The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-05-21

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to prohibit him from proceeding witt
hearing of this suit, or the circui
attorney from prosecuting the came. 4
temporary writ was issued, returnablC
the latter part of this month. Then i
looked as if the railroads had the gov
ernor in a corner, and while they were
doubtless rejoicing over his discomfit
ure, they were attacked from another
and entirely unexpected quarter. At
torney General Eliot w. Major pre-
pared and filed quo warranto proceed.
ings against all the railroads doing
| business in the state in the Supreme
Courts He charged them with being
in an unlawful conspiracy to fix pas
senger rates, such as is forbidden
by the antitrust laws of the state,
and asking the court to either deprive
them of their charters and licenses or
impose heavy fines.
1t may be stated here that Governor
Hadley and Attorney General Major
are not good friends. The latter was
not consulted about the st. Louis suit,
although he was named in the Federal
injunction, but has since cleared him
self by testifying before Judge Nc
Pherson that he had nothing to do
with that action and does not intend
TO prosecute it in the future. This
satisfied Judge Mcpherson and the
attorney generals name was stricken
from those on the injunction list.
Two Cent Fare Still Charged.
And here matters rest at the pres
ent time. The railroads are still car
rying passengers at two cents per mile,
threatening daily to return
to higher rates. Governor Hadley is |
defiant and insists that the st. Louis |
suits will not be dismissed. He has
hopes that the state supreme court |
will dismiss the prohibition writ OBJ
tanned by the railroads, which would |
remove one insurmountable obstacle |
in the way of prosecuting these suits.
He fumes at the railroads almost daily,
and sometimes in private conversa-
ions he says things about the Federal
district courts that would not look
we'll in print He knows that they
amt commit him for contempt. A
strange man is Governor Hadley. He
S a straight Republican, and yet he is
he strongest supporter of states
lights in Missouri today. He talks
md writes and writes and talks on
his subject by the hour. Calhoun and
Nlgfall were not more set in their
Jews regarding states rights than is
Governor Hadley a native of Kansas
nd Republican of the strictest sect.
he railroads hate and fear him. Some
ines they laugh at him, although he
5 not man to be laughed at. Physlc-
lily he is but an infant, while intel
actually he is admitted by all to be
giant.
State Had Lost Freight Rate Case.
1t is now more than four years since ,
Governor Hadley came to this city
S attorney general of the state. Dur .
lg practically all that time he has
cen engaged in war with the rail
pads and other large corporations
he Stndard Oil company being :
mong the latter. His first war with
he railroads was over freight rates.
he legislature in 1903 passed what
as known as the maximum freight
lite law. This cut existing freight
ties down about twenty-five per cent. :,
f course the railroads resisted it
Of in the state; but in the Federal
'urts, again going to Kansas City
it'll an application for injunction
sainst the state board of railroad and
arehouse commissioners to prevent
em from putting into effect the new
hedules This the attorney general
sisted for two years, when the legis-
ture passed another maximum +
eight rate law and repeated the old
Ie. Again the railroads were ready
it'll an injunction from the Federal l.
urt at Kansas City This suit was =.
termined only recently, and again y,
e state lost, the court holding that q
e maximum freight rate law was
h
The state had appealed in all the H
its it lost in the Federal courts to o.
e United States supreme court, but
will perhaps be two years before g,
ey are decided. What the governor g
. trying to do meantime is to force
e railroads to maintain the two cent g
ssenger fare rates until these cases fl
g disposed of on appeal. They say tt