The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-06-29

"HHNHu ~ 81 Wy Ivy
notice sRa aItsr ai
iot wa
be thslr Aag upoa
ishe5 edsn ihs onrt las
al aatta Officers Io,al
pending he
imitation y me courts y its coasii
nonaiiy but the courts have prop
snioscd . EQUATION explained.
allow aud known as The coupon sss
tenn under which every passenger
Will be protected IN the event that,
this Arst decision under the law shall
BE- reversed.
All that the railroads are now dong
Fis toreestablish the Old rate and
orders have gone out tat the old rate
shan take effect on July first. If tile
decision Of Judge Burdet shall be up
held the coupons will amount to moth
Inc, but u that decision shall be re-
yersed every passenger can, without
litigation and without trouble, recover
his excess fare.
AS a whole West Vrginians are A
l~aw-ab!di1g people. In addition IT,
that they are progressive and do no!
want corporations to lose money III
prosecuting a work for the benefit Of
the public, All that they want to do
is to enforce fair and reasonable regu.
lations to punish determinations AMI
rebites and to prevent extortfon. Tic
public thoroughly understands that
the legislature OF West Virginia male
no Investigation as a basis for Dass.
ing tae two-cent rate law. Public
journals and prominent men, at tie
time the act was passed, warned tie
legislature that conditions in other
thickly populated States could not be
used as a basis for calculations III
West Virginia; but the Legislature,
for some reason, passed this expert.
mental legislation and no one Should
be surprised That, aN.er a two years
trial, the railroads should go to tie
courts for relief. and II the allegations
made by tae railroads be true there
can be no question on earth that tie.
Supreme Court Of the United States
will adhere to It's former decisions
and declare the law void.
The railroads are doing nothing
more than any Ordinary citizen under
like circumstances would do, and the
courts nave done nothing but follow
well established presidents. If thu
law is unconstitutional 1t should n9t
be enforced. If 1t costs more than
two cents q mile to haul passengers
in West Virginia. the sense Of Justice
of our people will uphold the courts
In declaring such a law void.
In putting into effect the rates that
were iq existence prior to the passage
ot the twocent law, the railroads arc
proceedIhg according to law and have
behind them the strong arm Of the
court nd the counts are proceeding
alesg wen beaten PATHS. It Is there.
she duty Or all good citizens il,
await the final deckion Of the Supreme
Court Of the State. possibly the 81.
prelne Court Of the United States, ami
men Whatever the final decision may
be, to scquIsce. In the meantime
the railroads have the right to restore
the old rate, and no prosecution To-,
doing SO can be begun. The In|uac.
ton protects the railroads and the
coupon system protects the passenge..
What - now happening in this state,
qas taken place in Pennsylvania, MIS-
sour, Illinois, North Carolina, virgiata
and other States; and It is to the
crealtof this State that the litigation
Is proceeding in an orderly way anil
That there is no effort to stir up feel.
ing, but a general acceptance Of tbe
situation as the law has made 4.
fa.|.Ha