The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-05-16
SOME MORE SEARCHING QUESTIONS" ABOUT
RAILROAD FAVORITISM.

applicants much better qualified for
hard work are told there is no va
cancy'? Suppose you were to OBTAIN
and publish a list of all these along
side of the names of their Judge or
legislator or other official relative.
could there possibly be a suit for libel
brought against you? The stir created
by the publication of the list OF d1rec-
tors last Saturday wouldn't be CIR
cumStance to the bowling there would
be i'm Rome if this last list could DC
obtained. 1t couldn't possibly be IlDeI-
Gus, for your sharp correspondent at
Greensboro could convince any Jury
or iudge-(pFovided the Judge DreSid-
sidin" was not on the list closely re-
lated to railroad 'emDlOyes)-that IL
was ''Only one of them instances Oh
strange condolences"
Have YOU ever heard of railroad
lawyer within the past three years
making a speech for the extension CT
educational facilities in the country
schools. or do anything but throw cold
water on Governor AycOck'S educa-
tional policy of increasing those faclll-
ties by special taxes in the particular
school district seeking advancement?
Think a minute and answer, nave
YOU? BY the way. name a newspaper
under railroad influence that doesn't
keen diScreetly silent on this school
tax proposition or cOVertlY oppose it,,
and always advocate bond issues for
any and everything that comes up? is
there any instance of strange cO-incI-
dence in the report that transportation
was denied the State superintendent
of Public Instruction as soon as he be-
gan active operations in behalf OF the
campaign for special taxes for country
schools two years ago.. If he had let
up in that campaign wouldn't he now
have transportation as the law allows.
and not have to pay fare while going
about the State making n better cOun-
try which the railroad land agents say
is what the roads are constantly work
ing for so that more people will come
i'm and those now in would produce
more freight and ride Oftener. further
and longer? The above questions YOU
could answer but you never will. so
with :: little further suggestion. L Will
quit
As to yOur kind statement that YOU
did not believe any member of a cor
DoratiOn for manufacturing DrQluctS
would imperil the property or rights of
his stockholders because of his con-
nection with q railroad corporation. an
instance monstrOus close to doing this
was related to me half an hour ago by
one of the best and most reliable men
i'm North Carolina. 1t was about a
side track which had been laid to a
factory. The director, who was also
president of the factory plant. sent a
printed release of almost everything
on earth, even an assumption on the
part of the factory of liability for any
damage the trains might cause its own
employees on the track, yielding uD of
the land and ,lI that. The officers to
whom il was sent refused to sign 1t.
The president went down there In a
great fury and demanded that 1t be
signed, saying he had promised the
railroad to do so. and that he had
property under the same StiDulatiOnS.
He was told that being a director in
the road and its possible agent. it was
safe for him to sign anything. but as
for them they would never do it. And
they didn't and that factory crowd has
had trouble ever since!
This same director had only an
hour before. he said, been in secret
conference with the head mOgul of the
railroad. meeting him i'm response to a
wire from Raleigh. There is a very
prominent official here who could tell
YOU something about what it cost not
to yield up his rights on demand or
persuasion of these confidential agents,
acting as advisors to their friends.
Men not five miles from here have
lost dircctorships as penalty and
been put back after an unhappy wear
do what they hated to do, give in
where they were not in the wrong.
NJ l..
u. 81 forgot to explain that when
citizens of q community vote special
school taxes. a part of the burden falls
on the railroad if il has track in the
territory taxed. but nineteen twen-
tiethS of 1t is paid by the farmers
owning the land.
High Point. n. c.. May Is. 1905.
1t is impossible upon this short no
tice to answer all the inquiries of our
High Point correspondent who seems
gifted at asking "sarching questions"
His first set Of inquiries could be
promptly answered for the informa-
ton he requested could be found in
the reports of the Corporation Com
mission These latter questions are
not anywhere reported and we must
ask for time to ascertain what public
officials obtained many of the best
paying jobs. We may later on be able
to locate some of them and then &C
count for certain legislative votes and
other official actions in the interest of
the railroads and against the interest
of the taxpayers.
Some of the questions can be an
swered. however. today: Certain rail-
road bosses are very hostile to the
educational policy pressed by Governor
Aycock because every time a local tax
is voted the railroad property in that
district has to pay tax for schools just
like the owners of other property. We
know a certain railroad lawyer who
got a tip from "HIGHER UP" and
''cussed OUT the educational craze"
day and night and abused Aycock be-
cause he advocated it. OF course he
did not give the true reason. Know
ing that many good men doubted the