The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1870-01-31
BALTIMORE AND OHIO RAILROAD
=. COMPANY.

discrimination which the company makes
IN favor Of or against certain towns and
sections Of country, This discrimination,
more especially in regard to the freight
tariff, has become crying evil to our
people, and uns that demands the attcn-
ton Of the powers whose duty it is to pro-
teot the pcopl. from the grinding impo.i-
ton Of this Monopoly, uL:ch has, BY al
most imPercep.ible degrees, succeeded in
establishing q system by which they take
advantage Of the necessities Of our people
and charges them two OF three hundred
per cent more than they do their neigh.
bors over the Ohio--and this no.with-
standing that the Company owes is exist
ence, its authority and its power to the
same people it now plumbers. AS Lord
Coke once remarked, Corporations have
no SOULS" and we are more than ever in
clinsd to endorse his views as correct.
when 70 see the ingratitude and bad
faith manifested BY this Company.
Tho strides Of this Corporation over the
guaranteed rights Of our people, and its
claim 10 DO beyond, and, in fact. to con-
troll the Legislative and Judicial authority
Of our State, are calculated to awaken au
inquiry: as to the rights Of the parties; and
if the gigantic, sOulless corporation j, to
dictate laws TO us-to prescribe its own
rules Of compensation-and deny all nu-
thority to regulates it, action, we think
its time that We should know whether
these pretsns;ons are true, or mere as.
symptoms Of powers which we're never
granted. rs.
Many years szo. this Company COM
menced very "mo1est' discrimination
against our people, but before it had grown
into system. the Legislature Of Virginia
promptly brought tho matter under re.
view. Our townsman, j. M. Bennett,
Esq, uadsr an appointment for the pur-
pose, made report upon tho then exist
ing discrimiuat;oas and some observations
as to the corporate powers Of tho Comps
ny, and Of the power Of tho Legislature
and the judiciary over it. We call the
attention Of our readers to that Report,
and ask for tia careful reading. What
wa. then Gn 1859 called slight depart
urs' from chartered privileges. has now
grown into monstrous disregard Of all pri.
vate aud public rights.
Tie charter expressly prohibits the
Company from charging higher rate
from Baltimore to any intermediate sta
ton than it does for the entire distance.
Now let our people look at its rates, aud
Judge for themselves whether tho Company
has not forfeited its charter! ne
It's charges on freight from Baltimore
to Petersburg, per hundred pounds, is
thirty cents tc Clark,burs, 81 miles less
in distance, it 10 81 10; to Wheeling il.
is thirty cents, and to Grafton about the
same as to Clark.burg. !. this their
chartered permission? Isthis di.crimina.
ton! We submit il to impartial men to
determine.
The same Company which charges OUR
rnorLE. who have granted HOSPITALITY to
it. one dollar and ten cents per hundred
pounds, will carry to tradcsman at St.
Louis, Missouri, tho same number Of
pounds for rr,rr CENTS. Let the people
compare tho distance and judge for them
selves whether our criticism is Just.
We give this 10 show the shocking dis
elimination against people who have
granted impartial power to this Company,
and without whose permission it could
never have existed. -;
To carry out its plan Of discrimination,
wo arc told that this Company la, secured
the professional services Of every lawyer
on the line Of its works. This wo can
scarcely believe. A lawyer who would
become the advocate Of chartered usurpa.
ton. isas blind to bis profession al interest
as 10 is deaf TO the voice of good fame.
Fortune-nay, rAAE-nust DO theirs who
devote their talents 10 the rescue and vim
dication Of tho people from chartered su.
preuacy. Tho Courts, The Legislature
and community. must eventually concur
10 overthrow an nsurpstion 50 contrary to
all republican tendencies; and the legal
profession will be great losers in fortune
aud in character. il they do not join to
support the principles Of las and justice,
against the practices Of innovations.
Tie Legislature now in session At
Wheeling should investigate the questions
appertaibinp to ibis Csmpany. Ifjt ba.