The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-08-17

go SeAss9s-St ~ -Axc cakOteTl21SsSFFf TGHE
I'VE hare heard with deep. regret
tAesgpsessipn sof general .dissatisfac-
D1EGennannity with sthe MAJ
Magemsut1f iourzFaii iiafoaas.during the
Iast six ff hall the com,
plnlnts that We daily hear on this
subject are well founded, the Lexis.
tSsnres seRgsat oertainly sto look into
the matter, and # possible takelnea-
sMgas to lnsRre Q speedy sreformss
s1S ~ Just that 9. railroad shpsad dis
cnminate in. %. ais rates roff freight
.a8ainsE ths eOieizens ~ef its own State
andsin kfayor ofSathosesof another
State2 hisswe aae told; isths daily
pEactice 0faf teastthree OF the srail-
roads within the imits ofsSouth CaS
rohaas Andaed. the, South. Carol;ns
RMlfoad has always acted upon shis
principle, by 4charging. more freight
upoA cotton and nerchandize from
Columbia to Charleston than upon
the same articles from Augusta to
Charleston. The Charlotte and Go
lnnbis Railroad, which has only l6
ofitssl09 miles in North Carohna.y is
natorloilsly amanaged SO as to tliscrir
Manate bys7combinations sfwith the
Nartha Carolina railronflseaud Norfolk
stesmers.7>cagainst &, Gcluaabia ua and
Charleston. ..TAgain: the Wilminpson
aadsa Man chesteN ufsaiiroad scharpcs
nearly asmuch for the characterization
of freight rom Sumter 70 .Eforenca.
as Ass does Tor she same height from,
humtera to tosyFilminSton, more than
tudea the distAnce Now, as these
two Char otte and CotnIn-
bia and Wilmington and Manchester
are controlled mainly by North Ca
rolasans, we have little hope that re-
1aonstranees viii avail aught in Sc
curing fair and impartial admin is
ta'ation OF their dealings with rthe
general public. We must look FOR a
remedy to our Legislature. Let a
general law be passed. prohibiting,
under the severest penalties, any dis
cTamination whatever on the part of
railroad companies, i'm favor oi indi.
vidqals, other railroads OF steamboat
companies. Statutes Of this charac-
ter have been enacted in several of
the Northern States, and have given
general satisfaction. The State, be-
ycnd all doubt, has the right. Ind
we believe it to be alike its duty and
true policy, to enact such law.
Apart from this question, the sche-
duie OF frelght-rates now in force on
some or our railroads is matt er too
intimately connected with the pros
perity of Charleston to be overlooked
by our citizens. 1t is Justly com
planned that there is no good reason
why the freight on cotton should be
treble what it was before the war
Then it was 81 per bale from Colu,n.
bIa to Charleston; now it is SO Der
bale. It is, Of course, right that fiftv
per cent. should be added to the ola
rates, on the score of a deprecated
currency-and perhaps fifty cents
more per bale might be allowed for
extra insurance on the increased value
OF cotton; so that So per bale OUGHT
certainly be the limit Of FREIGHT mon
Gotten from Columbia to Charleston.
Inc labor and materials required to
keep up railroad are certainly not
more than fifty per cent. higher now
than they We're before the war.
Lad our roads been content with a
moreSsmoderate rate Of freight on
e'tton, We need not tell our peonlc
now vastly larger would have been
the the a amount of business done by the
roads and cities Of South Carolino
the Iron Duke once remarked tbet
England could not afford to w ~
small war;" meaning that it w Id
cost her as much as one of more 40.
iossal proportions. The same princ;.
pie holds good in the case Of rail.
roads; they cannot afford to do n
small business. While they arc dis
eliminating against the cities Of onr
own State and driving the trade Of
those sections which are naturally the
commercial tributaries of Charleston
to Charlotte, Wilmingtouand Savan-
nah, they are likewise adopting tie
course most likely to curtaii their
own business and profits in the flu
ture. AS an evidence that wo have
not exaggerated the result of the