, 1866-03-01
THE FREIGHT QUESTION.
A Plea for tho Railroads.

.ditors Chicago Tribune: -
CHICAGO, Feb. p, 1886.
It Is auIte evident 10 everybody TINT there
8 something either in the system Of revenue
dortad he tbo government or In fhe dis
'1of's" - ~ 3.,as .a..s,;,s.s ~ ~ 49,
ency, orin the difficulty md expense Oh Trans
oortation, which is operating very prcjudi-
,ia1,v ia thc interests Of the great mass Of the
.o,,,,,ot,,, ~ +bo Northw.at- 1cferestra
E~lalaAa ,,.,.,. ~ ~ ~ "s m.a ~ 49,,
aftles-pollicaans-a Meh "no ME yer
1aps incapable Of discerning the true causes
Of the difncnlty, have been willing and eager
Io m.tc thc ,n,,roads tbc scape.5oat. which
ssa..1s he.s +,,a .a.s.,,annos ~ IL +hs sins of
snonla oear 1he consequences o. az ~. elhs ~ "
the people and Corporations, mol pelng Tue
subjects Of much sympathy, 1t has been easy
10 raise and swell the tide OF popular feeling
, ca,nst them In the n,tcb. which We see It to
nave altalneo. Anefe - oo.aius sui ~
this, but 1t will be well for the people to e1-
e1c.sc some caution, act with some dclibetn-
linn listen N discussion. and not declama-
t,on. md aenpnc;,tIons ,,st IN the,r Mind
s,e5 1ss.,oaa .,.'~ s,s,ra ~ tbose ,ns,,tr,5,ns
which after all have contributed, aud arc get
contributing, more than almost all other
cause. IN tbe deyelopmcnt of tho resources
-, -. ,,.o..,.x,t,, ~ tha corntr II Ia NV
nn1 nu-oee ~ ~ sa1 s1,netbinp lar liz railTsvs.
p.t t%s+ rhat sav NAV haze m credit to
Ssot, liz J.. ~, antit1ed e-3sh Grst - s.v
Wv ~, ~ = ;n4crestsd IN rn,,roads-as an own.
snas am hn95er derd "nd ~ ~ mansecr Let M cyeTy
~, ~ " 3tsrsfnse nsEa III .1icrsnees fnr vhat
cue, ea. i', MsA m,ra Tatrht ~ nv stat.-
~ aa .hs,te ~ faot. ava rcnsons sntit}e them
nsS ~ Th.ea sn ~ 1r;,i 1 csrrr veoht ennnrb with
t,..,,, trha,, III a1Yor:ncas Thsch eren n,rinz
d;cn dIe, 1n"t 1ea c1,;m IN sre made for them
,nari. "a hissn2y II II raslroads In I},inois has
i.as, ne ~ ~ Insscs and disastcrs Ia thnse Win
cooat tpncted ~ 9hrnAthst is n thu stnckbo1d-
40 Tho old C.ienn Rack Tsland and the
Rrr}inntnn 1nsv he considered Fuccessful.
t,onefs far nearly three yearr lie latter made
m J;v,dends and many of ia stockbolders
~crc brayy losers. The other roads were all
wlicb went into The stock was mainly LOST.
Thc Illinois Central for len wears dld not earn
money enoprh 10 make a dividend, Most OF
tie ojher roads were sold out on mortgages.
The losses of money have been immense.
Upou This simple statement. how unjust and
unreasonable does the clamor appea. to every
fair mind. which calls Tor LEGISLATION which
shall practically take the charge Of all the
rai]road property Of the State out Of the
Bands Of fta owners. and put 1t in the control
Of those who did not build and donot Own 1t,
vjx., the people OF the Stste, through the
Ien4slatufr. Even to-day, when high prices
rulc for transportation, and must rule for some
statc. nea, railroad, which Is not worth
twice as much, or nearly so. as II would be If
the railroad were taken M or stopped run
ninp on]y tnr one year- And the citv of Chi
caro-. where there has existed some feeling
sremst and much Injustice has been done 10
or nothing without them. Il Is the creation
nf the Railroads.. and wonld drop TO decay II
ti,cy could be destroycd. FilfT millions Of dol
fars hare heen erneuded in property OF this
nxturc in this State. which have been totally
lost to the parties who expended It, while
TIC country through which the roads
which bave absorbed it ran, the towns nlong
mer in the vicinity have been benefited and
built up by tLem. And now such positions
are taken by men who oueht to be sensible
and inst. and the people arr passing such res
n1utions. eyeryWlerc. to show that If they
had The pnwcr. the uronertv Of the few com
fnra been foTtunn,es Tnnid soon be reduced
~ ~. ,he.a ~ hae, tn-,,cS
'ns o,1s ~ a.rt,soat ~, ~ ~ =
ou. ~ pa ~ w. "ou ~, Ue sat of ~ - nn,'1 U,1
1otn " hoota ~ tns o ti,es. y, -. ~.
", to"ns any CUES 1ions eaeI ece1 i!t,aa uuSe'
MMcn e., snal 3 ~ 1a'es q u .1et' '"ianatnn ~
nsa1p NE c9nllol " piupetty ht ogatasmg = n ~
the stocEhOldets WHO nave LIE flgnL 70 man
agc 1t, and which shall makeit, az the faTorlte
expression is, ne sestant Of The people and nos
l.fiy master. Shame on an who reason ano
clamor thus. These companies own theif
property. They have right TO manage u,
as al owners Of property have. No man o.
Legislature has me r1sht Or INC power 70
invade or usnrp tnat eontroLA n Lne 1all, u,
roaos cannot oenent lhe country rs mnea q
ts agreeable 10 II, Is tnels misfortune anu
that Of the people, b1t the owners are mol
therefore called upon 70 throw away an Inc r..
manning fHuey 10 theaf lnvestmenM 70 gIo!ltia !,
any popular clarnor. 1t ts cerlhm 1hat II
they cannot afford to pay all the taxes Of TN
country, and bear au ne ou5aens tmposee
upon them, oy ooin Statc and ucucta! uot'
eminent, and yet 90 business ior nolMnE ol
! next to 1t, they DO not Sill 90 tne county
any wrong. or n)ure It. an tne comm91 =
ROADS of Inc country are SCI open, ana fall
Why's arc great injury TO the producing c!ass
Al! thai injury anu wrong may &c aFolaea .!
using Inc loaos winch tnaL elnss own nnt
nave lhe f1sat 70 contfol: ana Lais Is ln'
prepe1 lemeay iof aetaaa 1nJnIy ~ ~ ueslte :,
os ~ IsG hG,;a ian ~ 49, f. =, en nUw
aa4s'alxss =, h,isI 1no1a ~ u ~ NEW snd e
oon s'noaad ~ " irIunsno .no,e - rastn ~ mnnc,
~ -. honaat - 81 Iii 1,5nhshiv eccnn,,1is, ~
n.',ass ss..aa - = mre.- Saweye- ha cnr
S4nlsSIt SlyaI s1.nt ~ dis,nsi+;nr o,fnced tovnr
raasis IN ~ e4;atanna IL nv veil calcn
.vII0 .a1 ~ ~ tna.;,a - tha oo,,st~nct,nn ri mrs
atTh .s ~ rasss .nG hoMaxsv .rs fornina Il, +b
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