Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1866-02-08

newn 0n11ron1o - n1og1ooaeAoo.
- leWa ksRislaeieo has beesss Il bill
- ~ rsgulaiioa Of charges Of railroad
ts0paalu. lt ~ introduced ~ Mr.. Hol.
esstain raas los ths ttensportatioa Of 49,
eengsrs and Ssriouas oinds pf freight. The
zSmasyapa9hisss1 strongly With the eaests
Of The people through their representatives
U secure relief from the charges Of railroad
|eoupauies. But the remedy promises to b
|a good deal worse than the evil. It 10 just
~ impossible 70 attempt 70 provide tariff
Tor the guidance of railroads., a. Il would be
10 do the thing in the case Of dry goods
dealer. The prizes Of freight and thoss Of
dry goods depend 30 largely upon circum-
stances that the attempt to establish . fixed
price 10 simply impossible. and absurd IN
addition. Mr. Holden, with precisely -
much propriety, might attempt 70 establish
tariff BY which his constituents shall sell
their grain and BUY their groceries. The
Iowa remedy Is worse than the Wisconsin
remedy. The latter proposes 10 leave the
value Of freight to board Of commissioners
There is soms fexibility in this plan, for
the board could elevate or depress prices &C.
cording to cifcumstanceA But the iowa
plan is rigid it admits Of no varistion, and
provides an arbitrary schedule Of prices,
which cannot yield 70 the pressure Of cir
cumstances, such - scarcity in certain
frciehts, cxpension or contraction Of the
currency, &C., &c.
There 10 no principle better established
than the one that commerce, to be success
ful, should DO unrestricted. There may be
individual instances which prove exceptions;
but il is better TO allow these exceptions "a
exist than to violate the general principle
II is better that railroad here and there
should be allowd to practice extortion than
the legislature should violate the principle
Of non.intcrferencs in values.
II has been suggested that II our rail
roads would, At the present time, lower
their tariff on corn, ell this clamor and ag
itation might be avoided. The low price
of corn and its high price - freight make
il almost worthless to the farmers Of the
Northwest. II our railroads would consult
cxpediency in this matter, and should
agree to carry corn, even if done at loss
they would materially restore the Tranquil
ity of the community. All these meetings
Of farmers and the action Of legislatures,
are damaging to railroads in their mora
effects. They disseminate the impression
all over the country that our railroads are
engaged ia . grand game Of cxtortion, snd
tho result is, that emigration seeks other
points. 1t is therefore for the material in
tercsts Of these rail ways that they yield t.
tho fair complaints Of the people.
The Times has bofere repeatedly arged
upon the farmers TO put their corn into
something else than sacks. bushel o.
corn inside Of hog will fetch good dca
more in Chicago or In any other market
than it will in its raw state. A bushel o.
corn in the shape Of pork or hive hog
not only is worth double when at the mar
ker, but it costs less to get it there. II
therefore, our farmers wish TO raise thu
price of corn and lower the freight, let then
feed it to stock. 1.-THE railroads are extor
tonate in their charges in any respect, it il
in the case Of live stock and yet few
grumblc at freight on live stock. Why
Because live stock bri, gs big prices. III
same principle applies in everything else
let our farmers raise only what command
high prices, and the evil Of extortionat
freights will disappear. r. Chicago Tunes.