The home journal., August 27, 1884, SUPPLEMENT, Image 6

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SUPPLEMENT.
Tiik people should turn out to hear
the eloquent Bate wherever he goes.
Bat will be more than a match for
Kplfl fin fho utnmn ma.k !...
- - - - uiaift mill.
Democrats, whether sky blue, low
tax, or what not, stop wrangling fall
into line and let's give it to our com
mon enemy once more.
Democrats, all into lineonce
more and at once you owe to your
delves and your children to prevent
the unsettlement of the State debt.
Ixt every Democrat in the State do
his duty. Let divisions and wrangles
be done away with, and Gov. Bate'i
election is assured by a majority of
lorty thousand.
The .State campaign opened at Mur
reesboro on the L'-ith. We doubt not
that our gallant standard bearer
will give Boas Houk'a lieutenant, Reid,
a good flogging all along the line.
, Linden, Tex n., is butasmall village,
and yet nearly a thousand people as
sembled last week to learn words of
wisdom and encouragement from Got.
Bate. Mark it, he will win by an in
creased majority.
It may be stated as a fact, that the
railroad people, numbering twelve to
fifteen thousand in the State, with a
few isolated exceptions, are Demo
crate who supported Gov. Bate in
lKS2and will support him in 1884.
l jCTgm
Five tiioi sand good Democrat at
tended a barbecue near Ashland,
Cheatham County last week, to receive
and hear words of wisdom from our
gallant Governor, and they were not
disappointed. Let the people else
where turn out to hear an account of
his stewardship and the principles he
advocates.
THB DEMOCRATIC STA5DARD-BBARER.
Gov. Bate has been complimented
by the Democratic prosa of the State
with a unanimous and enthusiastic
approval of his selection as the standard-bearer
of the party in the Guber
natorial fight. Few men in the South
liave attained to his pooularitv. Nona
of the leaders of the Democracy have
more signally won the ronfi
tlence of the peoplo in his
honesty and fidelity. His adminis
tration has been indorsed by every
organ of the Democracy in the highest
terms of commendation, and, compared
witn the previous reinmn. rain
lustre that can but be flattering to the
gallant chiel who redeemed the State
from the control of the Republican
minority. Aside from a (mining
record on the field of war and that is
a potent Influence with the thousands
who remember and delight to honor
their valorous heroes Gov. Bato
an point with equal pride
to his achievements in times
of peace. The Suite's affairs have
been managed with ability and accnr.l.
ingto the strictest rule of busineM
principles. Ho could turn over, to
day, a clean set of bookB, backed bv
full treasury. His closest attention
lias been devoted to the interests con
filled to him. Kvery matter presented
10 nun, tiowever trivial, has receive
his careful consideration, nlflmnuh
auch attention to detail has involved
arduous work and confinement far
beyond that accepted by previous Ex
ccutives. Ho was presented to tin
Democratic voters as a man of honesty
ami ability; Ins first administration
has notably sustained this claim. In
his present canvass, he can point to an
unimpeachablo record, a term of faith
ful service to the people the strong
est argument for their suflYiiges. The
State press has teemed with urnUea
of
his administration and of himself pi
Bonally. Such a unanimity among
the Democracy points to his re-elec
tion by aa even larger majority thai
that with which he wag honored whei
he first received the highest oflici
within the gift of the people of Ten
nessee.
THB RAILROAD COMMISSION.
Nashvlllo American.
We are coming face to face with the
Railroad Commission problem. As
far as Tennessee is concerned it is
fiim ply a business matter. We pro
pose to treat it so, and to inquire what
is the interest of Tennessee. If we
understand the position of the few
papers In the State Insisting upon a
railroad commission, they advocate a
supervisory commission, or a commis
sion wim plenary power over the
roads.
If the head of the Railroad Com-
mission, Col. John 11. Savaio. is rnr,
rectly reported at Sparta, his present
canvaas over the State means a more
rigid law to he enacted than the one
under which the commission was
created.
Applying business principles to the
question of a railroad commission, the
whole subject is disposed of in a few
words.
What does a railroad commission
cost the State ? Si x thousand dollars
salaries per annum, besides other ex
penses. What can a railroad commission,
-tinder the present law, or under any
law proposing to supervise the rail
roads, fixing the charges, etc., do?
Simply nothing-nothing in the world
until the Supremo Court of the United
States decides the question now pend
ing in that court upon a writ of error
to the United States Circuit Court at
Nashville, in which the law under
which we are now acting was declared
to be unconstitutional.
Are we right In this? "Who will
gainsay it ? The question is a Federal
one and. belongs, if the parties see
proper to take it there, to the United
States courts. Now, suppose the
present Commissioners proceed under
the present law, or that another super
visory law is passed and they are re
appointed, what will thev do? What
can they do? We have carefully ex
amined and reread the opinions of the
Judges, Baxter, Key and Hammond,
published in full in the American on
the 1st of 'March last, to see if the de
cision only reached the form of that
law, or if it reached the principle
involved, and we find that, if this de
cision is the law, then no law can be
enacted to create a supervisory board
a board to do what is now proposed
that will stand. In other words,
the three United States Judges or
Tennessee have unanimously held
that the very thing now proposed can
not be done.
Under this decision a supervisory
commission cannot be created, and no
commission can be created that in
any way interferes with or undertakes
to regulate freights passing over a
State line.
