The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-07

than in running trains safely and car
rying Passengers and transporting
freight.
The Louisville and Nashville rail
road Is the New York, New Haven ana
Hartford railroad of the south. It's de
nance of public opinion. it's attempts tt
control government. directing legisla.
lures and coereing public officials are
starting It on the toboggan. It's stocA
| that sold on September 3. 1912, at 1921
TO l641a sold Wednesday for 131 " j
II continues to oppose giving its pat.
fons the benefit of 21s -eent farl
when other railroads in Tennessee AM
adjoining states are making money il
charging 2-cent and 21z -cent fares; n
fighting and defeating just Legislation
like the employers liability laws; IL
crushing out competition and spending
ITS stockholders money in campaigns
TO punish public officials who have
done their duty; to defeat franchises
Tor other roads. to employ counsel Z
invoke the aid of courts: to deprive
such railroads of bounties that have
been given them to build into monop
olized territory and thus to bring finan
elal ruin to railroads and investment
that offers competition, history will
repeat itself in placing the Louisviile
and Nashville in the same position be-
fore investors and the public that the
X,
occupies today.
Tennessee has always and will al
ways be. not only friendly, but CO..
dial to investment in its boundaries
when that capital comes to obey and
not to make its laws. Tennessee needs
and viii welcome more railroads, pro-
yided they will not try to create mon
opoly, Will not tax their patrons sums
beyond profitable rates for the pur-
nose pnah1ip 10 int
lobby and legislative agents that harm
the railroad, and by their work only
please the vanity of egotism who hap
pen to be their temporary officials. Lei
every corporation in Tennessee and ev-
cry corporation that will come to Ten
nessee remember that they are created
by the law and are not creators of the
law, with powers to coerce the law
makers and direct the desires of the
lawgivers and there will be no antic-
ipation fight in Tennessee.
Should Welcome Probe
"If the Louisville and Nashville rail
way is no monopoly. has obeyed the law
and is performing the duties of a pub
lie servant and not the functions of a
potentate. as is contended. it should
welcome and court this Investigation
for 1T Will be of the greatest advan
tage to Ii and its stockholders because
1T VIII remove what would otherwise
be a popular misapprehension in the
minds of the people of Tennessee. Ii
the Louisville and Nashville railroad
has been and is guilty of the many
abuses. Determinations and extortions
of which 1t is accused. then this inves-
t1gation is properly necessary for the
people of Tennessee are entitled TO
know the facts, also that their .legis
lators both state and national may be
able to legislate intelligently, that these
abuses may cease and the Louisville
and Nashville become, as it should a
law abiding citizen.
This investigation means nothing
more or less than that there should be
light upon this question and it turns
on the pitiless light of publication upon
the ownership, methods and practices
of the Louisville and Nashville and its
allied companies