The national Republican., 1868-12-02
W. ] MURTAaH ~. Editor and Proprietor

Senator shcrmnn's Railroad Propo.
sition-Commercc over Railroads
Requires Congregational Reguln-
tion-Thc cIntelligencer's Bugaboo.
DECEMBER l, 1865.
To THE REPrBLicAN: Senator Sherman
struck a very decided keynote in his late
conversation with a correspondent Of New
York journal concerning tho duty Of the Gov.
eminent with reference to railroads. The
press Of the country, with remarkable una
nimity, Is already re.eohoing his views. He
declares that Congress has power to regulate
them 20 far as the general interests Of CON-
merce are concerned. He derives the neees-
sary authority in Congress from the clause Of |
tho Constitution authorizing that body to
regulate commerce. Your readers will resollect |
that ever since the foundation Of the Govern. |
ment Congress has exclusively regulated com.
merce upon all American rivers and bays,
whether carried on by steam or sail; and also
American commerce upon the high seas. A
thousand statutes have been enacted to that
end from first to last. In the meantime, rail-
roads have so increased In number and in
ramifed connections as that 1t Is fair to say
that at this time perhaps throe.fourths Of our
interstate commerce is transported, not on
rivers, bays, turnpikos and county roads, but
by rail. Congress has RETAINED from regu.
ladpg interstate commerce on turnpikes and
county roads, because there has been none
transported over any Of them, comparatively
speaking.
Tho growth Of commerce over American
railroads has at length come TO ovsrshadow
almost any other American industrial inter.
est. 1t has made the railroad companies the
most powerful corporations upon the North
American continents and 1t is undeniably true
that the affairs Of every one Of them are man
aged, not in, but against the commercial pub.
lies interest wherever BY hook or BY crook
by controlling Legislatures or unjustly inauepc
ing courts and jures-that can be done. This
power to impose on tho public by eIorbitant
tariffs Of rates. by unjust and unfair di,crimin.
alton and preferences. is achieved BY pervert.
ing tho special privileges embraced in their
several charters from their legitimate ends
and aims. They were In all cases granted to
cheaper freights and passage to the public,
and to secure greater (better) accommodation ms
to all the world. need hardly state that, As
the railroads Of America are nov managed,
these elements Of their several charters arc
utterly ignored-utterly. Besides, If the COM
panies were disposed to deal fairly with the
public-as they are not-,he railroads Of each
State are governed and managed under State
laws different from those under which the
n ani nj tha othar Statea
governed and managed. Hence interminabls
confusion, most injurious TO tho interests Of
interstate commerce. Hence, too, most Of
the opportunities for combinations favorable
to particular business interests, particular
roads, and particular cities, at the expense Of
the general public. II already individual
railway corporations carry Legislatures Of more
or less Of the States in their breechos pockets,
how long will II be before We end combinations s
of OfrnilWay companies assuming to regulate the
action Of Congress in all legislation appertsin.
ing to their respective interests'
Mr.. Sherman Is correct in the belief that
the time has arrived when Congress must as.
sumo its duty Of regulating commerce by rail.
II an existing company will not accord tho
ties, its charter may no longer obstruet com.
merce. The proposition is a plain one. 1t Is
tho duty Of Congress to regulate commerce
over railroads where the public interest requires
Congressional interference TO secure the pub.
lies rights. II commerce requires new high.
ways by rail, In localities where existing com
panies obtained exclusive privileges from
twenty to forty years ogo, (shen the current
necessities Of commerce were not dreamed Of,
those exclusive privileges must inevitably gc
to the wall, unless tho companies claiming
them will construct and work those new high
ways as Congress, in the exercise Of its powe
or authority to regulate commerce, may direct
The Iat,ihgeHoey evidently had an attacl
Of nightmare last night. It took the shape
Of Edwin NJ. Stanton, with his huge, round,
glaring eyes, long shaggy beard, ominous spec.
tacles, and heavy form. No doubt the phan.
tom dancing on its breast looked, for all the
world, like a big live Jack o. the box the
figure that springs children's toy boIes-al
hairy and ferocious. The MtsHgene1 il
awfully exercised over the possibility Of Stan
tons selection for a Cabinet portfolio BY
Grant, and thersupOn strings together any
number Of false and foolish statements BY
way Of frightening Grant. As it may be vol
to quiet the LntelhgsHeey'S nerve, l eau in
form 1t that II its buglboo don't 20 into
Grants Cabinet until he asks place In it, or
permits his friends to do SO with his know.
ledge and consent, ho will never get there.
happen to know the fact that Stanton never
/ his life sought Office In person or through
his friends, nor Is it likely that he will do so
now mere especially as he does not and never
did want Office. He went into Buehanan's
Cabinet, and that Of Lincoln, only because
wise and patriotic public men mot his par
ticulAr "friends'') insisted that the public
interest imperativeIy required such sacrifcsl
Of his personal inclinatiOns and private in.
terests Tho lntsHgsmesy may rest assured
write from twenty years thorough know
ledge OF its bugaboo's tastes ambition, and DO
litical and personal chAraetsr) that StantcI
will seek no Office, in tho hrst place; and In th,
next, that he will accept none, unless salts
fed that his services In 1t are impsrativsly re
quired BY the Governments necessities. Al
enyiable man, truly, Is this bugaboo Of tn
ImsIhgener, who actually wants nothinl
whatever from the Government.
The truth Is, the head and front Of his Of