This decision cuts off debate. The
Supreme Court of the United States
may reverse it, but until it is reversed
it is absolutely certain Judges Baxter,
Key and Hammond will instantly in
terfere and restrain a railroad com
mission from acting under the present
or any law which may be created. To
doubt that these Judges would have
the courage to sustain their own hold
ing until the Supreme Court reverses
them would De manifesting the gross
est ignorance of their character.
This being a proposition that no
body will deny, how much business
intelligence is there in creating and
paying a commission that can't move
a peg. We are aware thut newspapers
have seriously criticised the decision ;
that they claim the Supreme Court
has decided differently, and that the
decision is ridiculed, but the question
is tins: If the Judges who decide
questions of this kind differ with the
newspapers about what the Supreme
Court has decided, and they made
this decision, believing that the caws
decided by the Supreme Court have
nothing to do with this question, and
these Judges have the courage to
stand by their decisions, is there
any remedy except in the Supreme
Court of the United States?
And if the case in the Supreme Court
can't be reachej under four or five
years at least, do we want a Commis
sioner during the interim just to draw
pay? Five years will be $ 30,0(10 lie
sides expenses. Would any busi
ness man, holding a patent which
he was enjoined from using, when the
money enme out of his own pocket
and not out of the public would any
business man under such circum
stances employ agents at large salaries
to look after the business while the
right to use the patent remained in
abeyance under the decision enjoin
ing him?
All sound lawvers who have exam
ined the decision in the Ten
nessee case, and carefully looked
into the Illinois Miinn case and
other cases decided by the Su
preine Court, know t! ;it the questions
now raised in the Tennessee case urn
nc, and that the Illinois cases have
nothing to do with the questions.
And with oil the bold assertions
about railroad commissions in the dif
ferent States, well informed people all
know that no railroad commission with
plenary powers has succeeded
in any State, and whenever
ignorance and stupidity have prompt
ed thcenactmcnt of laws, in substance,
as the Tennessee statute didto put
State agents in the management of
railroad property, leaving the com
panies to provide for their debts and
running expenses, the result has
been disastrous ami generally aban
doned. In some of the States ad
visory commissions have been created
ami maintained.
It needs no argument to show that
supervisory commissions, if they can
be established and maintained, at once
put an end to all new roads. The last
legislature saw this and undertook
to except the new roads, but the
Judges said laws must be impar
tial and apply to all alike, and for this
reason, with many others, the statute
was declared unconstitutional.
No man with sense enough to make
money would put it in a railroad and
put the road under the management
of the State, leaving him to take care
of his liabilities. We are aware that
some newspapers say this is just what
capitalists want, but to argue with
Biich newspapers would be a waste of
time. All business men know better,
and to state the proposition to a busi
ness man and ask his approval would
be effrontery.
The commercial cities of the State
are all interested in getting more
railroads. Many portions of the
State are yet entirely without
railroads, and it is a fact and they
had as well accept it that if the Stat
is to be put on the line of taking the
railroads out of the hands of the own
ers and turning them over to political
parties or State appointees, or put in
the hands of men who can be elected
on account of their popularity, then we
are done building railroads, and the
people without roads will have to re
main so.
Where is the doctrine to lead us?
Under the Democratic National plat
form we are pledged to protect vested
rights. Are we protecting vested
rights when we take the property of a
set of stockholders out of their hands
and put it under the control of politi
cians? Suppose reckless people, with
communistic tendencies, do come to
the conclusion that railroad property
ought to be taken away from the own
ers. Can the Democratic party afford
to fall iato it, even to get the votes of
people who are ignorant of the funda
mental principles of property rights?
Our noble leader, Grover Cleveland,
was put to the test on this question
Here is what he said in vetoing the
five-cent fare elevated railroad bill:
"Thli bill prohibit! the collection or receipt
o! more iimn live cent" mre on miy eicvatea
railroad In the c ity of New York (or any dis
tance between Hie Huttcry and Harlem lilvor,
oud proriilo thui II any i itmmi or corpora
tion ODt'fiiullK such olcvattil railroad shall
charge, demand, collect or receive any tiluhur
raieoi in re, ucn pcrvm or corporation snail,
in addition to all other penalties iuipotcd by
law, iiincii sou pay io any jientou tijfKncrci
11 fty dollars for each offense, to be recovered
by sinh person lit atiT court ol competent
Jurisdiction."
The importance of this measure and the
Interest which It ba excited ha impressed
me with my responsibility and led me to ex
amine, wild an m ucb care an ban been possi
ble. lae consideration involved. I am con
vinced that in all canes the share which falls
upon the Kxecutlve rexardliiif the Icxlklatloii
ol the State abould be in no manner evaded,
but fairly met b the expression of hi care-fully-guarded
and unbiased Judgment. In
on conclusion he may err, but if helms
lalrlv and hoiictly acted, he lias performed
his duty and aiveu to the cople of the State
hit bestendeavor.
"By the sixth section of theaci pushed June
1" It I provided that the New York
Klevated I'.ailrotd Company inlidit demand
and receive from each pa-cni(er on It" rail
road not exceeding ten cent for any distance
ol fire mile or le-. and not excecdiiiK two
cents for each additional mile or fractional
part thereof.
'While the charters of corporation mav le
alteredorrenealed.lt mint lie dime In sub-
ordination to the Constitution of the Culled
states, which I the supreme law of the land.
Thi leadN to the conclusion that the alter
ation of a charter cannot be made the pre
text fur the passage of tt law which impairi
tlir iiliiittaU'm at n ciiutuu'l.
