The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1914-02-24
TALKS OF LEGISLATION
h. r. TiIiman Stops at Greenwood
The Passenger
Rate.

Greenwood. Feb. 21.- Senator &. R.
Tilman, who arrived here today
from Atlanta. where he has been since
his appearance at tae asylum iAves-
tigatioa in Columbia, gave out this
statement this afternoon:
Z have just returned from Atlanta,
where I have been for the benefit
OF my wifes health principally, and
incidentally. Of my own The rest
mas done US both lots Of good.
shall return to Washington as soon as
possible but want to go by home to
p!asc my vegetable garden before
leaving the State.
Il have tried as best l could since
the legislature met to keep in touch
with what it has been doing, but the
TWO things which nave interested me
most are the asylum investigation
and the cent fiat rate for railroads
l want to say something about this
latter for tne benefit Of my fellow
citizens. I am not very hopeful,
however, of it having any effect what
ever Ga the legislature, because it is
perhaps too late; but l can see the
ear marks of the railroad lobby. One |
branch of the general assembly, the
house, has passed the fat rate, with
out making exceptions.
This is unjust and never ought to
have been done. 1t is not right to
compel the short poor roads, of
which there are 10 or 20 in this State,
with only one or two passenger trains
day and these with very inferior
cars, to carry passengers at 2 cents
per mile 1t should not have been
thought of and the bill ought tg have /
been amended in the house to pro-
vide for the exemptions that are nee
essary if the law is to be a just one.
But | notice tnat there is an effort /
in the senate to kill the bill oc ac-
count OF these exemptions not hav-
Ing been made, and every device and
parliamentary trick is being employ
ed to accomplish this result Why
don't the senators who want to serve
1Eeir constituents, the people, amend Il
the bill so as to make it reasonable i
and just and send it back to the
house instead Of killing it and doing
nothing as the railroads want them.
to do?
why do not the legislators look
after the rights and privileges of
those who have bought railroad
mileage over the through lines, but
can not use it in South Carolina at all
from point to point witain the State?
Why is not the railroad commission
given power, if any more be needed 4
than it already has, to regulate this 1
matter of exemption? How long Will
railroad attorneys, inside a2d outside
OF both branches of the general as
sembly, be permitted to manipulate
our law making machinery in the in
terests of the railroads and to the
detriment of the travelling public?
81 have not kept up with the
debates and do not know what names
to specify, but unless my health fails
or quits improving my purpose is to
Investigate tie journals of both the
senate and the house and see who |
is to blame for this condition of af- !
fairs, and so help me God, will let |
the people know who are their faith
full servants and who are traitors to
their interests before the next pri-
mary
81 can not make any speeches on the
stump or anyhere else, but can
dictate to a stenog-aph and sign |
what write in taat way. 1t makes
me sick, old and decrepid as l am, to
see how cunning and subtle and un-
scrupulous the railroad lobbyists are,
and now cowardly and corrupt the
peoples servants are becoming, how
the people are bamboozled and are
being debauched by demagogues high
and loy.
"The governor bawls for ? cent
rate and the house votes it, fat, with
out any exemption, and his conscience
is clear He knows, as we'll as
do. that a cent fat rate is not right
and every sensible man in the State
knows tits not right to ALLOW the long