Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1907-10-04
RICHARD 8. KER.
THEY HAVE kROUSEE THE SLEEPING
LION

LION.
Hon. VIM. A. Anderson, Attorney |
General of Virginia, has thrown
bomb into railroad officialdom. He
has brought the railroads before the
Corporation Commission to show cause
why their assessments should not be
increased, SO that they may pay just |
pro rata of taxes. There was hear
ing last week In Richmond, and the |
following glittering array of counsel
was present-Alexander Hamilton OF
the Coast Line. Henry T. Wickham of |
the e. g. o., Alfred Thorn of the South |
ern, Eppa Hunton OF the Seaboard, L. |
B. Harrison of the l.. " n, Lucien I'll.
Cooke of the n. g. W., Thomas II.
Wilcox of the N. Y, P. & n, and a
number of prominent officials. To as
semble these there WAS cerJaily some
thing doing. They felt the Importance
Of the occasion. The reports say that
the attitude Of the railroads was one
of sorrow and duplication. instead OF
that bullying and bragadOcio, or
naughty de6ance,as such has been their
conduct heretofore. There was no talk
of Federal court interference this time,
not a word on that line was uttered by
the most pugilistic attorney. For once
they were up against a proposition
which Federal Judges could not ham
die, the proposition of Direct Taxation.
They begged mercy, they told tales of
sadness, of the labor unions. the
shrinkage in railway stocks and bonds,
the great agitation in high places. the
necessity of the railways for money to
make betterments; they had many
tables compiled and long and luminous
lines of figures. Gen. Anderson for
the State took up the Norfolk & West
ern, for example, he submitted figures
to show that the value OF the roadbed,
right of way. and single track was
placed at SIG, GOO and double track at
So, 600 a mile, and yet the earnings
were over 100000 mile. The stocks
and bonds, if sold at the present mark
ct value, would realize about 49,, 900 a
mile, according to Gen. Anderson es-
innate, and he contended that as COM
pared with other classes of property in |
the State, the tax on railroad property
W as too low. He argued earnestly to |
show that the reports as to their earn
ng revealed the fact that an increase /
would not work hardship On these
corporations, and he produced many |
figures along this line which were put
in evidence by the companies at the
recent rate hearings.
This is what we have predicted all
along. We cautioned the railways over
and over again on this very line. The
conduct of the roads toward the State
in the rate fight, their utter disregard +
for State authority, their overbearing
and dictatorial treatment OF the pub
lie, their stealthy movements to catch
the unwary, and bleed the travelling
public, and their handling of freights
and treatment Of business interests
have aroused the State to degree it
hardly seemed possible to have ever
predicted. and especially have their
fights before Judge Pritchard incensed
the people, so much SO that the ap
preaching Legislature will have many
problems to solve, and woe be to that
member who fails of his duty toward
bis constituency, and his State.
Of all this. we repeat, we have over
and over again warned the railroads
Yet they became daily more defiant,
until this effort on the part of Gen.
Anderson to look into the question of
taxation has made them bow, humble
suppliants at throne of grace. Here
for the first time we hear them beg for
mercy. 1t is idle to talk about the
people bringing this upon them. 1t is /
not proper to charge it to the news
papers, the railroads alone caused this |
condition, and all corporations in the
State will be co-sufferers. Their con- !
duct has been a mistake, their course
a blind one. The State has absolute
and unbridaled power to tax. These
corporations have sought to emascu
late her in other respects, but in taxa
ton they are powerless, hence their
sad sweet tones, hence their supplica'
tions, hence their tears, now that they
have aroused the sleeping lion.