The leader., 1905-06-07
NO MATERIAL DIFFERENCE

Elections of prominent speakers
before the banquet given to the
Mississippi Press Association at
IGreenville relative to railroad
Legislation. The Review does not
think there is any Justification Of
1.-THE hullaboo created to be found
lin what was. said. The writer
was an attentive listener to- what
was said by all the speakers, and
lis of the opinion there is no ma
lterial difference between the posi-
ltions of President Norwood, Cen
eral Catchings and Governor
Vardaman. They all favor legis-
llation as to the power to establish
freight rates, but General Catch
lings and Governor Vardaman dis
Icussed a phase of the matter
which Mr.. Norwood did not touch
upon, the power to create and en-
force an unchangeahle rate. They
favored, as this writer understood,
the conferring upon the Commis-
sion the power to establish max
imum rate of freight charges
which would hold until the courts
reversed it regardless of suits in
augurated, but desired the mimi
mum rate left an open question
to be decided by circumstances.
These gentlemen very clearly
demonstrated there was a menace
| to Southern commerce and South
fern industries in the proposition
Iof an arbitrary, unchangeable
freight rate. We do not under
stand there is the slightest conflict
in their propositions with Demo-
cratic doctrine. Biloxi Review.
The Leader has made no refer
ence to this subject hitherto, but
finds itself unable to agree with
what is stated by the esteemed ed
itor of the Review. In the first.
place, we regarded it as exceed
ingly mal-apropos that Gen.
Catchings, who was invited to ad-,.
dress the Press Association as its
guest, and who is the regular re-
tained attorney Of great railroad
corporation, should have selected
as his subject the congressional
railroad bill looking to the re-.
duction and equalization Of freight
rates, and seek to arouse opposi-
tion to a certain provision in che
bill by appealing to sectional
prejudice and jealousy, the ever
ready resource OF the sectional
demagogue and shrewd advocate
of corporate interests seeking spe
cial favors. It does not necessari-
" follow that Gen. Catchings was
not sincere in the views he ex-
pressed, but the very fact that he
is q railroad attorney and chose
such a subject for this occasion,
and then supported bis objection
to authorizing the National Rail
road Commission to fix a mini
mum railroad freight rate BY the
plea that the Commission itself
sf.
might be sectional in its judg-
ments and discriminate against
the South to its serious hurt, all
tended to discredit in the minds
of bis audience what be said.
And at the Press Banquet that
followed that night, when Mr.
Chas. Bush, general counsel for
the Mississippi Valley Railroad,
while responding to: q toast, took
up precisely the same refrain
which had been sung by Gen.
Catchings in the forenoon, it
[smacked Of a preconcerted effort.
to prejudice and tacitly, at least,
commit the Mississippi Press As
sociation to the corporation view
Iof the proposed railroad rate leg
IisIation, If such was the pre-con-
ceiyed design, it only failed Of
being challenged and resented by
the timely and vigorous reply
of President Norwood, who fol
lowed Mr.. Bush at the banquet
while responding to the toast,
The Mississippi Press.
Nor did we understand, as the
Review claims, that there is 10
material difference between the
positions Of Pres. Norwood, Gen.
Catchings and Gov. Vardaman. I
President Norwood evidently
wanted to cIothe the National
4 0dllTOad Commission With auGn0T
lity to fix . minimum freight rate
as well as maximum rate; other
wise, as be pointed out, what is to
hinder concerns like the Beef
Trust and The Standard Oil Trust
from obtaining from The railroads
a rate so low as to crush out ait
Legitimate competition, and when
Fthis is accomplished and they
have gained monopoly, proceed
20 prey upon the public according
to their we'll l-known methodist
We do not claim to understand
1.-THE subject of railroad freight