The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-10-31

States today but for the existence OF
unfair preferential rates.
Il was informed some time ago by
a friend who, with others, had un-
dertaken to manufacture fine cotton
goods in South Carolina that his Fall
River, Mass, competitor engaged in
the same sort of business could lay
down the long staple cottons of the
Yazoo- Mississippi Delta, bought in the
Yazoo City and Vicksburg markets,
as cheaply as he could. The part OF
the South that would be most bene-
fitted by the proposed legislation
would be the country lying in the
Mississippi valley along the great river
and it's tributaries. with water facii-
tiles unexcelled anywhere in the
world.
''The railroads are sending out tons
of literature and are reSorting to all
sorts of desperate statements. For
example they have had published in
the newspapers all over the South
statement to the effect that ex-senator
Chandler, Ca Southhater, whose ha-
tired is fully reciprocated,) had said
in a certain speech that he advocated
the proposed legislation, because it
would do away with separate coaches
for the two races" This was to arouse
our alarm ard to prevent a cool con-
sideration of the legislation on its
merits. What Chandler really said
was 1.-The railroads have gone so far
in their desperation as to make the
statement that the effect of the pro-
posed legislation would do away with
the separate coaches, which pretense
he proceeded in the same speech to
expose by showing that the very Ian
guage in the Esch-Townsend bill,
which was cited as comforting that
power upon the Interstate Commerce
Commission, was contained in the
present Interstate Commerce law, ana
that, therefore, if the language con-
fered it, it had already been conferr-
ed.
"The basic principle of Democracy
is equal treatment for equal service
by the government and by gov
eminent chartered institutions.
is equal treatment for equal govern
ment and by chartered institutions.
Democrats not only ought to vote FOR
the proposed legislation, but they will
do it, though they may be called upon
again, as they were called upon the
last session. to try to make the Dill
better by amendment. At the last
session every Democrat in the house,
except five Gf my memory serves me
correctly AS to the number) after the
party had tried to make the Esch-
Townsend bill better by a substitute
and three proposed amendments and
had failed, voted for the bill.
"a Democratic caucus passed res
olution instructing the Democratic
floor leader to attempt to secure the
passage of the substitute, and II that
failed then to attempt to secure GER
tain amendments, and if they failed,
to vote for the BILL The five men
who refused to be bound by the &C
ton of the Democratic caucus were
much fewer in number than the Re-
publicans who voted against the bill,
and they placed their opposition upon
the ground that the bill did not go
far enough.
81 hope the Demo cracy will in this,
as in all other matters, at all times,
have common sense, patriotism and
courage enough strenuously to support
all measures based upon the Demo-
cratic principle of equality~of indus
trial opportunity and equal charge for
equal service, no matter by whom the
proposition is propounded. There
will be, l am afraid, some Democrats
in the Senate who will oppose the
legislation directly, and more still IN
directly There are two ways you
know of killing reform legislation.
One is by openly opposing it. rms
is seldom dangerous. The other is by
trying to throw the hounds off the
scent by running ahead of them, Of
fering propositions too drastic to be
received at the time and using their
rejection as a preteXt for ultimate op-
position. This sort of opposition is
insidious and dangerous. Some of it
we have already encountered, more
of it we will encounter.
Il believe that the Esch-Townsend
bill will be amended so that it will
be better legislation than it was in
the shape in which it passed the house
although even in that shape, it was
an infinite Improvement over present
conditions. / believe that it will pass
the house by a virtually unanimous
Democratic vote and by an over
whelming Republican vote. | believe,
moreover, that after perhaps some
what long and wearisome struggle, the
railroad retainers in the Senate will
surrender to the force of public opin-
ion and to official pressure from
President who will and ought to eXer-
else every Constitutional power he has to
secure the passage of the legislation.
John SHARP WILLIAMS.