The semi-weekly messenger., 1908-02-04

2Sth as the date OF election. the house
having changed this TO April 30th- The
senate today made Jet another change
to May 18th, and also adopted sA
amendment allowing persons 70 make
and sell as much cider as they please
from fruits grown on their farms Tia
bill goes back to the house for soa-
eurrenee.
Senator Reds antitrust bin came
up with an unfavorabie committee re-
port. Reid declared he wanted 70 give
the senate an opportunity 10 correct
the great mistake the legislature made
this year by It's falling TO enact m
effective law The bill was tabled -
TO 15.
A resolution was introduced instruct :
ing Governor Glenn not TO accept from
the Southern railway s17,500 70 be
used towards the expense Of the extra
session, but leaving in his hands it's
acceptance for paying the attorneys
fees and other costs Of the passenger
litigation in the federal courts. The
ton until the house acts on the rate
bill.
Night Session of House.
The house devoted it's session to
discussion of the passenger rate bill.
The senate bill passed last night came
over, Speaker Justice asked that the
part of it differing from the house
bills be read, this being Buxton's
amendment placing control Of roads
in the hands of the corporation COM
mission after the 10th of next January,
Mr.. Beckett saying he was not in favor
of the senate bill but in order to bring
it before the house, offered it as a sub
stitute.
Mr.. Justice then made the notable
speech of the session, his connection
with the rate litigation giving him
special prominence and intense inter-
est to the house, lobbies and packed
galleries. He said never had the
states rights question been more deep
ly involved than in this matter and
he felt very deeply the gravity of it.
Too much Importance had been given
the commercial side Of things in the
presence of this great and overshad-
owing fundamental principle.
Over a century ago the United States
Georgia, decided a nonresident could
sue a state, but the constitution OF
1893 contained a provision based upon
a great opinion rendered by Justice
Iredell, of North Carolina, that no cit
izen of any state could bring suit
against a sovereign state. That JUS
tice declared there was no principle
in a quarter Of a cent mile but there
was a principle as to who should say
what that fare should be. All the
the states right to control corporations
operating under its license
Attorney Thorn, of the Southern,
was the only railroad representative
who acted up to his assurance that the
road was anxious to get out of poll
tics. Railroads ought to be honest
and tell their employees the North
Carolina legislature has nothing to
do with wage reduction or employees
discharges.
Mr.. Justice differed with Governor
Glenn, but had the very highest regard
for the governors opinion and would
allow no one unrebuked to question
of Mr. Glenn's motives
The state points directly back to
the federal courts He gave solemn
warnings against giving the corpora
ton commission control of roads, say
ing by this slight excuse Judge Pritch-
ard jumped over the eleventh amend
ment, tied the hands of a state Judge
corpus and turned loose violaters of
the states criminal law. 1t was not
long after the arrest of President Fin
ley, of the Southern, before the rail-
roads listened to the proposition to
obey North Cardinals laws and put
on reduced rates.
He begged the legislature not to
leave this club of federal interference
in the hands of the railroads. 1t would
keep this matter in politics and put
premium upon railroad interference
in North Cardinals domestic affairs.
The legislature passed almost unani-
mously a bill validating the marriage
OF Joseph Ridenhour to Mrs. H. c.
Doris two years ago in Rowan coun-
ty. Sensational story developed in the
debate. The woman's husband, Doris,
left North Carolina over four years
ago under cloudy circumstances. When
he had been absent three years, re-
ports came to her that he had been
drowned in the far west, Sometimes
after she married RidenhOur. Now
there is a child some months old.
Doris recently returned without no.
tice, went to his old home and found
his wife married, realized the circum-
stances and left the state forever with