Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1865-12-02
The HIGH FREIcHrS,
The Burden on Producers |!
z he PEG pie OIse d.
New Orleans as a Market.

The eviiencies multiply every day
that the people OF she great producing
West will no longer ssbmit to the extor-
lions Of the great Freight Monopolies.-
Those VINO control the carrying lines
over which the products ofthe VI est are
borne to tho East, in their haste to
amnss wealth, have carried their exac
tons point too far. They have foolish.
ly killed the goose which laid the golden
egg-in other words, their avariciou.
policy bias walked mp feeling which will
not be quieted until re.Ief is found.
Ion. (. B. WAsKsURNE, in a speech
before convention of grain growers. at
Morris, His, Nov. %, says
There is no longer any healthy railroad
competition in the country. By management,
by consolidation combinations and running
agreements, they have acquired undisputed
control everywhere, $50 that they can advance
at will, az they have advanced their rates Of
transportation and passage 10 such an extent
a. to become almost absolute robbery. ami
We; tire people feel that they are apparently
rowerless in their hands The whole rail-
ROAD system OF this State has now become
ast and terrible monopoly, hitherto un-
known and undreamed OF iu free country.
The people have been appalled, nv tine imp
deuce and boldness with which these merci.
less corporations have, without reason, ext.. Sc
or explanation. advanced prices. and their
Just indignation Il cyeIvw here iindIlig yen'.
II is matter wAicL comes home To every tar
mer and finds Us way 10 the Iiresid,s Of all
the cottages which dot over our vast pra:rics.
Are the hard carvings Of the farmer. moist
ened with the sweat of his brow, IL go into tho
already ovefgorged pockets of bloated aud
mammoth monopolies. or shall he be gracious
~ permitted &c have some of The fruits of his
toll left tc support his family and support
schools and educate his children to i'm prove
his farm, to enlarge and bszrtifv his home
and enaolc him 70 occupy What should br The
proud position of ah Illinois iarsRcrt These
are questions, | say. that are csaiing home
To the hresides ef all the farmers. But yea
may ask me- WHERE is the rcn.edy iar 5his
eyershadoviug evil which il iP~p,,vershiny
our people and retarding the nrnsl, ri,y OF our
state on may Iell me that tise combined
power and wealth Of ali these co.po, al ions
Constant effort. acting in concers and leJg-
ing mp the avenues of public opinion, By 81
lencing the press. They viii divide and dis
tract and finally defeat you. / admit heir
power-managed by the best minds il, the
country controlled by men Of intellect and
sagsciIy. backed up by untold wealth. The
man who does not see IN the future a terrific
struggle between the oppressed AMI the OPP
prcs,or IL neither a prophet nor the son Of
prophet But let no man deceive himself
History will repeat itself. Bui the victory
will finally perch upon the siansari o: right
aud eternal Justice. The longer It is delayed,
the greater the oppression. the more fearful
will be the retributioa. Do these monopoIisfs
who are eating out yeur substance. forget the
lessons OF history? Have they not read of
parties. and throRes. and Kings. and princ-
palities, and powers, and corporations being
sFeriLrown when the Indignation OF an OPP
pressed people was aroused.
The same feeiiog which finds express
ion in the above language, is strong in
this State. 1t is speaking out as never
before, in the daily talk of the people, in
the voice OF the Press, and in the utter
ances of public mep.
The remedy for the evil must be two.
fold, Legislative and commercial Legis-
lsticn can do much for this State bv es-
tablishing limit to freight rates, and by
compelling railroads to carry freight in
the order delivered TO them, with no dis
elimination to favored parties. Railroad
companies exist only by iegislStive enact
meut, and subject to legislative control.
They are intended to be the servants, not
the masters of the people.
But another, and perhap. more effec-
tive remedy, will be found in seeking
new channels for carving our vast sur-
plus products to market. The facilities
for transportation between the Mississippi
and the seaboard are inadequate to per-
form the work to be done. Ii is this fact
which has enabled the transportation
companies to obtain such exhorbitant
rates.
Now unless there is radical chsngo
in tho management Of the railways, the
products of the Mississippi Valley, must,
and We think will in any event, seek
European and Eastern market by why of
New Orleans. We cannot better state
this point than by again quoting from
from Mr.. WAsHBuRNE's speech. Speak
ing of the Rock Island and Des Moincs
Rapids, he SAYS:
These distractions interfere with the free
nav: CATION of the river to an extent little
known and but lightly appreciated. They
are a tax of millions upon millions of dollars
annually upon the people in the Mississippi
Valley who live above them.
With the rapids cleared out" the fabu-
lous amounts of grain raised in Western and
Northwestern Illinois, Western Wisconsin. in