Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1913-06-12

ask of you is to accord the people
cf North Carolina the very same
terms that you have accorded to
the people of Virginia, Georgia
and South Carolina. We wish to
be treated with equal justice-that
is all. We do not come to you to
beg justice; we come to you and
demand of you justice and we tell
you that we are going to have
Justice and will have nothing less
than justice and want nothing
more. Phappened to be in Wash
ington the other day at a meeting
of the common carriers. / did.
not participate in that conference,
but / would be always glad to
participate in any conference
looking to the peaceful settlement
of this matter. We do not want
war but we had rather have war
than an ignominious peace. It
would be ignominious in the peo-
pie Of North Carolina to submit to
the conditions that have existed in
this state for more than twenty
years. They tell us Why if you
are dissatisfied with the freight
rates of North Carolina with the
treatment accorded you, this gov
eminent has provided a tribunal
to which you can appeal, it is open
TO you, present your claims. My
friends, in reply to that, waving
for the moment that they them
selves have cloged the docket of
this great court to which they
would have us appeal in which
they themselves have fled five
thousand cases so that the people.
of North Carolina can get no hear
ing, waving that for the moment,
I say that if the interstate com
merce commission were to decree
that North Carolina should con-
tinue to pay a tribute upon her
commerce greater than any other
state, then North Carolina ought
no. to submit to it. Why wait
for a decision in a tribunal whose
docket is congested by their ac-
tons, when if the decision of that
tribunal is, against us it will not
be the end of the matter with us.
We have put our hands to the
pillow in the fight and we will not
turn back. The people of North
Carolina have been aroused; they
have. seen this wrong and they
never intend to stop this contest
until we have won justice for our
selves and for our children. / say
that any other course hN the peo-
pie of North Carolina would be
an ignominious course. We are
proud of our forefathers, but our
children will have no right to be
proud of us in the light of our
submission to railroad injustices.
We would rather that justice
should come to all the people by
an equitable adjustment of freight
rates that we ask but if the rail-
reads will not concede to us that
simple honest justice; if the rail
roads will not act upon the alb
stract principle of equal rights to
all and special privileges to none
if they continue to take from
North Carolina the tribute of five
millions of dollars a year in order
that they may turn our earnings
to. the people Of other states and
pile up as a surplus in their treas
ury, then we must see to it that
some method is arrived at by JUS
ties and within the sanction of
law by which we will take from
them for the benefit of North Car
DINA this money that they have
wrongfully taken from us. Eel
low citizens, it can be done. They
invite us to appeal to their tribu-
nal, not to theirs -, [ take that
oacK, cast no reHect1On upon tne
interstate commerce commission.
We appeal to the great final high
tribunal of the people of North
Carolina. You may take our.
money if you will you may defy
the sense of right; you may con-
tlnue- to reach down in the peck
cts of the toilers OF this state and
take the earnings of the laborers;
you may destroy our industries,
but we will take back from you
for the benefit of North Carolina
this money and take it by the
highest law, by the sanction of the
constitution. We will take back
until they find it is easier to do
than it is to do wrong. I
say that submission to this wrong