Martinsburg statesman. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1869-1906, 1906-03-02
That TilIrpan Letter

| In an interview with the w ueeHH%
Register, the Hon. John J. Cornweli
/ knocks the stuffing out Of the celebrat'
ed Dawson-TilIman letter.
The Reporter asked Mr. Cornwell II
he had seen the published statement
| that Governor Dawson was consider
ing the question of calling a special
session of the state legislature for the
purpose Of passing some anti-railroad
legislation, and if he had any state
ment to make as to his views on the
subject. Mr.. Cornwell, in discussing
| the matter said in part:
II have seen the statement but nave
| not thought much about 1t, as l nard-
| w supposed that it was authentic. l
cannot imagine that the governor
would call the legislature together IN
special session. mourning that exp.ns
| to the state and Inconvenience to the
mem bers, until an honest effort mas
| been made to enforce the statute we al
ready have.
/ Governor Dawson in his letter to
| Senator Tillman, indicates that he had
very specific knowledge Of violations OF
| the law by the railroad companies In
the state, and of their discrimination
against certain independent coal opera
tors in the matter of rates and the dis
| tribution Of cars. / take it that the
governor knows what .e is talking
about, and that such violations of law
and determinations have occurred;
otherwise he surely would not have
made the statements he did In that let
ter and in his published interviews:He
| further stated in his letter. to Senator
Tilman, in effect, that there was no
remedy for these conditions in West
Virginia, because he had been unable
to get railroad commission created,
and owing to the railroad influences in
the legislature.
What would like to know, is, If
the thingsGovernor Dawson complains
of are true, and assume they are, then
why has no effort been made to enforce
the laws of our state?
Chapter "a of the code Of West Vir-
ginia, provides, among other things
that it:shall be unlawful for railroad
company to engage directly orisdirect-
ly in buying or selling coal or coke. 1t
further:provides, ;that every railroad
company, along whose lines the indus
tries of mining coal or manufacturing
coke ,are carried on, shall, without,
discrimination between or among ship
pers, and, without unnecessary delay,
make reasonable provision for the
transportation Of all such coal and coke
offered for transportation over itsl rail-
road and no such railroad shall dis
criminate in rates, distribution of cars
or otherwise, against or among ship
p,rs of coal or3coke, Eoffered for ship
mcnt on its line?
"Suf1icientlpenalties are provided for
the violation of this statute and it is
further provided that the circuit and
criminal courts Of every county run
ming through which the road violat-
ing this statute passes; shall have con-
current jurisdiction of all the otfenses
lder and,violations of this act
"If things are going so badly here
why has there never been single suit
instituted in a single county, against
slngle railroad, to enforce the statute
IA I'VE referred to?
1--WE havesseen how the vital ques-
on of taxation can be seized upon an
used for the purpose of furthering the
p ,litical. fortunes Of individuals, and
in fastening political office holding
lgarchy on.the state. Unless little
,mmon sense and discretion is exer-
cised by our people, regardless OF party
tlis same political machine will use
the present justifiable resentment
against the railroad conditions in West
Virginia to SO intrench itself behind
laws passed durig this excitement that
| it will rule the, state with mailed
h md, for its,own selfish purposes for
generation to come.
~ am inclined to believe that we
nsed more vigorous and honest en-
| forcement of the laws we have Ia this
state good deal worse than we need
new laws ora high-paid officehold-
ers is play detective for the chief ex-
eeutlve Of the state.
SHENANDOAH jet. PREsBYTERIAN