The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-05
Spirit of the Press.
Our New Brand-"Southern Railway
Democrats"
New York American.

New York American.
The Southern Railway, whose chief
owner is j. p Morgan and whose pres
ident is Samuel Spencer, by consent
of Congress got permission to steal
$142,72S.75 of your money. This
amount of subsidy was voted to the
Southern Railway for an alleged fast
mail service between Washington and
Atlanta.
subsidy in the eyes of any Demo-
crat worthy of the name is a steal.
Democrats denounced the Shin Subsidy
bill as Il steal, one subsidy is like
another.
And this Southern Railway steal has
been going on for years and certain
Democrats those who put their trous-
crs in the boots. let their Whisker5
grow ad throw away necktieS 50 Us to
better cusS the railroads when the
electioneering time comes, have al
ways lined up for it.
Wednesday enc Democrat, Moon. Of
Tennessee, laid bare the scandal. He
lives in a city that the Southern Rail
way runs through, but he denounced
the subsidy He asked Democrats TO
be national Democrats and not South
ern railway Democrats. But he called
on many deaf ears.
Moon had the courage to tell the
truth and to denounce the steal. Yes
terday the question came up. The
Southern Railway lobby got busy and
it's leaders rallied Southern Railway
Democrats" There are a few who
still believe graft is not advocated by
Democracy and they tried to shame
the others into the right. Gaines. Of
Tennessee. who is always honest and
generally right, joined with Moon. SO
did Macon, of Arkansas. SO also di1
Hamln, of Missouri. and Finley, of
('1rDlin1 n
sey, and Baker. of New York but
when the time to vote came the South
ern railway Democrats stood fast for
the graft ana the bin passed.
This steal has been going on for
years. The Southern Railway. which
is built on the wreck of other roads
and broken fortunes. maintains an eff
fectivc lobby at Washington. Several
cheap lobbyists who draw money from
the Southern, just as an evidence that
they are effective. pull off this postal
subsidy steal every year.
If they failed to bring in this yearly
evidence of their power over Southern
Railway Democratic Congressman thew
would be fired and better grafterS
and bunco SteererS would take their
places.
The Postmaster General himself
does not recommend this subsidy. The
mail service to the South Is not facili
tated, and you can send mail from New
York to New Orleans as quickly by
other routes as br the Southern.
1t is a plain case of robbing the gov
eminent in the name of the law. II is
evidence that there are so-called Dem
ocratS who will vote for graft and can
be controlled by a railroad lobby.
If some Democrats honestly think
this subsidy is not a bald steal. then
their place is not in Congress. but in u
home for the incurably weakminded
Now, watch these same Southern
Railway Democrats when the ducS
ton Of putting a check to transcontt-
mental railway cXtortion comes up
They will oppose the government Keep
ing the Panama steamships and ger
ting more because ~ hold to the old
fashioned Democratic idea that the
government should not embark in q
business enterprise
Watch them and watch the Southern
Railway lobby and the transcontinen-
tai lobby when this Panama business
comes up.
1t Is u good sign. however. that
Moon and other Democrats made the
exposure. The people who sent the
Southern Railway Democrats u Cong
resS may conclude that they had best
STAY al home. rather than to come to
Washington and give the Republicans
a chanc" when the next shipping sub
sidy steal comes up to taunt the Dem
ocratS that many OF their number SUP
ported . subsidy postal steal. when
not even the PostmastGr-G rec
commended It,