The bee., 1905-01-26

remainder of their lives in ldleness.
We are not particularly the cham
pion of the mines, or the mine own
ers, nor are we the champion of cor
porations, but we are the champion
of any set OF people, any concern,
any industry, or any enterprise that
is part and parole of the country and
that aids and assists in making our
county what it is. These mine own
ers are of course able to fight their
own battles. They have learned
lawyers employed who will look aft
er their interests in the courts and
they perhaps need no word from us,
but with all this, we do not want to
see injustice done anybody or any
business concern.
We are friend to the mining in
terests of the county. Not friend
on account of any money we may
receive, not on account of any hope
of reward, or of any favors, because
we have never yet received cent
from any corporation for anything
we may have said or written in its
favor. We are always moved in
writing and saving what we write or
say by sense of right as between
the citizen and the interests of the
whole country. The mines of Hop
kins county are our valuable assets.
They furnish employment to many
hundreds of men and these with
their families amount to thousands
of citizens.
The mines of the country anord a
ready market to the farmer for ev-
cry pound of meat and butter, every
bushel of potatoes and corn, every
chicken that is hatched and every
egg that is Land, every article of food
that can be produced from the field
or the garden, The mines of Hop
kins county enable the farmer to re-
alize at least 25 per cent. more for
his products than if they were not
in existence. We are a friend to the
mining interests, if for nothing else
from a selfish interest, as they scat
ter out among the people of Hopkins
county more than one million dol
lars each wear in the way of wages,
and beside all this, paw taxes that
tighten the burden of every one of
us when it comes to contributing
our part toward the expense of run
ming our municipal, county and
state affairs.
There are those who seem to think
that corporations are good for moth
ing only so far as they can be made
to contribute to those who may be
able to bring suits for damage
against these concerns. There is
not a session of circuit court held
that there are not new suits filed
and old ones tried againt the various
corporations. Railroads and coal
companies seem to be the special
game that is sought after by those
who are in need of a little ready
money. Hundreds of suits are
brought that are without any merit
whatever, while it is frequently the
case that judgments are rendered
for large sums when not one cent
should be awarded.
There are enough suits now pend
ing against the corporations OF the
state, against the railroads and the
coal companies, that if Judgment
were rendered for the amount claim
ed, that no one of these concerns
would be able to continue business
another six months, OF late years
the principal business of the courts
has been to try cases in which per-
sons have brought suits against
mine owners, railroads and other
corporations for damages, either
real or imaginary, and more gener-
ally the latter than the former.
While we do not wish to reflect
upon the honesty and integrity of
VIC JuIOIS VI tilO OOuhtA - FCb VIC Wv
not hesitate to say that they are
very frequently Influenced by their
prajudices against corporations and
and agree to verdicts that are un-
reasonable and that should never
have been rendered.
In our contention, we do not wish
to be understood as fayOring cOrpO-
ratIons as against the people. AS
between the two, we are for the peO-
pie all the time and where there Is a
reasonable doubt i'm the matter we
should at all times favor the people
as against corporations, but at the
same time we want to remember
that each party to the suit has rights
which the other is bound to respect.
We believe in holding corporations
to strict account for every VIOLA
tion of law, just as we believe that
individuals should be amenable tor
all infractions of the law. But we
do not believe in Expressing simply
because it may be corporation, or
because it may be wealthy one.
Corporations have rights that indi-
viduals should respect, while indi-
viduals have rights that corpora