge6eld, Dec 18, 1899.

road oommauicat,ou in your papsr
signsd "Somter Fsrmer" extolliug
the railroad commission for the 70.
duction Of the cotton rate. l wss
soSprissd when I learned that tho
article Was written BY one Of Sum.
tes's mosa Intelligent representatives
The srguoens used wss Q rehash of
What the commission had 20 cav Of
themselves ID wss slso some what
OF rebuke TO ms. for I have repeat
sdly declared that shs Board Of Rail.
rosd Commissioners are IN utterly
incompetent body, and l believe I
can show this by the cotton rate
which % delighted "Sumter Farm
er" On psge 42 railroad commits
sioners' report 1897, "Commissioner
Thomas advocated and tried to re-
ducs the cotton rate to which the
majority would not agree - At that
time the net income Of oil the rail
rosds was $2.23S.579 72. and the
price OF cotton vas about 5 cents
The ssme majority reduced the Cot
ton rate 10 1899 when the net income
Of oil the railroads wss S2.l62.SlS
o., sud the price Of costoo-is cents
Now. Why refuse to reduce the rate
on cotton when the railroads could
better stand the reelection sud the
people were moro in need Of il Z
The suswer 10 that one Of the majori.
q 10 now . candidate for reelection
and desires to commend himself to
the people If this is q fact, is it
net true. that the people have been
swirdied out Of two years reduced
ssle on cotton to suit the political
convenience Of the majority faction
Of tho board ? IL 10 the duty of
"Sumter Farmer" TO fiud out the
facts from the records cent to the
Legislature since he Is the peoples
representative In that body.
The board fixed Q standard cotton
rate. that is. the same rate for every
road. The Law says. "The board
shall make just aud reasonable rate
for each road doing business in the
Stat" /" The records Of 1893 show
that she 8. G. Il Ga railroad male q
net income Of $39S.S2S 70. while
a,other corporation, the Carolina
Midland. made q net income Of $l4.-
92l as The 8 q Il q hauled
350,447 tons one mile. and the G
Midland hauled $3.50 tons one mile
Did the board execute the law when
thsy 6xed the same rate for this
poor road as for the rich one IL
would be indeed instructive tn know
Bow these widely different figures
could be made to produce the same
result or rate What would "Sumter
Farmer" think Of the taxing power
oi this county If they were TO tax
every citizen OF The county the same
regerdlees Of the different condi
tious 7 This is what the Board Of
Railroad Commissioners have done,
for which sssini,y q Sumter law
msEer praises them
Whss 10 the result OF this ate
making? IL forces the stronger to
gobble up eli the wesker roads. Il
destroys competition and forces com.
biestion TO the detriment Of every
farmer and business man 10 the
Stste
Sometime ago Sumter felt the need
OF competition. aud the citizens
secured Q connection with the 3 q.
4 g. railroad. before its completion
the Southern railway owned both
~s thens. and the people Who put iu
their time. rights Of way. &c, are
lost in the shuttle, aud Sumter is
without competition. for nobody 10
green enough to suppose thst the
Southern railway and The Atlantic
Coast Line would fight for freights
which they Can pool
All railroad intelligence agree that
"compet;tion 10 impossible where
combination is possible " A stand.
ard cotton rate is illegal. injurious,
sbsoluteIy foolish and proof of iu
competency
l have taken sdvsntsge of SUN
ter Farmers" communication for q
personal privilege He said at Is
ssid that the railroad commissioners
do nothing but draw their salaries
I don't concur in this view Nei
their do |. for know they occasion
ally draw sober breaths They d.j
draw 996 out Of the treasury aud pay
the Alliance porter They did draw
500 and paid the expenses Of two
commissioners 10 Washington to at
tend two days convention. when
they had free passes 70 Washington
i went to Washington q few weeks
afterwards went and returned in
. sleeper, the trip cost me $40 The
commissioners signed my name to