Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1915-10-29
AFTER THE RAILROADS, FOR WHOM

CURED 10 Dear nclT smart u III DunlltbsuepItbbloh,
Assistant Attorney General George II. Ethridge of
Mississippi today appealed to the Supreme Court to
require the Mobile and OhoRailroadCompany to res
tore local trains formerly run between Waynesboro
and OkOlona.
issippi recently enjoined the State Railroad Commits
sion from enforcing an order requiring the road to
restore these trains just taken off.
"'l submit, !" said the Assistant Attorney Cen
eral in a brief filed today, that the court should not
be influenced in this case by the fact. if it be a fact,
that the country is suffering a temporary loss due TO
war and other conditions that are not permanent in
their nature. The railroad company should be re-
quired to take it's share Of the loss and depressios
growing out Of the unusual conditions in Common
with the other businesses of the community.
III the operation Of the facilities require an ad-
dition to its rates, the railroad is entitled to raise its
rates. 1t cannot withdraw it's services from the pub
That may make good reading for some of the
home town (Mcridian) constituents of the dstin.
guishcd Assistant Attorney General of Mississippi,
out it does not, it appears to the BEACON, appeal
strongly to the intelligence and sense of Justice of a
people who love fair, play and believe in square. play.
AS a literary effort, INDUCED to obscure the
persons whose opinions and actions are based more
on prejudice than upon truth fairly presented, it
may pass muster-mustcr for home consumption 49,
but rs an argument addressed to the Supreme Court
of the leading Republic of the earth, it strikes us as
being more like the academic effort of a tyro at law
than the semitic presentation of IN important caus,
by "a trained attorncy. familiar with the undcrlyin,
principles upon which the Goth century jurisprud
cncc rests.
In other words, it smacks more of the dogmatio
confidence and ebullient enthus a'm of n saphcad
than of the utterance of a sage who knows the 'Oc
casions and causes why and wherefore in all things"
of which he ventures an ODiniOn.
Think of it!
TO suggest to the learned justices, officially at
the head of their profession in the United States,
the proposition that in a time of Temporary loss
due to war and other conditions that are not pcrma
nent in their nature the ia abroad company should be
required to take its share of the loss and depression,
growing out of the unusual conditions, in common
with the other businesses of the community as
though that august tribunal stood in need of such
information and admonition, borders upon contempt
for it's knowledge of law and the proprieties.
If it were not silly, it would be impertinent; and
being as it is, it simply is asinine.
The truth of the proposition is so plain it is
nowhere denied, and the most supersanguine simple
ton. permitted to 60 abroad unattended by a care
taker and guardian really ought to know better than
to indulge in such a work of supererogation.
The remedy suggested in the closing paragraph
Gin view of the source whence it cminatcs) as a prac,
tical solution of the railroads. troubles is, if any
thing, qmte as absurd as the sapient hint to the
court of last resort.
For were the railroad company to put the dis,
continued trains again into operation and then, in
order to recoup the loss their operation would cause
in the effort to give satisfactory service to the AS,
sistant Attorney General and the appellants he rep.
rcsents, were then to find it necessary to raise its
rates to meet the loss required by the operation of
the facilities, the railroad commission of Mississippi
would at the behest of these same appellants, in
stantly take such decisive steps rs the commission
might deem essential to force the railroad company
to reduce its rate to the former level.
And it would be done promptly to meet the
wishes and demands of the very class upon whose
complaint the Attorney General is now acting.
'If the operation of the facilities require an adj.
dition to its rates, the railroad is entitled to raise its
rates. says our oracular Assistant Attorney Gen.
cral; but he knows well enough, and so does every
one else, that even though as a matter of theory and
abstract Justice the railroads are entitled in such
case to raise their rates, they, rs Il matter of fact,
are powerleSs to do so without inviting a fierce suit
at law; for the rate making power is practically il
the hands of the railroad commisSion-and that body
as at present constituted, would no more consent t
a raise in rates in the case, as suggested by Mr.
E.hridge, than they would attempt to fly to thu
moon; and, in their contention, Opposing such a raise
every one knows they would no where receive NOR,
active, vociferous backing than in the Mississippi
Attorney Generals office.
That office Seems to be blind to every color save
that that best reflects the passion and prejudices o
the voters who control the Democratic primary cleo
tionS in Mississippi.
Let us consider for q I moment things as they il
.Yath and in fact, are