, 1870-05-18
The Transportation Question.

To the Farmers Of the No1thlces. -
The convention Of farmers which assem-
cusaion OF the objects which called them TO-
gether, presented, among others, the follow
Fh.1 - esa;r. er vs,sss1 r4gas ser up BY The
cliastered companies, by which they assume
that the people have HansfeEed to said CON-
panies any essential portion of their sovcr-
eignty, is m assumption which cannot be tol-
Grated IN free government.
The corporations which set up this axtraor-
dinary claim were, but few years ago, sup
plants at your hands for. charters End right
Of way, by which to. construct highways Of
greater capacity. and subject in all their de-
tails to legislative direction and control; but
now the franchises so obtained are used to ex-
tort from the people the rneans OF carrying On
3 ar upon their interests, to render them
procure for their pretentious theories and out
rageous practices the sanction OF the courts.
They now claim to be ps5rdte corporations,
to bedea1tiwith As t,sdfoid1al common carriers;
and the courts suBtAin them
They usurp the functions Of guVexnm meut, BY
refusing to assessors the night to estimate the
Ealue Of their property for taxation, listing it
themselves at a melo 1.-THE OF it's value; and
again the decision Of the courts Is in their
They contract to deliver pzoperty 1t certsin
points, but refuse consignees possession, un-
lees they submit to arbitrary e1sctions Of
storage which noFer accrued
.Ihey consolidate Competing railroad lines;
place constitutional impedirents in tho way of
improvement OF wntercourses, and gnbble up
thus preventing competition on the one hand,
and increasing indefinitely ths rates Of Hansit
On the other.
These arc but samples Of the doings Of an
ovetshadowmg monopoly; which dates its
origin but little back OF the present genera
1+N1f Hall rat al oil
ing capital Of 90, 600, ,000, COO.
The farmers Of the Northwest, from their
position, must become the frat ylctinla, and
should, therefore, organize at once, il they
would not become tenants On their Own soil By
organization do not mean the old Wiro-pnl1-
ing concern so long used to beslaye you with
its fulsomc nonsense, just before election, but
leaving the souIess monster to thrive
equally well On tho Keeping Of all
parties I mean co operative business effort,
enT, and means Of . million menEof similar
interests and pursuits; which sha11 say to
party politics: Give us q fair, field, and We
will demonstrate what your honeyed speech
hna 80 often told us-that We are at least
portion Of the bone and sinew Of this fair
sweet)y kept to the ear, can no longer be
broken to tle sense with impunitJ. And, to
this end, in discharge of the duty deyol4e3
upon me By the convention, Respectfully sub
NIT the following
CALI FOB ACTION.
. The farmers Of the Northwestern States and
Territories are requested to meet in their re-
spectiTe School Districts, On Saturday, the 4th
day Of June ne1t, ut o'clock p. m, for the
discussion Of the issues here presented, and to
appoint committees for the following pur-
poses, to wit:
l. To make list Of the names and Post
Office address Of all persons who desire to be- |
como members Of an association for the pro-
lection sof agricultural interests by business
means. |
2 To estimate as nearly as may be tho |
amount Of agricultural products Of such dis
tricts, and the net cash value thereof, to be |
used in the preparation Of report showing
The products Of the Northwest, their rights to
transportation and market, and the remedies
available for existing wrongs; and,
8. Send to the undersigned report of their
HERE G. WHEELER,
Commissioner Of Statistics.
Address Henry c. Wheeler, Downer's Grove,
Dupagc County, Ill.