If I am mistaken In supositur that there are
leiial oMcctioiis to this bill, there In another
consideration which furnishes to my mind a
surhilent reason why I should not give It my
appr val.
it Derma to me that to arbitrarily reduce
theae farea at thli time and under cxlstim
circumstances involve a breach of faith on
the part of the state, and a betraval of confi
dence which the state ha Invited. " It
Is manifestly important that invented capital
hould be protected, and that lla necessity
anu uwiuineaa in ine development oi enter
prises valuable to the people abould be reeotr
nized by conservative conduct on the part ol
the Slate Government.
"I am not unmindful of the tact that thin
bill originated In renpoiiMi to the demand of
a lariie portion of the people of New York for
cheaper rales ul fare between their place of
employment and their homcn, and I realize
lully the desirability of nvcurlug to them all
the prlvllcKe inlble, but the cxnerience of
other State teachea that we must keep with
in the Hunt of law and K''"1 faith, W in
the end we brinx upon the very people whom
wti vi ueueni anil protect a narusnip
which must surely follow when those limit
are iKDored."
The Assembly by a large majority
sustained this veto:
Commenting upon the veto, the
Memphis Appeal in a recent editorial
said:
"Ilia vein of the five-cent fare bill wm nol
In the Interest of the street railroad monopo
lies, but In the interest of the Constitution
which he had taken an outb to support. His
Tew, In the face ol the la-t that ft would Ik
unpopular, was an act which will ultimately
tecum for him ttl n,.na,l .if Iha u,,t. f...
however desirable it may have been to nave
the elevated railroad fares reduced, and how
ever politic as a measure of popularity it may
have been to sii;n that bill, his objections to
it are unansweranie. lie nelicveil the bill
was unconstitutional, and that his duty at
the Executive wiui not to siirn it. lie iIutm
fore sacrificed whatever chance of popularity
was oilered, and held to the determination to
dohtaduty and stand by his convictions.
This is one of those acts which the clamor of
partisanship may obscure or pervert, but
wnicn incaoiuiuK sense 01 the community
sooner or later is sure to indorse. The lutein
vent HorkiiiKinan knows. In suite of Mimical
rhetoric, that the best safemisrd he can have
In a public servant Is Inteirrity of purposeand
the couraito to withstand the pressure of
vested Interests on the one band and the idle
ciamor 01 a Class on tue other."
This endorsement must meet with
the unqualified approval of every
good liemocrat.
Under the laws of Xew York a
charter may be repealed or altered;
still, under this, iov. Cleveland held
that no Btich privilege cou'd be taken
with chartered rights.
There is no power in our law to
alter or repeal a charter, and hence
where rights are given in a Tennessee
charter the case is stronger than in
Xew York.
The sentiment over the State seems
to be that we made a great mistake
in creating a commission under ; a
void law, which has cost us a great
deal of money, and that com
mon prudence, outside of the
practicability of it, forbids the
spending of mire money until the
Supreme Court acts.
The delegation in the Legislature
from this county will, no doubt, take
a business view of the question, and,
if nothing is to be made by a commis
sion, they will oppose.it, and save to
the State the large outlay of money
which a restrained commission must
bring. It will be time enough to cre
ate a commission when the ruling of
the courts is changed so as to allow
it. We must abide by the decisions
of the courts until they are overturned
by higher courts, or we must over
turn them with shot-guns. This is
not now proposed.
GEN. I1ASIL DI KE.
A Personal Curd Explaining Bla Visit
to Tennessee.
To the Amerlran:
Nashville, Auc. 16. In your Issue ol yes
terday I find a letter written from Franklin,
which contains an account of my yisit to that
place, and my course while there, io Inaccu
rate and unjust that 1 am unwilling to let It
go uncontradicted.
His. Willi extreme reluctance that I make
this publication, for newspaper controversy
and the notoriety it entails Is in no wise agree
able to me, and only a strong conviction that
1 ought not to suffer misrepresentation al
ready done, or, by silence now, invite its reD-
atltlnn, Induces me to notice and correct your
correspondent'! statements. That which be
has written, and the com menu made upon it
by a daily paper published In this city, hare
given my presence in Tennessee a publicity
neither coveted nor deserved, and place upon
my conduct here a construction aa unwar
ranted as it is oltcnslve.
YonrcorrespondentKBys: "A distinguished
visitor was In town last Friday, the day fol
lowing the election, In the person of Gen
llaail . Puke, of Louisville, Ky , the Legisla
tive Attorney for the "Kllen N" Itailroad
Ho interviewed several of our citizens and'
made no concealment of bis business that
of getting up election figures and statistics of
this and former elections, the vote of each
civil district, learning the feeling, etc.. the
strength of the Independent or disaffected
vote, and various and sundry matters of In
terest due of our prominent clti
reus, with whom he discussed matters told
him frankly he had better go along 'u,,k
home and remain there, and the people of
Tennessee were amply able to take care of
themselves without the aid of foreign corpo
rations, and that any Intermeddling with lo
cal politics would be regarded with distrust
and suspicion to say the least,"
The party wbo penned the passage I have
quoted waa evidently resolved, while engaccd
in the task of traduction, to allow himself
the largest latitude and make hit work com
pendious and elaborate. I said and did noth
ing during my brief stay in Franklin which
would justify any part assigned me by this
oua pj JrarDJn and sought to ascertain the
feeling of the people there In regard to a rail
road commission. I made no eilort, I had no
purpose to "get up election figures and stalls
lies." I did not seek to learu the "strength of
the Independent or disaffected vote" of Will
lamson County or any of It districts.
