The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1862-04-16
The Rights Of Labor Protected by the New
Constitution.

The supreme court of this state having de-
cided that the rolling stock and certain other
movable property Of railroad corporations is
real estate, ani not subject to legal process for
the debts incurred by such corporations, men
| in the employ Of railroad companies, as well
as farmers OF others along the line Of railroads
who furnish them with ties, wood, and yari'
Gus other materials necessary % enable these
companies 10 operate these roads, are left
without remedy, % be- ,windlcd out Of their
nav for labor, service. ~ materials furnished
| Under the decisions IT the court, the railroad
employee may be left 10 whistle for his pay
when hi, wages are ia arrears aud the Gar,
mcr who la, sold railroad company wood
| or anything else, cannot collect his money,
! for the reason that the court have placed
nearly all the personal property Of railroad
companies beyond the reach Of execution, In
other words, It Is almost an utter impossible.
ity now IN this state, 70 force the collection Of
debt against railroad company, andunler
the old constitution there il ~ remedy for
this great wrong, But section has been put
into the new constitution that will cilec,ually
reetl'y this blundcr Of the supreme court aud
render ii entirely practicable aud easy for my
citizen 20 secure ust clam against these
corporations. The section is as follows
"SEc 4. The rolling stock and all other
movable property belonging 10 any railroad
company or corporation IN this ttnte, shall
be considered personal property, and shall be
liable TO execution aud sale, in the same man.
ncr as the personal property OF individuals,
aud the legislature shall pass no Law exempt
ing such property from execution aud sale"
Under the old constitution-ior the decls-
ions Of the supreme court have the same force
aud effect Of u constitutional provision the
property which j. here declared 10 be "pcr-On.
al property and liable 10 execution and sale"
i declared a. be- real s7iaic, aud con scqucutly
not liable to execution and sale" for the
simple reason that about all the real estate Of
railroad companies IN this state has been
to eastern capitalists and Is thus
placed beyond the reach of legal process. for
debt. twas because the real estate Of these
corporations had been thus put beyond the
reach Of their local creditors that they pro.
cured from the court a decision that thclrp,r.
SoHai property icas also real estdh. The
provision above quoted from the new cun,titu.
ton sets aside this decision Of the court and
puts the rolling stock aud other movable
property Of railroad corporations upon Hn
equal footing with the personal property Of
the citizen "lahlc tO execution and sale. m
The sumo manner as he pcrSoHal property If
Under the new constitution,
therefore, it will not be in the power Of rail. .
road companies to dclraud their employees
ont Of their hard earned wages, aud the men
employed by them will rest secure in the .
u the fact that ii any attempt i
madr to cheat them out &C their earnings ur .
any refusal To- pay 0m demand, they have the .
zane remedy against the company that one
citizen ha- against another TOR the collection .
%! any lg-tlcbt 81, too, under the new con .
sttutIoE, farmers along the line Of a railroad .
who may have furnished the company with .
material ~ labor, will have their rcmriyani .
b" able, II prompt payment is denied, 10 cn.
force IA" collection ui their demands hy the
usual process known to the court, for the col.
lection %! debts. II L. thus that the rights Of
labor ar" protected, not uuIy by thl- but also
By many other provision, OF the new constiru.
hon. All through that instrument you will .
ind provisions put there to protect the right.
Il the working man, and To secure to labor
he Just rewards Of il, toll and enterprise -
III" Rbprlus men of Illiro,. will prove stran.
gc.y blind to Their own interests, and unac. .
reckless Of their rights, If they tail .
h give the new constitution warmhcartcd /
active Jealous and different support.