The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-02-22

course. refer to the sham paper that Gals
itself independents hide its frequency
and its lack of convictions.-ha heart
that beats for humanity 1t is ready |
to throw itself, for a good cause with all
its weight and all its power, md TO
make any sacrifice to advance these |
principles and interests that make Tor
the bettcrment of the whole people. Us
editor must have learned and nave
kneaded into his very life, McCaulay 8
estimate of a statesman, negatively stat
ed, to-wit: He is not statesman VINO Is
influenced by those who are near him
or who can do something for him. put
by the great mass of his felloWmen. who
can never know him. by whom he can
never be known, from whom he can OBJ
tain no thanks, who can never render him
any service" No paper is truly inde-
pendent unless the man who stands al
its helm and steers it's cause is guided
and animated by that noble conception
of his high duty that McCaulay says
must animate a statesman.
In North Carolina, within the last few
months, two subjects of great public
concern have deeply interested the pub
lie
First: Whether the people of the State
have any rights at ALL with respect TO
depot accommodations, which the rail
roads are bound to respect With an
utter Indifference to public "omfor1 and
convenience, and acting in the spirit OF
the expression made by the New York
railroad president, who said THE people
be damned" certain railroads in this
State enjoying much profitable business,
have year after year, refused to give the
people adequate depot accommodations.
Their disregard of public comfort reach
| cd its climax in this city, and your
| popular representative, whom you do
well to honor tonight, introduced bill
| to constitute a tribunal with power to
compel such railroads to furnish adequate
union depots wherever needed, if prac-
| ticable. That measure was antagoniZed
with a venom and a malevolence and a
hostility greater than l have known of
| in the Legislature for a dozen years.
Having so long done as they pleased,
| certain railroad magnates in North Caro-
lima assumed the position of the Georgia
railroad president, of whom this story is
! told: Shortly after the War Between
the States, the people of Atlanta became
greatly aroused because many persons
had been injured or killed by the rail
road on their chief thoroughfare. They
passed resolutions and instructed their
Board of Aldermen to go before the rail
road authorities and demand redress. The
Board waited upon the head of the rail
| road. When they went in he had his
feet elevated upon his desk and was
smoking a pipe. He hardly deigned to
notice them, when they came in, though
they had notified him of their coming and
their purpose He turned to them, how
| ever and grunted Good morning" and
then looked out of the window while the
| Mayor and chairman made earnest argu-
ment to him why the railroad ought to
protect human life by a moderate eXpen-
diture of money. During all their speak
ing he kept his eyes looking out of the
window and continued to smoke his pipe
| in supreme Indifference to their argu
ments When they had finished he said
Are you through" They replied that
| they had presented their argument and
looked to him for redress. Still looking
out of the window, he said. not meaning
any personal disrespect to you, here is
my answer: If you do not like things as
they exist, move your damn town. Our
railroad was here first" In the same
spirit the people of this town were treat
ed when they demanded decent depot ac-
commodations. and when you sought the
only redress possible, you were virtually
told to move your damn town, the depot
was here first In that great fight more
difficult l apprehend than many of
{ you suppose. inaugurated by your rep
resentative. where was the so-called in
? I danapHppt IF 10 Stata9 ITnOn
whose side were they arrayed? A portion
of the so-called independent press was
| making special pleas for railroad in
} science and disregard OF your rights, an
other portion was as dumb as an oyster,
t and no partisan paper except your
own live home u" per- the Durham Morn
: ing Herald had a word to say in
your behalf. One portion was owned and
: dominated and controlled by the railroad
! authorities that treated your demands
with insolenco and contempt All others
t printed away from Durham, were as
4 silent as the grave. They either did not
|, dare to secure the ill-will of powerful
e corporations, or had no care for the in
, terests of the public 1t remained for the
/ most part for the true Independent
r journals of your State,-(a land there were
4 own afternoon paper. the Durham Sum
e. branded as wearing the party collar, to
O. stand out in truly indie
f pendent manner and focus pub
? lie attention upon your just demands,
and help you secure from the Legisla-
= ture law which gives to you, and all
@ others similarly situated, a tribunal at
J.; which you can be heard.
. ,. One of the great evils today in North
Carolina, Ga lessening evil l am glad to
Q believed. is the employment of young
] children in factories and mills The cry
= came from many of the good people of
] North Carolina, some OF them the most
e prosperous manufacturers. including most
= of the noble women that there should
] be some legislation preventing employ
: ment of mere infants in the mills. and
guaranteeing to them at least few years
@ of play time in the sunshine. This saIu-
e tary legislation. in force in every State
h in this Union except four and in every
t civilized nation in the world, was an
Il