The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-02-26


Tile passage - the Senate II the
Graham bill iookcd Ike TIE darkest
hour IN The eight for real reduction in
| pa eng rates. II meant nothing.
contains nothing. ara would have been
giving 10 reduction whatever il PCS
eenrcr rates. FOR reasons pointed out
yesterday. The third section Of the bill
Was SO ambiguous that Il admitted or
| as many constructions as there are
lawyers: it provided no method Of as
pertaining the earnings OF the roads;
required q single train to earn Slr5uO
per mile whereas no single train on
, anv road earns 30 much: dtd not state
| whether the earnings should be net o.
gross: left open the line when the
amount Of earnings We're 10 be aScer-
tanned: gave no authority 10 nybody
to fix Or ascertain the earnings; pro-
vfded no penalty for the violation OF
the act and was in fact a. clear as
| mud. without form and void, with
darkness upon the face of 1t.
In the senate yesterday morning the
most remarkable scene in the history
Of North Carolina legislation was en-
acted. The supporters of the bill, who
on the previous day had voted down
every amendment looking TO making
the bill mean something, arose with
one accord and declared that the bill
; they had passed wasn't worth. as one
Senator said, "a continental dern,' and
! moved to reconsider the vote by which
the bill passed. Senator Fleming. Of
Pitt. actually said that he a never
read the bill and did not know what it
contained. Other Senator's who had
~eulogized it on Friday joined in
throwing rocks at it and in earnestly
pleading for 4 chance TO get it back.
As to some of them, it soon became
apparent that the main reason they
wished a reconsideration was because
they objected to the Conference Com
mittee named by President Winston.
They thought he ought to have named
Major Graham on the committee be-
cause he introduced the void measure.
But Mr.. Winston could not Consistent
~ name Major Graham because that
gentleman had announced openly that
unless his measur could become a
ldN lie NOulu NOlc IOI III blIl Ill al.
by that utterance he excluded himself
from a conference looking to the adj
.justment of the differences 50 that q
bill making substantial reduction in
rates can be enacted by this General
Assembly. Every Democrat is instruct
ed to vote for reductions and if that
party pledge is carried out there must
be a spirit of cooperation and cor
cession by the members of the confer
ence committee. If it is the Graham
bill or nothing-tand that bill is
nothing); if it is the House bill or moth
ing, then the Legislature will adjourn
without keeping its pledge to the peo-
pie. The only hope is in The fact that
the members of the Conference Com
mittec of the House and Senate, put
ting aside personal preference as to
this or that measure, will agree upon
a bill hat will DE acceptable to all
men who prefer to carry out the
Democratic platform than to see their
own bills or their own predictions
put into a statute. The Senate Con-
ference Committee is composed OF
Messrs. Daniel, of Halifax: Aycock, OF
Wayne; and Webb, OF Buncombe. The
House Committee is composed Of
Messrs. Manning, of Durham: Win
borne, of Hartford: and stevens, of
Union. They are among the ablest,
the most judicial. and most fair-mind-
ed men in both bodies. They may
have strong views as to the particular
rate that ought to be fixed and the
/ ~phraseology Of the bill. but they rec
ognize that there is difference Of opin-
ion as to these matters among honest
men in and out of the Legislature.
More than that: they recognize that
failure on the part Of this Legislature
to enact a measure of substantial re-
ductiOn will be q reputation of the
solemn pledge made by the dominant
party in its platform and by it's can
didatcs on every stump in the State.
They know the voters have long mem
cries n that failure to measure UP to
its promises would be justly regarded
as party perfidy and party dishonOr."
They are in close touch, too, with the
Legislators and the people. They will
make no concessions that would pass
a bill that would keep the promise to
lily Sdl ~ oiOoh II ~ liz l1opt, DuI
they are men who are willing to make
such concessions to the views of other
honest men as viii enable every mem
Der of his Legislature to keep his
pledge for rate reduction that re-
duces.
If the attempt to recall the bill to
the Senate had succeeded. the matter
would have been UP for interminable
discussion and before any other meas
ure could pass the Senate. the di-
visions and differences would have
been so great as to threaten all
legislation for passenger rate reduc-
ton. There are some men in the
Legislature who would be glad to see
all passenger reduction fail if they
could avoid the responsibility. but
they are in Il hopeless minority. Most
of the legislators are men who wish
TO give the people the relief promised
and to stand true to their pledges. And
these men cannot BE driven bv railroad
attorneys IN or out Of the Legislature
INTO voting against a conference re-