The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-12-24
MIR. THOMrs ABSURD CHARGE OF
CONSPIRACY"

&oN
Mr.. Alfred 2. Thorn. counsel in chic
for the Southern Railway. seems 10 b.
afflicted with a sort OF sciauca tina
axe him now and then jump up il
a paroxysm OF pain and say thing
u~nbecoming an otherwise lucid intel
lect and jovial nature. There is ne
other reasonable explanation OF Mr.
Thom's outbreaks. for he is altogether
too able a ma TO have reached tht
egoistic conclusion that barring him
seIf-tne remainder OF the world arr
ooIs. Yet that is what the disjointed
contemplation of some Of Mr.. Thorn;
astounding mental attitudes must inc
Titably lea TO. Here is. his latest
illumination, addressed Tot TO a mere
legislature. not TO an indulgent master
in ~chancery, not, even. TO the eruditior
of the Asheville Judge-but 70 the Su-
preme Court OF the United States. We
quote from Mr.. Fences Washington
letter anent the argument in the rate
bill habeas corpus cases:
In his speech today, Mr.. Thorn
arraigned the courts and the state
officials Of North Carolina. He
charged that there was a cOmbin-
alton between the judiciary, the
executive and the legislature 10
compel the railroad to get out OF
the Federal courts, this. too, in
spite of the understanding volun-
tarily reached TIVE the Gov
ernor and officials of the rail
oad Mr.. Thorn also grew elo-
quent about the injustice prac-
ticpd nv the state courts He
spoke much of the 'confiscation'
and prejudice against rail
roads and declared hat if the
penalties imposed in the Ashe-
vile case were followed to a final
ity, the terms of imprisonment
would mount to three million
years and the fines to seven hum
dred and fifty million dollars"
Apart from its acerbity there are
several objections to this node Of JUS
tice of the Peace oratory before the
highest appellate court. In the first
place none of it is remotely true. Wher
place none OF it is remotely true. Where
is the evidence of any conspiracy in
North Carolina between Governor
Glenn, the Legislature and the Judi
ciary to keep the railroads out of the
Federal Courts? To be true it is the
opinion Of the State authorities. from
the expressed act of the Legislature
to the undivided opinion Of h North
Carolina Supreme Court, that they
have no right there in the initial
stages of a litigation to test the con
sti~tutionaiity of an act. Buff there
had been any "combination"-it has
of a surety failed ANONYMOUSLY.
Judge Long refused to be bull-dozed
and lined agent Green and the South
ern RailWay-and the State Supreme
Court relieved h master while it en-
dorsed the punishment Of the ~servant.
In the Asheville cases the Southern
had its Federal Court on tap and ha-
beaS corpus Writs issued against the
city court as fast as the latter made
arrests. Since the Southern and the
Atlantic Goa Line concluded that the
risk of fighting was too great and
made an agreement with the Governor
to put the rates into effect there has
not beer an arrest or an Indictment
found for the countless violations of
law which Mr.. HON now pirates about
amounting in the aggregate to three
millions years imprisonment and
$3.50, 000, 600 in fines. The case upon
the injunction of Judge Pritchard has
continued to be heard before the Mas
ter appointed by him; the State has
been limited in it's investigation and
analysis OF the very books relied upon
by the railroad to make out it's case
and SO hampered that at one time
there were many Of the Wisest men
in the State who say in an extra ses-
sion of the Legislature the only solu-
ton of an intolerable and offensive
condition. Yet the case has gone on,
the only North Carolina appellate de-
cision has held with the railroad and
now Mr.. Thorn lends himself to invec-
tive before the Supreme Court, charg-
ing from old habit that trinity of
complaints, "confiscation,' Coercion
and prejudice. ITO every man in North
Carolina who has watched the prog
marks are extensively untrue; to the
Supreme Court they ought to be in
sulting, since the matter under inves-
tigation by it is not to be determined
by the abusive assertion of counsel
but by the law upon the facts.
AS for Mr.. Thorn, let it be repeated
that these attacks must be in the ma
ture of symptoms OF a disease. He
has a temperament that changes with
the sWiftnesS of a chameleon's colors.
At one he is in a blaze: at the
next as calmly rosy as an apple. With
him the sunshine and the shower. the
sky and the cloud are so mixed in
alienation that one has scarcely time
to lower his umbrella to keep up with
his MOODS. Much is permitted genius
and in Mr.. ThOm's case it demands
its rights. But he should remember
that those who have bean fawned
upon oraturically object-even meta
phorically-to being kicked; and that
a people who "a look flattery in the
mouth and appreciate its value are
also capable Of judging the insult that
follows il. At the same time those
who have INDUCED Mr.. Thorn are not
therefore incapable of judging MIN.
Mr.. Thorn talks a great lea at
times about prejudice" For every