I remember that III the course of con
versation with some of the gentlemen
whom 1 met there one of them made some al
lusion to the vote cast at the primary on the
day before; spoke of the relative strength de
veloped by the reipectlve candidates; and, if
I do not err, this led to a discussion In which
some computation was made of thceutlre
vote of the county. Hut nothing said on tbis
head was suggested by me; I made no memo
randum ol any such statement, and have no
recollection of the "figures." While lu Frank
lin I saw only six or tlgbt gentlemen. 1 held
conversation upon rnllroad mailers with but
three or four ol these. This talk was in the
office of Mr. J. L. 1'arks, Caihler of the na
tional bank, and, 1 believe, be was preseut
during tins w hole of it. My conversation
was principally with Judge Wallace, who
Is, I believe, a member of the Hoard of
Hallway Assessors, and Mr. Atha Thomas,
the State Treasurer. These gentlemen criti
cised the action of the railroad corpora
tions in contesting the recent assessment
of their proierlics, and we drifted Into some
discussion of the Kail road Commission. I
trust I said nothing which they deemed Ob
Jectlouable: and although w differed lu
opinion, lean bear testimony to tne courtesy
us well as ability with which they ex
pressed their own, I am sure that your cor
respondent's letter (if they have seen it) has
surprised them as much as It has me. No
citizen of Kranklln advised me to "go back
home and remain there" and not meddle
with affairs In Tennessee. Such a speech,
with no more reason for Its u iterant than
my conduct afforded, would have been a
coarse and gratuitous insult, of which no
Teunessean I have yet seen could be capable.
Nor was my visit to Kranklln made with
any hope or purpose ol allectlng lu any re
spect the canvass or the legislative election.
I purposely postponed It until after the
primary election had been held, and 1 enter
tained no audacious plan of arraying and
utilizing the "ludepeudeut or dlsallcclcd
vote."
The paper to which I have already alluded,
ui.on the strength of this letter of vonr corre
spondent, has editorially advertised me as
one who "can be persuaded to come into a
I'emocraiic mate to upuoia tne bannerol
Brownlow, now descended Into the hands ol
llouk," and It expresses sorrow that I have
"so far overstepped the bounds of propriety."
I ihou'd have cause for profound regret if I
were so Ignorant of cither the proprieties of
political conduct, or the decent tea of social
life, that I stood in need ol such a teacher.
The Insinuation that 1 have atte mnttd tn
aid In the defeat of the Democratic candi
dates for the Legislature, elect Republicans,
or Induce a condition of things which would
Imperil the Democratic control of Teuneasee,
Is as absurd as it is untrue. The specific
charges that I have counseled action looking
to that end are false. If not, It should be
easy to prove them. I have conferred with
very few people upon railroad mailers In my
iim to iciiuesste. ii i nave urgeo any man
here to do anything which will injure the
Democratic party to vote for a Republican, to
beat a regular nominee with an independent,
to assist ill revolt or disorganization, the fact
ought to lie easily ascertained. If any gcu-
ueuiaii witn wnom i nave spoxen remem
bers that 1 have so oflended, 1 trust that be
will not hold the suggestion confidential and
feel bound in honor not to divulge It.
I am accused of having attempted some
thing of this sort at the Democratic Conven
tion at Tullaboma, where I reinulued for one
day on my way to Mc.Mlnnville.
I mentioned the railroad question but to
one gentleman while there, and that was sim
ply to ask him what waa the sentiment of bis
people regarding a Railroad Commission. It
Is true that while there the kindness of the
asaembled delegations made me more promi
nent than I deserved or desired. Several gen
tlemen insisted that I should go upon tbe
stand. 1 would have declined the proffered
compliment, hut that it was so warmly and
cordially urged, that declination would have
been churlish. Without the slightest expec
tation upon my part that 1 would be so hon
ored, the Chairman introduced ma in the
Convention In terms which touched me more
proinuuiiiy, oecauaed tney conveyed an elo
quent tribute to my slain and heroic com
mander. Tbe maimer in which it waa re
reived and I was welcomed I can never for
iret. None but a boor or an InirmtM mnlii
have failed to make some response. I strove
to ten tne gratincation 1 felt so sincerely,
but I am sure that 1 did nol abuse ihn kin, if.
sentiment shown me, by any utterance un
becoming the occasion and my audience.
I have not attempted Interference in the
political anairs oi Tennessee, i certainly
nave had no thought of Influencing the
election of legislators. Hut representing lu
some measure the areat railroad urom-rtles
which lie partially in Tennessee, and whose
interests wm uc tureciiy atlccted by the rail
road legislation which is contemplated, I
have sought. In pursuance of what l ,n.
eel veil to be a duty owed them by some one
iu wieir service, to use an nur argument and
legitimate effort, to modifv urelmllco or hum.
tlllty, if either existed, upon the part of the
people toward them. I would not hesitate to
do this In Kentucky, In Tennessee or In any
Southern State; and so long as I abstain Irom
Improper methods and poll ileal intrigues J
feel no self-reproach, and will not acsuowl
edge the right of uewsnaners to nuhllsh n
as a participant in things culpableor Inviting
condemnation.
in the prosecution of tills business I shall
not hesitate to employ temperance and ra
tional remonstrance airainst menuiin.i u-hth
I believe obstructive and iujiiiious, not only
w, iiticrcsui ui me ntnroao corpora
lions, but of the neonle as well. Klrmlv .,n.
