The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-10-15
Necessity for RtoIeIit 1IGlIroaas.

N4! Wa7t -aIG BIHnilIFdI .
ThelnecessIty for increased and chea.
per hcllities Of tranBportati don lb6tWsen
remote sections OF the country % becomI
Ing more and more urgent every year.
Railroads, more than other agencies,
have been inatrut1ental In developing
Interior resources and stimulating the
material growth Of the country ; but
tho exiBtlng lines RH At present naanag.
! ed clearly do not satisfy the growing
wants Of the commercial and Industrial
interests Every year witnesses some
adyanoe toRard2H uoncettt alton or corr
porato power aud decreasing regard for
the rights OF individuals, Senator Car.
penter, In well considered address on
this subject at the Wisconsin State Fair
last week, allnded TO the immense and
dangerous power now welded by rail-
road oompAnieBi which he believed
would Experimentation threatening
than the one held by the VlaveholdIng
ari5tocraqy, and especially so In view
o. the alarming tendency 10 oonsollda-
uon. He remarked that when rail.
roads first sought franchises, they did
60 on the ground that railways were
pupfc " highways, and as much
under tie, control OF the Leglsls-
tIrs as any other highway: They ar
tprded the only Qualification for the
taking OF private property except for
,publtc uEe9.' Now, however, two 'Su-
|'prene c6utta Of Western States iowa
iand Wisconsin) have decided that 1
|railroat company Is o mere private
corporation, and that the Legislature
has no more power over Its property
or affairs than II, has over those Of 3
bank, R manu- actnflng company, or
over o RriBt- ntll. hey ate, ''saya the
Senator, public, CORPORATIONS when
they want TO take ,yohr land without
your consent; they, are private corpora.
lions as soon rs they get your land,
and, OF course, entirely exempt from
Legislative CONTROL The remedy he
suggests, "a, that, Congress exetclses its
hight to regulata commerce with foif-
, elgn nations and among the several
StateS,' and construct national road
from the BeghoSrd to the Western pro-
ducing diatricts, which .ehalI be free to
the use otRll, on the payment OF mod.
crate TOLL Whether such d scheme Ia
practicable OF desirable, we ahall
not stop toInqnire;- but that one,
or more, double track roads for freight
only, between NeH York and the
Mississippi nTiyeh properly equipped
and judldioualy. managed, would re-.
turn large. profits and be Of great public
utility, there IL no room for doubt; and,
from the course OF events, we believe
| such aroad or roads, will, before long,
come To be q public necessity. Until
then, the aid OF legislation National
legislation, II State cannot be hatl)
should be invoked, to define more
closely the duties as we'll az the respon.
abilities Of railroad companies, With o
view TO protect shippers from the te-
dlous delays and Uncertainties, the
losses by speculation, and from, yerv
| 0ften, the odious and utterly irrespon.
sihle tyranny toJWhich they are sub
lectedhhy these corporate companies.
The common law regulating the respon.
elbllities Of public carrier does not reach
one in hundred OF the cases of loas
and injustice to which shippers are
| constantly subjected, whilst the cost OF
an appeal to the courts Ia itself an Of
tectnal bar In many cases. 1oE
This is q matter In which all sections
are interested; fox, as the interior draws
i from the Beaboardt 90 does It's prospect.
4 ~ flow, back In Q compromising tide:
and what Is q loss 10 the trading towns
and cities that are strung along the
lines Of railway, Ia, equally loss TO
| the great seaboard centers OF COM
merce. We are, In fact, all bound M
IA similar Interest. The growth OF
the cities and towns whose business
4 life Is 80 largely fed from these com
|. merolal arteries Is seriously threatened
4 BY the inexcqsablY lax system OF for
WardlpH which now. prevails. Instead
4 Of keeping the existing trunk lines in
condition, in laying additional tracks
and increastpg their capacity. for husl,,
ness, IN increasing tha rolling STOCK
and generally adding To, the real yslne
| Of the property, they are skinned 10
pay dividends on watered stock. THE
policy may answer for time, Just as
4 p bankrupt may Disguise. his condition
! by loans at d rate OF interest that ia
consuming rapidly his borrowed
means, but the break must come ineyI
itably.-U. s. &hippfRg list. - nm ~.