The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-09-20
sTasdy#y.sstics.

MEssHs. EprToRs: The South Ca
rolina Railroad Company have at
last been compelled by necessity (not
choicel to put the merchants of 90
E'umbia and the up-country on an
equality with Augusta. The Legis-
lature, of South Carolina chartered
the railroad to be a benefit to its citi-
zens; bnt, since its completion, it
has Disseminated in freights largely
in favor of Augusta, and helped to
build it up at the. expense of Colnm-
bia and Charleston.
The present concession of equal
rates of freight with Augusta has
been won from the fears of the
managers of the Company, and not
from any sense of right due to the
citizens of South Carolina. To the
competition of the airline route
from the Northern cities, via Ports
mouth, Va, the public are indebted
for the present concession. The
pocket nerve of the Company was
touched, and the fear of the entire
transfer of trade of Columbia and
the up-country was the sole cause of
this tardy act of justice. No sense
of right impelled them to it, and the
citizens of Columbia owe them no
thanks for doing that which the law
would long since have compelled
them to do, had it been enforced.
The original charter of the Com
pany limited them to charge not ex-
ceeding thirty cents per 100 pounds
for each 100 miles of road. Subse-
quently, it was advanced to fifty
cents per 100 pounds to Hamburg.
Whether they have q right to charge
the increased rate to Columbia is
questionable; but, ut any rate, they
have exercised it, and far in excess,
as is we'll known by those compelled
to bring their supplies over the road.
At the present Augusta rates, their
charges for many articles are higher
than their chartered privileges al-
lowed. Dry goods, hardware. boots,
shoes and many other goods are
charged at seventy-one cents per 100
pounds to Augusta and Columbia.
If the original charter rates were
charged, forty-five cents per 100
pounds would be the highest freight
they could collect. If they can
charge to Columbia the advanced
rates, then sixty-five cents per 100
pounds is all they can legally charge.
1t is incumbent, then, to have the
advanced rate of fifty cents per 100
pounds repealed at the next session
of the Legislature, as the Act ex-
pressly reserved the right of repeal.
The organic law of the State can
be changed in relation to railroad
charters. These companies, who
undertake to build up cities outside
of the limits of the State, ut the
expense of our citizens, must be
taught Mat no preferences Of Mrouqh
f'eights TO parties beyond tie limits Of
South Carolina mM be tolerated. AS
an illustration of high charges, it
may be stated that a keg of nails
cost, by the late rates, forty-three
cents from Charleston to Columbia
distance of 130 miles-while it
could be transported from Richmond
to Columbia-a distance of about
400 miles, and over four railroads.
for fifty-two cents. The charge for
salt from Charleston to Columbia
was sixty cents per sack; from Char
lesion to harlotte--nearly double
the distance-only seventy-tive cents;
and, stranger still, if Ieft at Chester,
about midway of the Charlotte Rail-
road, would be 81. The State Con-
stitution must, then, be changed, to
prevent the railroad abuses, and it is
for the people to will that it must be
done at the approaching convention.
In the meantime, it is the duty, as
well as the interest, of our merchants
to assist the opposition route. They
owe nothing to the South Carolina
Railroad Company, and are only now
indebted for this show of liberality
to the competition of the airline
route. MERCHANT
In the outskirts of an American
city, Philadelphia, there is a very
small Episcopal Church, entitled