The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-03-04
RAPS LEGISLATURE
SENATOR THLAlAN TALKS OF
RAILROAD LEGISLATION.
Two.Cent Rate Unfair-Says Govern
or Bawled for it and the House
Voted it With No Exemption.

voted II Win NO E4empt1ou.
Senator B. R. Tillman; who arrived
at Greenwood Friday from Atlanta
where he has been since his appear
ance at the asylum investigation In
Columbia, gave out this statement
that afternoon:
"I have just returned from At
lanta, where I have been for the ben
eft of my wife's health principally,
and incidentally, of my own. The
rest has done US both lots OF good.
shall return to Washington as soon
as possible, but want to go by home
to plant my vegetable garden before
leaving the State.
"I have tried as best I could since
the legislature met to keep in touch
with what it has been doing, but the
two things which have interested me
most are the asylum investigation
and the two-cent fat rate for rail-
roads. want to say something about
this latter for the benefit of my fel-
low citizens. I am not very hopeful,
however, Of it having any effect
whatever on the legislature, because
1t is perhaps too late; but I can see
the ear marks of the railroad lobby.
One branch of the general assembly,
the House, has passed the fat rate,
without making any 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 Is or 20 in the State,
with only one or two passenger trains
a 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 to have
been amended in the House to pro-
vide for the exemptions that are nec-
essary if the law is to be just one.
But notice that there is an effort
in the Senate to kill the bill on 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
their constituents, the people, amend
the bill so as to make it reasonable
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 within the
State? Why is not the railroad COM
mission given power, if any more be
needed than it already has, to regu-
late this matter of exemption? How
long will railroad attorneys, inside
and outside of both branches Of the
general assembly, be permitted to
manipulate our law making machin-
cry in the interests Of the railroads
and to the detriment Of the travelling
public7
81 have not kept up with the de-
bates and do not know what names
to specify, but unless my health fails
or quits improving my purpose Is to
investigate the journals OF both the
Senate and the House and see who is
to blame for this condition OF affairs
and so help me God, will let the
people know who are their faithful
servants and who are traitors to their
interests before the next primary.
~ can not make any speeches on
the stump or anywhere else, but
can dictate to a steaographer and
sign what I write in that way. 1t
makes me sick, old and decrepid as
am, to see how cunning and subtle
and unscrupulous the railroad lobby
lists are, and how cowardly and cor
rupt the peoples servants are oecom-
ing, how the people are bamooozled
and are being debauched by dema-
gogues high and low.
'The governor bawls for cent
rate and the House votes 1t, tat'
without any exemption, and his con-
science is clear. He knows, as well
as I do, that a 2-cent fat rate IS not
right and every sensible man in the
State knows it is not right to allow
the long and rich roads like the
Southern, Seaboard and Atlantic
Coast Line, to do as they are now do
ing and will continue to do until the
neople arouse themselves and hold
their servants to account"