The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-02-19
MAY SHOWER BESIDE a TEofi'
Cal III lsIlIeANE-~

Z E# a~Z -aa@h eFF% %
contested campaigns IN he south 10 a
| quartet II a century were was@l ia
Alaheua and Georgia !a tae Derao-
cratic p~imarlsa In bo.h the leEss-
,!aa had ben too largely dominated
by railroad Influence. freight and pas
seuger rates ara ahuovuaaIly high. and
until Mr. Conner in Alabama and Hokc
Smith In Georgia took ap tbs mai
ter With courage and ability il looked
ike nothing could he done n say. the
p.opse from railroad exto-tlon ard
domination. Two years ago NJ
Conner. n successful business man Uho
had never held office ard dld not Uan;
Office. ran for Railroad COMMISSIONS
lie aaS IN i minority and could Do
little. H saw that the people must
look to the II gislature ana - the
chief Executive He ran Tor Cover
nor and defeated his opponent. a very
respectable man who ran = i con
sentative - his frAnds called him.
on wha, they cailedA safe and sane
platform. The people Of Alabama
understood that conservative meant
either : Re-actionist OF a D. Moth
ing. aEd they elected Nj. Conner.
IN Georgia the fight was the most
bitter in the annals OF the state Hoke
Smith. standing for a two cent pas
senger rate and sweeping freight,
reductions, carried almost every L
t. in the state. defeating two OF the
most useful men in Georgia. unning
on the platform Let Well enough
alone. The people saw X Was not
well enough when the railroads
we're exacting extortionate rates and
they voted for Hoke Smith.
In Alabama already an important
and far-reaching freight reduction bill
has passed, passenger rates nave been
half cents 4 mile. and other like
measures proposed by Governor
Conner Will be enacted. In Georgia,
the railroads still hope 10 defeat the
will OF the people by getting the Leg
islature 10 make cheese-paring reduc-
lions. just as some Legislators IN North
Carolina are trying TO do. Referring
10 his course, in view Of the attempt
10 defeat the viii Of the people, Hoke
it&f4AAA- "a
with The fights / shall make after my
Inauguration next June the recent
@u~bernatorial campaign will seem like
n sweet May shower beside a tropical
hurricane" That's the sort Of iron
mar needed in public life to fight the
battles OF the people. The railroads
employ the shrewdest and most re-
~sourceful men who are paid 10 make
the worst appear the better reason"
the men elected to serve the peo-
PIE must he made Of the same sort
Of stuff that made r. +. Hoke a North
Carolina Lee and makes Hoke Smith a
worthy successor of Alexander II.
stephens. the people will never have
their rights.
The two CEN rate on roads that pay
we'll IS sure To come. II is as certain
TO come in North Carolina and IL
Georgia as It has come within the past
few months or weeks in Indiana, Iowa.
Ohio. West Virginia and half 4 dozen
other states. TIE North Carolina
House Of Representatives. has mo- the
demand of the DeoD!s and made such
reduction. The Senate viii next Week
determine whether it VIII delay TINS
demand or grant the proper ledaclioh
this year. It has been shown BY the
sworn rerort OF the railroads that the
southern Railway earns about $500
! mile from passenger receipts. and
the Atlantic Coast Lin nearly $1,000
per mile. and the Seaboard Air Line
over $500 per mile. They ought 10
be nut on a two cent rate and the
smaller roads for the present on d
rate fixed according 10 their earnings.
OF course the senate can defeat this
TWO cent rate on the big roads just
as the Senate two years g killed all
reduction after the House had passed
the Laughinghouse bill. But to kill
this two cent rate on the big paying |
show is a lair reduction and TO throw
this Whole question into the next cam
paign. The two cent rate is sure 10 !
come. Why delay Il? II IS right.
il is fair, il IS just. II the Senate
passes a bill putting the big roads on
a two cent basis, the House will conf
cur, and the passenger rate question
will be settled and removed from po-
Htical discussion during his decade.
That is a contamination devoutly 10
be wished. But If thai measure 81
just reduction is denied by the Senate.
those VINO stand for two cents on big
paying roads will appeal to Caesar"
and the campaign Of last year. COM
Jared with the coming campaign. will
seem ike q So set May shower beside
a tropical hurricane"
We have no Hoke Smith in North
Carolina, but We have scores Of able
men who viii lead and win the fight.
II anybody doubts THAT there arc
railroads in North Carolina that can
well afford 70 reduce their rates 10
TWO cents, such person should read
IN to-day's paper the facts given BY
Mr- Laughinghouse in his brief speech
IN the House last week. They are Of
ficlal n accurate. They fully an