Fitzgerald enterprise. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1895-1912, 1908-05-07
The Railroads and Hard Times.

With all fairness to the railroads for what
they have done for the upbuilding of the state of
Georgia and believing that many times they are
credited unjustly with violation of law and with
inscription we wish to call the peoples attention to
their part in the ''hard times" which have been
felt more or less during the past few months.
The claim is made that the railroads have
suffered greatly by legislation adverse to their in
terests. That it is this legislation that has made
it necessary for the railroads to take off trains, re-
duce crews, discontinue Improvements and SO
forth.
But let's see.
Haven't the railroads played great part in
the cause of the effect over which they lament?
Sometime ago they withdrew from the state their
deposits and placed in banks outside of Georgia
What part did that play in making the "times
hard" If an individual takes 800 and wraps it up
in sack and hidesit away he takes thatmuch money
out of circulation and thereby destroys the debt
paying power of $780,
If an Individual takes 500 out Of Georgia and
leaves 1T in South Carolina or Tennessee he takes
out of circulation in Georgia that much money and
destroys the debt daying power of 500 in Georgia.
See the point.
But you say: the railroads claim they had to
take their deposits out of Georgia on account OF
the garnishment law, and that this law is blame
able to the present administration. This is not
true for the garnishment laws of Georgia HAVE
NOT BEEN CHANGED SINCE 1866 and every
individual company or corporation is subject to
do 81 hi 10
Is the scheme plain enough to you!
Now the railroads take out of Georgia every
day approximately ONE HUNDRED AND FIF-
TY THOUSAND DOLLARS OF ONE MILLION
DOLLARS every week.
Now stop and think.
Is it clear enough yet?
No? Don't see the point?
Well if railroad needing coal at Bruins
wick deliberately deposited it at Chattanooga, and
then said they couldn't get trains thru Georgia be-
cause they could not make steam on their engines
what would you say!
That they were fools!
OF course but they are doing exactly the
same sort of thing by taking million dollars of
money out of Georgia every week and leaving it
outside the state.
But they are not fooIs-from their point of
view in aiding MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE
to bring on and keep up hard times
The people are fools for having let them ma
npuate courts and juries and legislators for so
long that they can do such things.
THE PEOPLE ARE PARTNERS IN
EVERY RAILROAD RUNNING THRUOUT
GEORGIA. They an interest in the roads
for having granted them franchises and rendering
them every assistance possible in aiding them to
build roads in Georgia And the people demand
and have the right to demand that the railroads
treat them fairly and justly
If the railroads had never played CROOKED"
with the people they would not be called upon to
defend themselves. But they have played crooked
some of them have robbed the men who made it
possible for them to exist.
The railroads are playing CROOKED now.
They are in the game and their opponents in
the game are the people, They know they can't
win honestly-so they are just playing crooked,
But, like the gambler detected with five aces
in his hand-they are on dangerous ground.
The gambler knows when he is caught that he
is in danger-the railroads have been caught in
their crooked deal and fighting for their lives.
Let the railroads ''act square, in Georgia and
other parts of the country aud in three months
there will be prosperity and plenty of it.
Let the railroads ''act square" and in three
months not enough men can be obtained to do the
work there is to do.
But they would rather play crooked-THERE
is MORE MONEY IN TT FOR A FEW