Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1913-06-05

the New Haven and Boston q Maine
Railroad Companies, for q violation OF
the antitrust act, rests almost entire
ly upon the claim that these compa-
MES had already consolidated by
means OF stock ownership, and since
the community most directly affected
ls the State of Massachusetts, whose
laws now expressly authorize such
has determined to dismiss the Govern
ment's action"
In philippe eloquent in It's outburst
OF righteous wrath and cruel In It's
scorn, Robert La Toilette has made
a deathless memorial Of this, the
blacklist page in the whole history of
the State. and upon 1t forevermore
shall Draper and his allies tester In
the infamy Of years"
At the time when II was most need
ed by those demanding 1t, amidst the
confusion attendant upon the closing
hours Of a legislative session, acts
which make the loathed statutes OF
Utah and Massachusetts look white as
milk, we're presented to John Crepps
Wickliffe Beckham, then Governor of
Kentucky, for his official sanction, and
1t was given under circumstances
which would have rendered his veto
absolute, and his power to protect q
plundered people plenary and com
plete.
Now, somebody managed to get hold
of very bad law and 80 doctor 1t as
to make 1t infinitely worse. In It's
state of original sin 1t provided for
the holding of stock In one railroad
company by another. 1t was 80
amended as to provide that any COM
pany may purchase the property
and franchises of any other railroad
company at public or private sale, not
competing or parallel line, and may
sell It's franchises and property to any
other company not a competing or
parallel line; or otherwise prohibited
by law to purchase" The competing
line" clause had to be inserted or the
whole section would have been uncon-
stitutional.
Flushed with their success in secur-
ing the approval of this act, another
and still more Objectionable measure
was, within four days thereafter, pre-
scented to the Governor for his sigma
ture. Somebody seems TO have ran
sacked every statute. clothing any
kind of corporation with the perilous
powers of consolidation or of stock
manipulation, and to have inserted
therein all kinds OF pernicious provi-
sions, and to have widened their scope
SO as to make them applicable to any
old corporation, anywhere In the Unit
ed States, and then to have served
the whole heterogeneous mass up to
this now accomplished corporation
counsel for his official approval.
Section 300 Of the Statutes, which
formerly applied to corporations organ
ICED under the laws of this State, was
so amended as to cover any such con-
Germs, whether organized under the
laws of this or any other State.
Section $50 defining the rights and
liabilities Of a consolidated corpora
ton was SO amended as TO invest 1t
with all "the rights, privileges. fran
chises and exemptions" Of the constit-
uent corporations, and to kindly e1-
empt such corporations from paying
any organization tax In any divers
and sundry contingencies.
Section ITO was, In the same bill.
dressed up in such way that II its
legislative daddy ever sees 1t again
he will never recognize It. In Its orig
inal and comparatively innocent state
Il provided that any two or more CON-
panies organized under this chapter or
the laws of this State may
consolidate in a single company, etc.
When, however on this significant
21st day of March, 1902, it was en-
tellished with the Governors John
Hancock" it read as follows;
ANY two or more railroad colnpa-
MES organized under this chapter OF
the laws of this or any other State
may consolidate into a single com
pany," etc.
Now, whoever prepared this mess
for the Governor ought to have had
the respect for appearances, the com
mon decency to have led him up TO II
with a blind bride, but he didn't
They took the blinkers off and showed
him Just what was wanted, who want
ed it and when they wanted it. This
insolent enactment sent out a hurry
call when it left the General Assembly
and flew a signal of distress in the
face OF the Governor. 1t provided
that for the reason THAT there are
various enterprises Vi 6lSdt PubliN III
portance awaiting the authority con-
ferred by this act, an emergency is
hereby declared, and this act shall
take effect from and after its adop-
ton"
Now | would like to have Governor
Beckham take US into his confidence
and tell US who told him about the
public Importance Of doing that very
reprehensible thing, right quick. /
can tell him about the private impor-
lance of authorizing certain great con
Germs to dispose OF their stock, Their
rights, privileges, franchises and ex-
emptions" without delay-his great
and munifcent benefactor, the l.. 4
n. Railroad Company had its tail in
crack right then. and was in sore
need OF the powerful aid OF a willing
Governor in hypothecating its stock
and In selling its rights, privileges,
franchises and exemptions" at that
very moment. And 1t did Immediately
thereafter deliver them to the most
powerful and pernicious transporta-
ton trust on the face Of the earth.