Fitzgerald enterprise. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1895-1912, 1908-08-01


a Democrat and vote the Democratic ticket, sup
port the Democratic candidates. But for such pi
rates as Tom Watson, self seeking and ambitious
to rule we would have no Populist in the South.
It is the duty of every southern width man tt
stand soIidly by the great white mans party unit
the race question is so far settled that the negro
completely eliminated from politics.
Pull Fitzgerald Pull Out
Judge Emory Speer is again in the Linn
Light He is great for the lime light and great il
the lime light The railroad world has its ey
focused on him at his summer home at Noun
Airy and the attorneys for the lines south of tn
Ohio and east of the Mississippi figuring on hi
recent ruling in which he claims jurisdiction i
the railroad rate case and issued a temporary IN
junction against the roads. 1t is stated that man
private cars from every part of the South hav
been to Mount Airy with the leading counsel Q
many railroad companies.
''Those two great railway systems, the South
ern and the louisville & Nashville, have evil
IDENTIFY prepared to do battle on the basis mer-
it's of the case. Their purpose is evidently to
test for once and all the validity of the advance
they have seen fit to inaugurate on shipments
of flour, grain and other commodities of life,
and it is believed with good reasons that other
railway systems thruOut the union are watch
ing the outcome ofthis test with eager interest.
For upon this outcome doubtless rests the rate
making policies of the railroads at large.
EBriefy the issue on the case is this: The
railroads composing what is known as the
Southeastern Freight association had decreed
an advance raging from 2 cents to cents per
100 pounds on shipments of flour, grain, meat
and other food products from western points
into Georgia This advance is scheduled to
become effective next Saturday, August 1st
The railroads chiefly concerned are the N. c.
and st. L., the L. and N, the Southern and
the Cincinnati New Orleans and Texas Pacific
''They offer as pretext for the advance in
rates the alleged fact that recent hard times
together with increase in the cost of labor and
operation makes the advance necessary. The
complaints contend on the other hand, that
temporary financial depression should not be
seized upon as pretext for and advance in
rates that will stand even when normal condi-
lions return.
sDuring times of prosperity declare the COM
paintants, the roads claimed the right to adj
vance freight rates on the ground that they
were entitled to share the country's general
atfiuence but now they wish to advance them
in order to escape the country's general depres-
sion, like the satyr of Aesop's fables the
roads would blow hot, and cold with the same
breath, thus warming their own hands and
cooling their own soup.
'SThe cOmplainants contend Furthermore
that the methods by which Southeastern
Freight association agreed upon the proposed
increase in rates is conspiracy and is in re-
straint of competition and interstate trade had
the compliments contend finally that the pro
posed rates are within themselves unreasonable
and unjust. This was the general scope of ar
guement outlined by attorney General VIM
blish when he stated that the complainants
caused shortly after the court convened.
''The first wave on the part of the opposing
attorneys was the plea Of jurisdiction present
ed by Judge Ed Baxter, special counsel for all
the lines interested. Like pleas were filed by
Sanders Mcdaniel for the Southern and sthe
New Orleans and Texas Pacific, by j. L. Tye,
for the N. c, and st. L., and by George B. Ell
lott for the Atlantic Coast line for an hour.
Judge Baxter argued CnaG tne case was
without the jurisdiction of the Southern dis
trict of Georgia Following this the court took
brief recess.
'Attorney Edgar Watkins replied to the ar
gument of Judge Baxter and in a keen and
forceful analysis of the law contended that the
court did have the proper jurisdiction of the
case.
'The court held that it has jurisdiction. In
delivering his opinion on this issue Judge Speer
declared In Substance these roads cannot no,,