The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1870-01-22
Railroad Restriction.

Railroad AeSCI1CC1O0.
The senior editor of the Ottawa Republican,
having been a pretty promnet member of the
Speaker or: presiding officer-nsturally feels
sensitive when the extravagances and corrup-
tons of that body are alluded to, but is over
sensitive, We think, in regarding every ami
r1adversion on its acts as a personal assault
upon himself. The remark in our last, that
The pompous assurances, at the meeting of the
last Legislature, that something effective
would be done in the way OF placing whole
some restrictions upon the railroads in this
state had ended in miserable tzzle. is borne
out July by the rejoinder which the editor of
Che RlR5'icon apparently feels i: obligatory
upon himself personally to make oft INDIE
failing exactly what the legislature did on the
subject, he says:
The last Legislature passed bill, which was
approved by the Governor and is now law, in
which it is provided that, "upon each railroad
now operated, or which may hereafter be opera.
ted IN this state, the charge or compensation for
carrying thereon freight and passengers in
this state shall be reasonable and uniform and
IN proportion to the services rendered" The law
further provides that "any railroad corporation
which shall demand and receive any greater fare
or toll than is allowed by this act, shall forfeit
and pay for every such offense any sum not ex-
ceeding one Thousand dollars and costs of suit,
including reasonable attorneys fee, to be reco-
vered in an action for debt by the party sggriev-
ed" The 9th section Of the same law subjects
any officer, agent or employee Of any railroad
and Hna off, 1eac
than one hundred dollars nor more than one
thousand dollars, for demanding or receiving any
greater toll or fare than is prescribed by this
act
and the editor asks triumphantly, "What
more could have been done by the legisla-
lure p The question may be asked with vast
ly more pertinence, "What less could have
been done by the legislature?' A more glar-
ing case Of Glow not to do it, would be diff
cult to find.
We can appreciate the difficulties in the
way OF legislation on this subject, as detailed
n the article i'll the Republican. This sort of
argument, or apology rather, is, however, only
negative. Doubtless the editor could have
greatly extended his enumeration of things
that can not be DONE But has he not like
Tie lost legislature, overlooked good many
1hlngs that can be done
@he editors remarks on the "dscrmna
lions we spoke OF do not hit the case. The
abuse alluded to has no reference to a uniform
rate of freightage per mile. What we com
plain OF IS this thing OF carrying freight from
Omaha, or some such distant point, to Chca-
go, at half the cost Of freight from Omaha to
Blue Island or Ottawa. The abuse arises out
of a competition which a uniform law for all
-oads could put an end to without injury, if
not advantage, to all the competing roads,
and certainly TO endless advantage to the
towns by the wayside.
There is gross abuse, also, among the rail
roads Of this state in the matter Of a studious
effort apparently SO to arrange their time ia
bes as to inconvenience the pnblic as much as
possible in meeting trains on different roads
At present man can go Oh foot or by OK
team from Ottawa to Mendoza sooner than he
can go by rail, though there is railroad every
foot of the way.
Then, the editor off the Republican will hard
" dispute that an important provision might
be inserted in our new constitution in regard
70 future railroads to be built in this state
and TO include the present roads Us rapidly as
their charters expire The only point we aim
to make is, that the case of reform in this mat
ter is not as hopeless as the editor of the Re-
aoubsito" would have us believe, and that the
subject is worthy of the attention Of the Con-
stitutional Convention