vlnced that the prosperity and development
of the Southern states depend upon au in-
crease in ineir transportation lacllltlcs, and
that the railroad construction, which can
alone furnish such facilities, will be Impeded,
if not altogether prevented, by such legisla
tion as has been urged in Tennessee, 1 will
do all I can, by the presentation of facta and
reasons to the attention of the people, to in
duce moderate counsels and a friendly policy
in Itsstcad. iMievlimthat Railroad Commla.
lions never effe.-t the purposes for which they
are created ; that they do much harm and no
good; that they cost the corporations great
loss, without any benefit to the people; that
thcvleadto confusion, litigation, bitterness
and disappointment, I shall always oppose
them, and not the least of mv objections to
ineiu is uiai uiey laae tne place ol general
laws, which might be enacted lor the healthy
regulation of railroads. I have not and I
shall not reflect upon those who dllfer wllh
me, lor I deem denunciation no aid to a
proper understanding ol these matters. Hut
1 will not allow denunciation and calumnv
to deter me from the decent and legitimate
exercise of a Just right.
It Is said that I have nut been Invited into
Tennessee by "ihe official head of Tennessee
Democracy " Very true. I have neither
asked nor received such invitation. Nor have
I solicited, uor have I been granted by any
Journalistic censor or autocrat, permission to
enter the State, nor leave to speak; but I
elalrn that every individual, and every asso
ciation of individuals, is entitled to do that
which is necessary to the assertion and main
tenance of their property rights. They may
do it directly or by their authorized agents.
They cannot be debarred from asking the
protection of the courts If they be Injured by
an act for which the laws provide a remedy.
They should not, and rightfully cannot be
Inhibited protest and decent opposition to
legislation which threatens injury or ruin to
their interests. The railroad corporations hon
estly believe that their business and prop,
erty will be very seriously impaired if virtu
ally placed under the control and manage
ment of three officials who do not practically
understand the business, and have no such
interest lu the property as will Insure that
careful conduct which proprietary interest
on If induces.
The Democracy which I have been taught
does not condemn, but inculcates this belief
One of lis essential doctrines Is that all classes
of citizens and every character of pecuniary
Interest, shall be equally protected by the
laws and subjected to like and uniform con
trol. Judicial regulation, justice adminia
"afey the ,c-ti. aaxid the largest freedom
of Individual action, the completest control
of property by Its owner, are the distinguish
ing characteristics of the American theory of
government. Soeclal nrnimiuinn. ..ki..i.
hall exercise arbitrary control over the rron-
SrlO A Ilia ill...i n..A.tl... 1. 1- i..r
.y v. ,uv v...v.., ,xi-f.niue uih conn net ami
determine the prices of his commodities or
his services, are moreaklntothe mnnoi.i.i
systems of the Old World.
nut in any aspect of the case, why ataould
the railroad eomnanlpi t,a ,lu..luH KA
te'.,'k',;.,i,S .? IVI-JL "gument:
2 . r ai t " . ' io oe inimtcal
to In em. when nil othr nnfina ar. M.nt.nj
such action. r .....TO
Railroad Commissioner! may influence
legislators to give them authority to mauage
property which doca not belong to thcin
Leasees of the penitentiary may ak the en
actmcut of laws which will Increase their
profilaask it of a Democratic party into
whose rank! they have scarcely been ad-mltted-and
no criticism is heard. But If
the owners of railroad property dare to ask a
Legislature lo even examlno statutes, which
they are persuaded will work great injury to
that property, the whole vocabulary of vi
tuperation is poured upon their heads.
I have extended this pntrnmi,.n.. .
greater length than 1 had lutended, but I
feel that the w sh to vli,Ht mv.ui ..
esteem of the people whose good opinion I
I value will be my apology, '
basil w. DC is.
Wht Be Would be Worth,
Clarksvlllo Chronicle.
IS It not. fflrr (not If ono st iV.
- " " " as nuj ui UIO
candidates put forward by either party
tor jumroau commissioner had the
reauisiba canaeifv tn
I I 1 I J '""" 1144-
road he could command five times the
salary that it is proposed to pay him
for munaeim? all the railrnmlain li
State? " "
USELESS AND EXPENSIVE.
fcOJCTIXCKD FROM FIRST TAOS.
Wants Railroad.
Smith County Record.
The subject of the Railroad Com
mission is attracting much attention
throughout the Btate, and is calling
jut from the press much unfavorable
comment. Even the papers in those
localities where the commission would
do the most good (if it could do any
good at all), are, many of them, speak
ing out in strong terms against it. It
has been made a party question, and
tbis is considered very unwise.
But if the people in those localities
are convinced of the unwisdom of
that policy, and ask that it be aban
doned for the good of the State, how
much more ought we to do so? If
there is anything we do need in this
section of the State if is at least one
railroad. We have contributed our
part of the taxation to the building of
the roads in other sections, and have
none ourselves. Shall we, after do
ing tbis, take that course which
will forever prevent us from
getting such benefits? Shall we
allow a few who have such
advantages to draw us into aiding
them to cut us off from all hope of
getting similar benefits?
Sarely no sane capitalist would in
vest bis money in an enterprise, know
ing that the tate would immediately
appoint a guardian or committee to
take charge of it. It is humiliating
enough for a semi-lunatic to have a
guardian appointed, and often disas
trous enough to his estate; but for
the ablest financiers of the country to
voluntarily place themselves or prop
erty under guardianship cannot
reasonably be expected.
The commission, then, can hardly
fail to binder railroad enterprise. But
this is what we Peed to develop our
section more than anything else.
No party, it seems to us, should take
position against the declared law of
the land as settled in accordance with
our free institutions. The Railroad
Commission bill has been declared un
constitutional, and it cannot be exe
cuted until the cases now pending are
disposed of. It seems to us that we
ought, at least, to let the question be
held in abeyance until the courts have
decided what we can legally do.
