The Vinton record. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1866-1891, 1867-02-28

iuS OOuNuClo iWAVl OluCl V4upuHlOo
for the Wholesale transportation of
freights at lower rates than are
otherwise charged; a provision
which has the exterior appearance
of equity, but which cannot be en-
forced without interfering with the
rightful free-agehcy Of the parties
affected. If the object is to sup
press orbreak down express com
panies or fast freight lines, the
question arises, what business has
the Legislature of Ohio to make
laws to break down express COM
panies or fast freight lines! II
such companies or lines are inl-
moral, and therefore against pub
liz policy, let them be prohibited
but if they are not, it may be ask
ed: Where did the Legislature OF
Ohio acquire the power to do that
indirectly which it may not do di'
rectly? h a.Ht" H
Our remarks touching illegiti-
mate legislation apply with equal
force to another bill, also before
the Legislature, to create the office
of Commissioner of Railroads and
Telegraphs, whose duty may be de,
scribed briefly as a supervision OF
railway and telegraph companies,
with power to interfere in their
management, prosecute them for
real or imaginary breaches of the
law, pry into their dealings with
their customers and the public,
and with Incidental black-mail ia
cilities. We do not know why
there should be a Commissioner of
Railroads and Telegraphs, any
more than a Commissioner of Ho-
tells and Lager-beer Saloons T: nor
do we know where the Legislature
obtains any more power to appoint
a fellow to pry into the books, pa
pers, dOings and dealings of a rail
road company, than it has to ap-
point a fellow to pry into the
books, papers, doings and dealings
of the merchants Of Pearl or Fifth
street, Cincinnati. .' .
1t is true that these bills have,
as yet, neither of them become
laws; and 1T may depend upon the
railway and telegraph companies
whether they ever pass through
the final forms of legislation
Railway companies and telegraph
companies have, or at least are
vulgarly supposed to have, a7good
deal of money; ard, as experience
has many times demonstrated, than
money there is no material NOR
efficient to expedite or retard the
wheels of legislation. We should
be doing great injustice to the ma
jority of the members of the two
Houses of the General Assembly
of Ohio if we should insinuate a
word Of suspicion of the purity of
their patriotism, the devotedness Of
their loyalty, or the Splendor of
their public virtue; but when it
comes to matter of dollars and
cents, there is no question of these
holiday attributes. 1t has been
good deal the custom at Columbus
to bring the railway companies of
the State to2an annual or biennial
reckoning; and many a ruling eld-
er from the Reserve has conScien-
tiously gone home at the end Of
session with pockets considerably
heavier than his per-diem could
explain. We may not he borne
out by the theory Of our Govern
ment, which purports to require
and enforce great purity of official
conduct but in respect to the
practice, there is not, among men
of experience, much difference of
opinion. Other things being equal,
the heaviest purse will win; and
although the public conscience of
the average legislator is sublime
in its rejection OF venal induce
ments, 1.-THE springs which move the
private one nearly always admit of
judicious fabrication. If, there
fore, the ailway companies, or any
Of them, desire to prevent the pass
age of the bills under censidera-
ton, or either of them, let them
take money in their hands. Money
is potent. Money, with delibera-
tive bodies, is almost omnipotent.
1t is wonderful aid to reflection,
directing the sharpest and quick
ening the slowest intellect, and i'm
parting to the moral faculties a
vigor such as can be awakened by
no other known agency. q "fc.52f
.EgUut u.i ----------, -, ---.' Il. as
-r The CULxERs IN CoURT. - On
Monday last CIV. Culver, Lucien
H. Culver, and John Walker an