Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1869-12-10
Railroad TariHs.

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| From the Marshall Times.
We notice that several of our ex.
changes are discussing the propriety
OF restricting Railroad tariffs by leg.
lslatlve enactment. While we are
free to confess that railroad tariffs are
too high, We somewhat question the
expedielcy OF legislative restriction.
The policy of our legislature has
heen to. encourage the building ot
Railroads, and as consequence I'VE
reap advantages In the Introduction
OF capital the conversion OF dead
property into real wealth. the settIa.
ment or the State, &c. That these
results follow railroad building IL ma
apparent as that two and two mak a
four. NO one In 30 stupid as to ones.
ton Tor moment that the wild wasta
oi beauty represented by our almost
liilmitabie prairies, have been trans.
formed into their present condition
I'D consequence OF our railroads. If
the tarins had been restricted To n
mere paying business, it is not clear
10 our mind that we would be enioy-
ing the faciiities we now do. Capi.
tai - timid, at least men who own
and control 1T are cautious, aud only
invest their money In western enter
prises where large gains are In pros-
pect. We cannot forget that what
we are to-day, and what we exnect 10
be In the future, we are indebted
therefore To the railroads. Neither
are we unmindful or the fnct thar
they are making large profits Off Of
our industry, and that tariffs are too
nigh and burthensome. No one can
be more anxious for relief in this di. /.
rection than ourself; hut we are
forced To the belief that nv Ievjsla.
tive restriction we will bs bindinv
ourselves IN perpetual bondage to u
market that now has US as securely
In her clutches as was ever the bond
man 10 ms master. Our present situ-
alton, US all Know, is that of vassal-
age 10 Chicago. Does any one wish
10 perpetnate that vassalage? III 40.
let him advocate aud secure the pas.
sage OF a law restricting the tariff To
merely nominal pofit, and see what
the effect will be. In our honest
opinion it Will, by showing a hostili-
w To railroad enterprise, prevent
eastern capitalists from investing In
them--stopping short Off and efiectu-
ally, our present system of railroads
that are in process OF construction.
and which, when completed. will
connect US with rival markets. not
only giving us rival lines of roads,
but competing markets, and reiiey.
ing us from our unenviable condition.
Instead of restriction, enco1rav.
competition, relying upon the latter
as relief for all our ills. We do not
Know that we have made our ideas
intelligible on this point, but to us
tney seem perfectly plain and con-
Vincing from q common sense and
business like view of the case.
we Will illustrate with few fig.
ures that represent incontrovertible
iacts, and show, past the shadow OF
oil refutafion, the manner In which
we are bound hand and foot to Chi.
cago and the present grain route TO
the seaboard. Last year the cost of
transporting n busheI of wheat from
the Mississippi River to Liyerpool
was as follows: From the river 10
Chicago, 10 cents; from-Cblcago 10
Buffalo, cents; from Duffaio to
New YORK, 10 cents; from New York
10 Liverpool, 10 cents; Total, 40
cents. III now costs Is cents 10 Chi
cago, 10 cents to Buffalo, "a cents to
New York and % cents to Liverpool.
total, 10 cents. A slight difference
OF 10 cents. And why is this? Be-
cause we are compelled TO no this
way to market or stay ut home. 1T
illustrates our dependent, helpless
condition. Now. I'm our opiniop.
iegisistive restriction by preventing
the building of roads, would perpet.
uate this condition. Why, we might
as well go into slavery at once and
be done with IL. Add that 36 cents
to the present price of wheat mt
Marshalltown, 55 cents, and we find
that II would bring us 81 instead of
90 cents! Think of this, men who
are opposed TO railroads and compe-
tition. A short time since 90. 600
bushels OF wheat was shipped from
Wtnona, In Minnesota to New Or
leans, the estimated cost being to
New Orleans 10 cents, and ty Liver
pool lO cents, making u total of 20
cent?.
These are facts, and II we could
snip our wheat, as we ought to be
able TO do. by way of Sc. Louis.
wheat to-day, would be worth 81 In
this city. To enable us to get relief
we are anxiously waiting and work
ing Tor railroad connection with st.
Louis. IL tariffs should be restricted,
we fear Ii would stop the north and
south roads and leave us for man
long years to endure the bondage we
are suffering under. We for one do
not propose 10 cut our nose Off to
spite our face, hence we oppose legis-
lative restriction of railroad tariffs.