The Greenville times., 1900-02-17
THE COMPROMISE.
mons of The State Press
On Its Passage.

suits have reached their presel
d stage, would be the only way
n an amicable settlement. At til
a same time the state has acted j
very bad faith towards the roads
I They were invited into the stat
q with the promise (the decisions G
the supreme courts) that tbei
+ would be exempt from taxation fo
number of years. Now tina
they are forced to submit, tn
state, taking advantage of tech
nicality, assumes the role of
Shylock. Let us have compro
mise or anything else to avoid
second reputation. Port Gibson
Revilee.
The States claims are based fUl
the most part on q technically
and there certainly seems to be
just ground for contention by
the railroad. Their claim for ex-
emption from certain taxes is I'M
der an act of the Legislature
which was upheld by supreme
court decisions for about thirty.
years They invested their money
with the law in operation and
they claim to have fulhllled their
part of the implied contract. If
they have, then the State is not
morally entitled to claim the
amount SAID to be due previous to
the supreme courts reversal of
the decision which stood so long,
whatever the legal aspect may be.
The railroads are not alone af-
fected by the claim for back taxes
supposed by everybody to be ex-
empt. The Western cotton mills
compromised the case against them
for 500, 900, and other factories
were also forced TO pay large
amounts.
With all this in view, it seems
to the Times that compromise
on the terms proposed would be
liberal, that the Legislature would
be guarding the States interests
in accepting 1t, and that it would
be satisfactory to the people IN
general.
This railroad tax suit does the
railroads not only an injustice by
imposing on them a tax, from
which the State exempted them
many years ago, in open violation
of its pledges, but if the United
States Supreme Court sustains
the ruling of the Supreme Court
of Mississippi, the railroads will
have to pay In al. nearly $2,000,-
900; but the honor of the State
will be sorcly compromised and
her future pledges in many re-
spects will stand for naught.
Foreign capital will no doubt be
driven out, for what guarante Q
would 1t have that the State would
exempt other corporations for
years and then 60 back on her
promise as she did in the railroad
matter9 If Mississippi expects
to keep abreast of progress she
must encourage rather than dis
courage capitol. Let the State
accept any reasonable compromise
the railroad companies may offer
in the matter and thus reclaim as
far as possible her honor. 1t
would pay hear in years to come
many times the sum she would
gain from this dishOnorable back
tax railroad suit by inspiring the
confidence and cooperation of |
foreign capital which otherwise
would be driven away.
The Democrat may possibly be
mistaken in its judgment, and the
courts decision may be right. But
f the State has done the railroa d
an injustice by forcing it to pay
these back taxes, she should make
the proper reparations; if not, no
sort of compromise should be ac-
Winona Democlat.
We take the above from the
Clarion-Ledger and give the sug-
gestion our full endorsement. We
have always deemed these suits
against certain railroads and fac
tories as little short of iniquitous.
Under a decision of our Supreme
Court, composed of lawyers quite
the equal Of the present court,