The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1907-08-01
Governors Ultimatum.
Railroads Must Obey the Laws No
Other Course Open to Them
Whereby Peace May be Secured
Governor Glenn States His Po-
sition and Will Do His Duty to
Enforce the Law.

Enforce the Law.
! On Monday Of last week when there
was something doing in. this State
over the railroad rate controversy
after the Indictment in Judge Long
court in Wake county. OF Ticket
Agent Green, OF the Southern Rail.
way, for violating the statute law in
selling tickets at a higher rate than
~ cents after the first day OF July,
his arrest and Imprisonment, his sub
sequent fine and release, the impos-
ing of a $4,000 fine upon the South
ern Railway Company, and before
the arrest Saturday morning in
Asheville of President Finley, of the
Southern Railway, and the agree
ment arrived at later between the
State OF North Carolina and the OF
Tending railroad corporation, Gov.
Glenn gave out the following state
ment as telegraphed from Raleigh
under date of July 22nd. Notwith-
standing the matter has been salts
factorily adjusted and there is tenn
porary cessation OF the legal battle
that has ragged so fercely with Raj
eigh and Asheville as the storm cen
tres, as defining Gov. Glenn's posi-
ton this is published:
In an interview given out by Gov
ernOr Glenn he puts himself in a SEEM
ing fair and equitable position. He
says:
at is about what expected.
Upon the testimony there being no
evidence offered by the defendant to
show the rate was cOnfiscatOry and
therefore unconstitutional, the jury
was compelled to convict, and the
Judge was right in putting the fine on
the real offender and not the agent
who simply sold the ticket under
orders"
"What will be your future action?'
the governor was asked.
''That depends" he said, "on the
course pursued by the Southern and
Coast Line railroads. Ii they will ac-
quiesce in the law like the other
roads have done, then no further in
dictments will be made, but if they
persist in selling tickets at a higher
rate than ~ cents, ! will instruct the
States attorneys to aid the sOlici-
tors in sending new bills, and i'll pros
ecutlnG the same, until those rail
roads obey the law, or the courts OF
highest jurisdiction declare the rate
act unconstitutional.
'As | have before stated, | regret
this conflict; | want it settled, and
ii the railroads will withdraw their
attempted injunction, until the evil
dence is taken and the court passes
upon the cOnstitutionality of the act,
in the meantime selling tickets at the
rate fixed by the statute, will aid
them i'll Fastening the hearing of the
case, stopping all indictments and
asking all citizens to cease bringing
penalty suits. If, however, they re-
fuse to recognize the law, and us a
result fines, costs and odium at
taches to them; and their agents,
who persist i'll obeying them in def
ance of law, go to jail, they will have
no one but themselves to blame, as
the State is ready to stop, when the
law is Obeyed.
IL am not guilty of usurpation as
some railroad organs contend. in
thus trying to enforce Il violated law,
but simply as the executive officer
OF the State, executing the law, as
under the State Constitution and
laws | am compelled to do. My duty
is to see that all persons violating
the law are prosecuted. | am actu-
ally i'll II great many cases-as in
these-marked prosecutor, so wheth-
er it be i'll prosecuting alleged lynch
ers, as | am now doing in Union
county, or trying to stop railroads
from setting at naught the declared
will OF the people, through its legis-
lature, | intend, without needlessly
harassing individuals or railroads,
to try to enforce the laws now being
persistentlv and defantly violated
by these railroads."