Otherwise we may be found fighting
against law and rightful authority,
and we are opposed to legislation
which interferes with private or
vested rights when so declared by
proper judicial tribunals.
A Cranky Communist.
Chattanooga Times,
In the case of Tennessee the ship
pers on her roads had no right to ex
pect anything of the commission but
that which has happened. The law of
their creation was a hotch-potch of
crudities and compromises, and was
pronounced worthless by our best
lawyers. The gentlemen chosen to
enforce this law and act as umpires in
the delicate and difficult relations be
tween shippers and railroads was
a unique body. At tbe head was
placed a cranky, superanuated poli
tician filled with most extreme preju
dices against the roads, and entertain
ing views on public and corporate
finances similar to those held by
French agrarians, by Denis Kearney,
of California, and Justus Schwab, of
Xew York City. Next in order was a
gentleman who had never resided on
the line of a railroad ; had not made
the operations of our railway system
any part (if his study. The gentle
man at the tail of this remarkable
board had, we believe, at some period
in his career surveyed the line of a
projected road in the engineer depart
ment of another road. Not a man of
the three knew as much of the "tricks
of the trade" of practical railroading
as an. intelligent brakeman. They ail
knew less of the great interest over
which they were set, involving not
less than $75,000,000 of capital, than
is known by any division Superinten
dent or upper clerk of a freight oflice.
With a commission so composed, a
rickety statute to guide them, and a
cranky communist sitting at the head
of the table as a legal adviser, is it
any wonder the attempt at railroad
legislation in Tennessee lias fallen into
general contempt? Is it any wonder
the courts sent the board into indefi
nite retirement.
The Work of Demagogues.
Dresden Kntcrprise.
The Nashville World continues its
attempts to fire the public mind with
hatred of the railroads. Why it will
persist in its wild opposition to so im
portant a factor in the development of
our State as railway building, is a mys
tery, unless its inherent Bourbonism
naturally impels it to oppose all kinds
of progress. It certainly does not re
flect the popular sentiment in regard
to railways in Tennessee, for the peo
ple can see nooccasion forthe World's
bitterness unless it is fearful that
Savage, Gordon A Co. will be de
prived of sinecure odices. Our State
Convention, through its entire pro
ceedings, manifested no animosity to
our railroads indeed, when it struck
the railroad question it trod cautiously
over that ground, for it recognized the
danger of manacling railroads, and
would not dare insert a plank in the
platform lavoring a mandatory com
misssion. Now, as our present advi
sory commission has not stood the teat
of judicial opinion, what could be ex
pected ol one ot a mandatory nature?
The fact is. the whole scheme in fault
and the work of demagogues in favor
oi placemen, i nere is small economy
and less sense in paying large salaries
to three men to fill useless offices of
which the peopltt have grown heartily
tired.
Railroad Commission,
Tribune and Bun.
A Bolivar, Tenn., correspondent of
the Nashville American, in a recent
communication to that paper, makes
the following remarks:
The Tennessee Railroad Commission
act has been declared unconstitutional.
null and void by the courts.
A similar bill in Mississippi has
been passed upon by both the Federal
and State Courts, and declared to be
null and void as in conflict with both
State and Federal Oinarl
Judges Baxter, Hammond, Key, Hill,
Pardee and Wroods, of the Federal ju
diciary, and Judge Peyton, a learned
viianceuor oi me state Courts in
Missinsinni. linve all nastaml nnnn ttia
question and all reached exactly the
same result. It is, therefore, almost
certain that the Supreme- Court will
affirm these decisions.
Tin .i t .i '
rrny, mereiore, me continued
clamor for a State Railroad Cnmmia.
si on ? The Democratic nurtv Tiro.
tends to be law-abiding, the court
are our chosen arbiters. When tboy
so unanimously declare the law creat
ing the State Railroad Commission a
nullitv, does it not look as if the party
would disregard the law as interpre
ted by the courts and refuse to bow to
their decree?
Sensible men must Know that the
roads chartered by the State, without
reservation in the cliarter as to the
State's right to alter or amend, cannot
now be subjected to the control of a
State Railroad Commission such as
the last Legislature created.
In the North American Review of
September. 18m. is published an nrti
tide on the subject ov Judge Coo ev.
the distinguished law writer, and the
loiiowing language is nsed:
"Where charters exist, which have
been granted without the reservation
of the power to amend or repeal, the
State must abide by the grant, and if
it was improvident, must sutler tne
consequences. All that can be done
is to see that the incorporators them
selves observe the conditions of the
charter according to its true intent,
anu, n iney lau to do so, to lorieit it.
This is the rule of constitutional law.
and it is also the rule of public honor
and integrity."
This states the case in a nutshell,
and ought to put a quietus to all this
rant about Railroad Commission.
They cannot interfere with the vested
rights of tbe railroads, and politicians
should give us a rest on this question,
which ought not to be dragged into
pontics, it is purely a judicial ques
tion, and the courts have decided it.
Railroad Development.
Tribune and Sun. Jackson. Tenn.
The extension of the Huntington
system ol roads to Nashville is now
assured. Its further extension to
Jackson, where connection will be
made with the Mobile & Ohio and the
Illinois Central Roads, and thence to
Memphis, shortening the route to the
East and rendering the New Orleans
& Memphis Road a competing line to
the Northeastern cities from tbe Gulf
and Southwest, in alan a niioatinn nnlv
oi time ana comparative snort time.
it win ue a great roan ana win leaa
to the construction of other roads.
