Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1907-07-31
GOV. GLENN ADDRESSES THE PUBLIC.
He Reviews the Rate Trouble. He says
the Law is Supreme and Must be
COMPLIED with.

ZIG Law 10 OuPI6Il0 u"u "uVt wv
Complied with.
The Charlotte Observers
Raleigh correspondent of Monday
says:
Governor Glenn today issued
the following letter to the public,
in compliance with his statement
made last Saturday afternoon
and the argument between him.
self and the Southern and At
lantic Coast Line Railways:
"lhe General Assembly at It's
last session passed a law regulat-
ing passenger rate, the same to go
into effect July LIST, 1907. Before
that date the Southern and At
lantic Coast Line Railway through
the Circuit Court Of the United
States enjoined the corporation
commission and the Attorney
General from publishing and put
ting the fixed rates into effect.
Not believing that the Circuit
Court judge in an equity suit by
enjoining the corporation COM
mittee and the ATTORNEY General
could prevent a self-acting law
from going into effect, I COM
menced to prepare a letter to the
Judges and an address to the peo-
pie, when on the 9Th of July,
1907, the Hon, B. F. Long, one of
the ablest and most conscientious
judges in the State, of his own
motion fastened action by boldly
and ably charging the grand jury
of Wake county that it was it's
duty to Immediately indict the
railroads for violating the rate
law. At once I assured Judge
Long of my hearty approval Of
his righteous stand and of my in
tention to assist him in uphold
ing the law. My letter was for
warded to tho other judges and in
dictmeuts We're made in Wake
and other counties. Many penal
ty suits were also commenced
againse the railroads by private
individuals. The railroad then
applied to the Circuit Court to
enjoin all private persons from
bringing penalty suits, and to take
the persons arrested and convicted
in the State court from the officers
of that court by writ of habeas
corpus to the Federal court.
Believing this was not war
ranted by the constition and laws,
1 resisted it in every legal way;
directed the States attorney to
appeal from such action, and re-
quested the State court to con-
tinue to enforce the law. This
brought about a direct conflict be-
tween the State and Federal
court. a matter that I regretted
but could not under my oath
avoid. At this crisis, Assistant
Attorney General Sanford, repre-.
%senting the Department of Justice
at Washington, came to see me
to try 10 adjust all differences. I
told him that under the constitu-
ton I could not and would not
attempt to annul the State law,
but if the railroads would obey
the law and let it go immediately
into effect, all minor details could
be adjusted. At his request 1
put my ultimatum in writing and
published it. Nothing was to be
done unless the railroads immedi-
ately recognized the law. After
some debate and arrangement of
minor details the railroads &C
copied the States proposition,
the rate law to become effective
August 9Th "a few days being
given to change tickets, etc, }
certain cases to be carried to the
Supreme court for final determi-
nation, and in the meantime the
railroads to request the circuit
Judge to commence no contempt
proceedings, and I to ask the
Judges and solicitors to COM
mence no more indictments and
mol pros those on their docket, ex-
cept the two from which appeals
we're taken, and to request the
people not to commence any
penalty suits In compliance
with my agreement, the law
being fully recognized and obeyel
by the railroad, [ do most earnest
ly request all judges to stop-all
new indictments and to mol pros
L ll 1911 -