Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-12-16
TIE RAILROAD QuEsr1ox-The B,ltimors

TIE RAILROAD QUESTION Baltimore
Sur and the Baltimore Gd-stfe have taken the
Constitution in charge 20 see that 1t is not viola.
ted by Congressional legislation to provide
railroad fsC ilItIes 10 Washington. The Constl.
tuition was severely battered during the WAT.
according 10 these papers, indeed the Gazette
says exists now ''only In name" but If Con-
gress grants railroad charters 70 enable Us to
get cheap coal from Pennsylvania, and cheap
provisions from the West, Southwest aud
South, reducing the cost of living here % per
cent, then, indeed, that sacred instrument will
De absolutely, completely, and tee-totaly done
Tor! The GG-Fftr assumes threatening tone
'lb2t thIs usurpatiOn will be- resisted Is cer-
tain says that paper "unless the Supreme
Court shall once more for party purposes
EaiDtain rigid silence when asked 70 in
terPret TIE law Of the land"
That IL TO say, If Washington gets her rail-
road charters, she VIII have 10 fight her right
to use them through all the Courts, up TO thu
supreme Court OF the United S;ate1. But why
should Baltimore consider herself the special
custodian of the Constitution, and the special
vindicatOr of State rights We do not hear
this outcry from any other quarter; and we
imagine that Congress will hardly be- guided
~ admOnitlOn or intImIdsted by threats from
that single point. Possibly that body will hold
that all the knowledge of constitutional law is
EOt conferred ii Baltimore
Somewhat logically the san while laboring
so earnestly to prevent US from getting these
charters, il continually asserting that the roads
will never be- made; that We cannot raise the
money TO build them. Very well, if they never
Will be built why need Baltimore fret herself
shout the charters
We are sorry to see this spirit manifested
toward US by a eighboring city which has
really substantial interest in the prosperity
of Washington; and especially in its continu-
ance as the seat of Government which. Senator
Sherman tells us, depends solely upon our
improving our railroad communications. We
were told few days ago, by a Baltimore
paper. that the attempt now being made 10 effect
a through freight connection through that city
would be resisted In their courts. And yet the
break OF connection these parties in Baltimore
propose 10 perpetuate Is one OF the greatest
drawbacks we have TO contend With. Hop 1t
Injuries our prosperity has been shown repeat
sdly in these columns; but If accumulative
proof were wanted, ii Is furnished by such
facts as these set forth by writer IN this morn
iug's CIroni~ls. He says:
The writer of this had four carloads Of
potatoes sent 10 HIM last May from Cleveland,
Ohio. The freight from Cleveland &c Bald-
more was S3-, while the freight from the
Northern Central depot in Baltimore TO the de-
POT here was Si77.-5 Or more than ore-h9lf of
the entire freight from Cleveland TO Balimo ore,
. dis tan c. more than twelve times as great as
from Baltimore TO Washington.
"All WasnIr gtOn freight coming over the
Northern Central road has 10 be prepaid in
Baltimore before II Will b. forwarded by the
Baltimore and Ohio road. Merchants here
are obliged 10 employ forwarding agent IN
Eal lmCre, or go over IN person and attend 10
the resBIpment Of AL goods. This arrange
inert has driven almost the en- ire freight
business INTO the hands of express companies
If merchant undertakes 20 economic and at
tend 10 the transfer Of his own freight, every
obstacle il thrown in his way by the employees
81 the Camdel station. Baltimore. The
Writer OF this tried the experiment on a load
# potatoes in bulk. ne delay In getting car
Srd The transfer of the potatoes used up two
days. and y hen the potatoes arrived here they
were forty bushels short, besides being damaged
by so much handling He then came TO the
conclusion that IL was cheaper 10 pay the extra
amounts charged by the express companies
thaE 10 risk the goods in the hands of the Bal
timOTe and Ohio Railroad Company.
Y he rates CT freiChts ON Rochester, New
York. 10 Baltimore are more than from
Rochester to New York city, and vet IL is
notorious fact that produce can be got from
Rochester 10 Washington, via New York city,
cheaper than by the direct route, via Baltimore.
The unreasonable and un necessary cost of
getting produce from western New York and
northern OHIO 10 Washington has 50 dsscour-
aged produce dealers thar the trade Is nearly
aoandOued. and merchants here are compelled
10 buy their goods either in Baltimore or New
York.