The immensp irnn fiohla nf hn Tan.
nessee River country will be brought
into process oi rapid development.
iub vast muuer rrgiuna iviugiii virgin
anlcnrlnr iipttvpon thin citv ami Vaoli.
viile will be developed and made to
auu uieir minions to tne weaitn ot tne
State. The beautiful Tennessee Val
ley and the many fertile valleys that
with their dashing streams debauch
into it will spring into newness of life
under the inspiration of easy trans
portation and of capital and popula
tion, vjiuer roans win ue omit as
feerlera. aa ennrumtintv ltnaa an.1
as rivals. .There will be one to
Sheffield connecting with Birming
ham, one to the north tapping the
Cumberland River at Clarksvillu, one
to the northwest reaching out for
Cairo and St. Louis, one from Jackson
direct to Birmingham in the interest
of the I. C. road and of the city of
Chicago, and one from Nashville east
to the Cincinnati Southern and on to
Knoxville. Its effect upon the rail
road development of the State cannot
now db caicuiaieu. a railroad Doom
will follow its rnnntrncllnn fhnf trill
not stop until the matchless resources
I , i ... i
vi icuuewee are iiroviueu w itn ample
facilities fnr rlevpfnnmpnr
All that Tennessee needs to lead her
sister States in diversified industries is
transportation. She has the coal, the
iron, the stone, the forests, the water
power, the soil and the climate, and is
capable of the largest diversity of in
dustries and production of any State
in the ITninn. ThA snpnnmiuninnl
of railroad building is therefore the
wise ana tne paving policy, ao ob
stacle should be thrown in the wav
and no hostile sentiment encouraced.
The morning of a grand day
ior jennessee lias come and every cit
izen and every interest should unite in
efforts to make it hriolirpr ami l.riol.t.
er. Let the peopie, the public men,
uie press, xne railroads and the capi
talists work tocether for the enmnirvn
good. This is no time for cant, or
STUmblim?. or nnnrlinir or ,1
This is the time for the harmonious,
co-operation of all interests and the
people in the work of material devel
opment. a.
Treading on Dnngerous Ground. .
Memphis Scimitar.
There are two or three newspapers
in this State claiming to represent the
Democratic party as constitutionally
ordained organs, that are trying to re
vive the defunct liailroad Commission
question, to the end that it may enter
prominently into the present cam
paign. Seriously, now. if 'these Dem
ocratic journals desire to endanger
the Cause of Demncrncv nn.l mmnisa
the defeat of the Democratic State
ticket, they only have to continue in
their course, but it is the duty of the
Scimitar, as an nrwlvintin(r anil nn.
disguised Democratic sentinel, to
notify these distinguished mouth
pieces of the Democracy, so to
speak, that the wnniln nrn full
of orthodox Democrats who are
radically Opposed tn tha tlienrv that
the State Legislature can, by enact
ment, ignore vested rights in railroad
companies, or other organizations of
mai iui uio euiiauceuieui ui private
interests and the promotion of public
enterprise. These Democrats will re
pudiate at the ballot box any attempt
that may be made by a few would-be
leaders to fasten such a pernicious
doctrine upon the Democratic party.
Moreover, the railroad men them
selves, from the highest to tbe lowest
in station, and numbering from twelve
to fifteen thousand voters in the State,
all of whom are Democrats, want to
support the Democratic tickets, State
anil National, but will never consent
to have John H. Savage & Co. lord it
over them as legislatively appointed
bosses. To the gentlemen who con
duct the newspapers to which we
have alluded, the Scimitar desires to
say: "Beware, you are treading on
dangerous ground."
Sinecures Oflieei Without Dalies.
Faycttevllle Observer.
The Railroad Commissioners are
without any commission to execute,
and they have nothing about them
now that looks official except drawing
their salary this is their only official
act. The courts have decided the law
which created these offices unconstitu
tional, and the people who know any
thing about them and the duties which
they were to perform are satisfied that
the business of the railroads could not
be carried on by men who did not
know the difference between the
driving-wheel and the steam-chest.
Each of the political parties in Ten-
neoaoA ha nnniinatad Ihsu mA tn
. . . V. ..... LA, . bill llini
Railroad CommiasinnRra. and vo in
sure not one Democrat in ten can name
"epartTT
"cpuuucan :
nominees of
fn- -1 1
hie party. t J
ices u DdiC
'ui otner i
tlclrpt tha
offices i
nam.." .",t0 omit .
the parties
- ; -olJl Wfl rmr""!!
lames of th 7 U0Hf
VOU i nr. v. t0ttiUid
rs, mere
fnr IKam
."Will,
them, fnor
cers are to
no know
they do
salary.
Nn hot
proof of Ui ushIa I
thaoa aMI.
lute indifferem
needed th
suoir Jgno
to elected
Men
build a
. T ""'ffloer next "h
and parties ,. :. 1
? and ltingt
itrnnranna
anmat! vw.L
-""iwiiuies Ul
of the buildi:
ignorance
leadflr nr i
aspirant which M.
dice will have . fi'
mr Dot.U. 1 -?,tnW(tiL
ular prejudice
auu ciamor
pay im
holders.
oor-nodiv
has subsided, anZ
vival of n ' , u IWii.
not a revival
tne bloc
islature
irt order.
'auriian tn..,
wll be apt to red c' S.1
lenses jii.ooo, and thrr!,
rent expenses
gentlemen
.in 'r"'",uitci.,:
ha v.i7
shades
of priva'te life1
BetardsKallroaaBuli,,,,
I'MKvllle .seutl0,!.
