The gold leaf., 1908-01-09
"A Railroad Smitten. "

Commenting OH the Seaboard AIR
Line recefvership and the railroad
rate war" in some OF the Souther
States. the Washington Post OF last
Friday said this under the above
heading:
The >Seaboard Air Line has gone
into the hands OF receivers ana there
must be rejoicing going on III certain
Uubernatorial mansions Of the South.
A govcruor Of North Carolina once
remarked to a governor OF Sonth
Carolina that it was n long time be-
tween drinks, but now the present
governor may invite his brother III
arms, the governor OF Alabama, over
for round OF eggnOggs, and there
need be no occasion for long time
between drinks now.
Flow on, We fOamiDg bowls; flow
faster yet and faster. Let mlrth be
wild and Joy be unconfined. For an
octopus is PROSTATE; knocked in the
head with q simple little rate law
One OF those huge, gra9ping monsters
whose tentacles thrust ont like vam-
pires' fanps to suck the peoples blood
has been smitten. Give thanks, ye
cotton planters all, and sing the
praises of your champion. Shout for
iov. We weavers of cloth whose money
and energy helped make North Caro-
lima the second state i'll the union In
the manufacture of cotton goods.
For your dragon, he who breathed
out the smoke and fire OF industry as
he carried your goods out to the
world and brought you back your
money, is laid low
1t was q valOrous deed i'll truth;
but there are still d few more rail-
roads left in the South, and the good
work must 90 on. just little more
efforts Just little hotter spur, and a
little keener lance, and perhaps some
doughty hunter mny bag another
one. And now is an excellent time tC
do it. We have Just gotten over a
money stringency. 1t was Il tight
place, a dangerous ford to pass, apd
the railroads, as well as the people
are still breathing hard with the eX
ertion it took to get them safely
over it. SO, while both the country
and its resources are recovering, while
everything is in the convalescen'
stage, and without its full strength
it is good time to strike.
For more than Il score OF year
after the war of 81 the South Ia,
PROSTATE and poor. There were no
sufficient railroads, and hence ther
were not sufficient means for trans
porting the crops of the fertile sol
nor for bringing back to the South
people the commodities of the world
But capital went South and invested
in railroads. 1T covered them with I
netw Ork, and in less than decad
the Southern States entered upon al
era of prosperity such as they lla.
never before known, even in slavery
palmiest days, and that era has ru
to this day. But now the railroad
have become OctOpusAs. They dt
mand sufficient return for hauling
freight and passengers to pay lnteres
on the money invested in then
Therefore, they must be stamped ont
Never mind if crops rot and mills Ii
idle, while prosperity takes it's fiigl
to other lands. The railroads ar
octopuses, and they must 90.
Gentlemen of North Carolina, "
congratulate you. By all means kee
up the good work; you may land al
other railroad shortly. 1t is Il goo
time now; an excellent time. 1t Wi
restore public credit, public faith, an
money to the people who need thes
things We wish you well.
..Itrust this may be read by many suffere