The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-04-09
Change IS NEEDED
SENATOR TILLMAK DISCUSS RAIL.
Road LAWS
Cites MILEAGE BOOKS

The Senator Regrets that the Gener-
al Assembly Did Not Give Him an
Opportunity to Press Charges He
Made Recently, Would Have
Shown Record Of Gov. Blease.
The following letter was received
from Senator Tillman Thursday
night:
Fellow citizens: have a grievance
and I want to tell you all about 1t
and ask you to exert your influence to
help correct it. 1t concerns every
citizen.
The night left Washington I
bought two mileage books over the
Southern Railway for my wife and
self. I paid $40 piece for them
two cents mile. They are inter-
changeable and can be exchanged for
tickets over fifty-fve railroads oper-
ating in the South. I exchanged this
mileage for tickets to Calhoun, South
Carolina, but I could not exchange it
for tickets from Anderson to Green
wood or from Greenwood to Colum-
bia. note On the inside Of the back
cover this condition: Coupons from
this book will not be accepted on
trains, nor on and after May l, 1912,
in exchange for tickets for a journey
wholly within the State of South Car
DINA The Southern Railway has
my $40 for these two books, and yet
I cannot use them in the State Of
South Carolina, I call this infamous
and downright robbery. Why? Be-
cause north of the Potomac and Ohio
rivers and westward to the Great
Plains each system Of roads like the
Southern sells mileage at two cents
per mile. No signature Of the pur-
chaser is required. One may use such
mileage to carry his whole family as
well as his neighbors and friends.
All the railroads want or require is
coupon for every mile travelled by
every passenger. Why this discrimi-
nation? Are the Northern people any
more civilized or better Christians or
citizens than the Southern people? l
DO not think anybody Inns 1t, but
all the same the people Of South Car
olina are treated as though they are
criminals and convicts? Why? Be-
cause they have not sense enough, it
seems, to elect men to the Legislature
to compel the railroads to treat them
fairly and Justly like the citizens OF
other states are treated.
Investigation will show that a
large number of the members of the
LEGISLATURE are lawyers in the employ
of the railroads. Many of them are
travelling On free passes in South
Carolina because the railroad rate
bill, which I engineered through the
United States Senate, expressly pro-
yides in terms that no free passes
shall be granted by the railroads, ex-
cept to their employees, "attorneys,'
etc. 1t is through this loophole that
the legislators who are yenal can be
debauched. In every Court House
town in the State some lawyer repre-
sents the railroads, sometimes more
than one, and these lawyers are often
elected to the Legislature. If a law
yer is elected to the Legislature who
is not already a railroad attorney, he
soon becomes one, if the railroads
want his vote.
Iwant it distinctly understood that
T am a friend of the railroads and
recognize their great function in ad-
vancing the welfare of any commun-
ity. But South Carolina has been
very liberal in dealing with these
| peorle and they have shown very lit
tie appreciation.
A great hurrah was made when
the legislature met and great lndlg-
nation was expressed in speeches In
the House of Representatives because
| I had criticised members of the Cen
eral Assembly about their subser-
viency tc the railroads. The House
passed the Rembert resolution de-
manding an explanation, and waited
patiently for the Senate to pass it
also in order that I might tell the
| people why made the charge. But
no opportunity came as the Senate
pigeon-holed it. I would have been
| glad to have shown the records from
the House and Senate journals of GER
tain men in South Carolina public
life, among them Governor Blease,
who cast the deciding vote on one
occasion which defeated the mileage
bill.
Now, fellow citizens, this is not
only wrong, but it is indecent. Sucn
corruption and cowardice ought not
to be tolerated by the people. A shak-
ing up is needed and some men retlr-
cd 70 private life to cogitate and pom
der over the fate Of those who betray
the trust the people have reposed IN
them. This is a day and time IN
which the masses are more aroused
than they have ever been in my lie
time. But while the people are VIDE
awake elsewhere, in South Carolina
they seem to be asleep or Indifferent
to their rights.
do not advocate or believe 1t IS
right to require the railroads to sell
interchangeable mileage, but each
system like the Southern. the Sea-
board, the Atlantic Coast Line, should
be compelled by law or by public
opinion or by whatever instrumental
ity is necessary to treat their South
ern patrons the same as they treat
their Northern patrons. If had the
same strength I once had I would
make it my special business to cam
paisn this State, county by county
|.