But three States have iw..
commissions-Illinois, AlabZ
Georgia. In Illinois tie 1
were built largely bygrS
lands, and it is a ,:JkZ
State Constitution that
ings of these railroad. .i,.n ...
ceed8percent of th ,.!..."
Whenever they do the rate, Zl
reduced, and their mandator, 8U!
Commission is organized to cam J.
this provision. Its mandatory
. . . " ,ua!UW!T
commission nf Alnho,... i. .
linuuo uu limner, ma m.j.i
,r .(..i .i..: '"menu
r.,u mm uiey saw nocuJ
LPZaiioraPOrtanee 4irit33
In Georgia the State eold to c
fcenev avmli.iiifa h j J? u
--j w.o iu.iuironiMt(-,
to Brunswick, on condition that tlJ
7f, : """ui omm a road bis
C hattanoniratn fncon ti,:..i "
uoing, anu it has near v UntJ
, , AuisuieviH
tha si.n,lti. ti.:I ' Fwa
uuasicu runruau ouuumg that is ltd
nn n,1ii. . V, r. 1 . SVK1
uuuci mo uiuuuaiory conunia
in flanrtwln ami 1 ll ,
V" Jr..""6'"' UgOU).m
in lennessee democracy aatdon J
a nian smrv pnmmiaaiAn
. , i - .uo.vm nicen
me in ary mat wrote the iki
t..vm 1'nniui ii iallalieis lOOs j1
000 Stock in tha lirean Piuu. D..i
- -. -a,.a a l v v I XV jay jM
this State, and it is now anesUblitlJ
lUUl.
A mandator)' Railroad Commiej
IS Onft Ihflt. hfltt Tinvrar a ahi.ll,
Charges for frciirht anil tmel ilJ
see fit. Col. Savaze savs a maniti J
commission has a riirlit tn miV 'l
roads carry passengers at one M
cent a mile if thev so decree, It ig
nores charter rights.
A Signal Failure and a Bttta.
Bhelbyvllle Guctte.
This enterprising journal ii red-bet
against a commission for the rqilr
tion of railways. It is red-hot lor lit
Hon. T. B. Ivie for Congress, whow
the red-hottest man in the last Lcp
lature for railwav regulation. Hoi i
this? World.
The Gazette favored a railway (de
mission when it believed that it mi
do the people some good. Tbe c
periment has been tried, and hi!,
believe, been a signal failure, and ha
so far been declared an uncon.tii
tional body by the courts. Instead ;
giving any" relief to the people, it it
poses a burden of Sil'.Otsj per yeara
the people to pay for their enstent
and not n rent's "benefit that we hw
ever heard of. We were willing 1
try the experiment in hopes it n
accomplished good, but since it t
failed we want to wipe it out and it)
the expense to the people, at lew
until the court of last reaort gives a
opinion on the subject.
Then, if there is a way by which i
Commission can accomplish lot'
good to others than themselves,
are for it, but we don't want c'aw
at the head under any kind of ti
cumstances, because that would mw
another failure and an expense to to
State, judging the future by the W
As to the Gazette being for Hon. T.l
Ivie for Congress, the World certain.
states a fact. We recognued his en
nent fitness for the place anu myt
ed him with all the power and un
encewehad. We will do theme!
thing again whenever the Major m
the nomination of his party for C
gress.
Down with Ballrorjd ComuiUilou.
Gallatin Kininluer.
The Nashville World, for thirty dw
after the meeting of the State Cow
ention. verv wisely held its tongi
upon the subject of Railway Con
sioners. This was more than in
would-be Commissioners could lUM
Mr. Gordon thereupon started w
Voohvilto arwl ai mnllnnpnllB With M
arrival, the World began its fonw
ravings.
We have said repeatedly, and do?
again affirm the people are sit;kollM
llailnrav Pnninilnainn mlPKiion. U
Savage, , Gordon & Co. must t
offices, in heaven's name 8ive,rl
something not bo expensive and m
aging to the State.
We want more railroads, ou"
Countv is interested to the externa
three hundred thousand dollars in u
i.s i ,;v. Hut for Uui
iiiituuijJicieu luiiu, w iin.ii,
miserable commission, would now w
running its trains. . jj
We are sick, very sick, of ton k"
way Commission.
TJnwisa and Impraetleabls.
BuiliCft. ,
i ,i.i i,n i.onn paid, nro ano
A glCHt uctu iiao . ' 1 - " ' -
1 rnmmis.-i01 "
strikes us that if the State proposesW
. a ' 1 In lilt
run the railroads, d
tice to all concert- f ."A",
then operate them.'- 5 1
The establishment of a wilrod coB
mission, oftentimes, is a mere wg
to create offices, in which somej
party's faithful servants may tfWJ
reward. Wherever railroad,
sions have been tried thev bae i pwg
an injury i
jury to the State, inf"',.
competition for protec tion, , anai
i onaWitipnt Ol PUSIliriw
no goou reason wu, ..
i,i,i not lnnk tothesameW
IsnillVIIU vviusa-"-""-"- nm w,t luff
impracticable, and the sooner w? (
pense with them me j
.. i .i o.mnnrt three fl
1SX T 11 oeuer w cri
road Commissioners and P?
nice salaries rather than to wo - Jfc
millions to the wealth of the
. t..r.ai mnrovemenm
luettus vi mm Tmirllali
railroad facilities.-Sunday Jouw",
the nominees