, 1870-05-09

This through business may pay the roads, but
IL certainly does not tend to build up business
al home. Ths Tolono dealer psys 1o~ ra1o
of freight, but .ho Enust mako tTo or n1o1e
wits to Ecr York in the cou1se Of the year.
md .hc agents Of New York houses must pass
over the route for busincsa, and the tsso CON-
b,r ed My. Both freight aud passenger ratos
arc against thls trade to Chicago. Tho through
rn.cs On trave1 are about hslf that Of tho local
rates. I am veil satisfied that our Wes4
crn roads would largely increase their
dividend by reducing their passenger
1a.cs one half, aud to materially modify those
On 1.eights.
Tho struggle for the control Of these roads
and tie gambling in their atocks have boen IN
the way Of . welldigested system Tho
officers Of to-day dare not make any toatsra
Change for fear Of falling of Of rcco1pts.
They know what tho present rates wiu produce
and cannot take the riak Of material cttsnges-
Should the lower rates dssppeins their cxpeo-
tation they might bo In danger Of losing their
heads BY the gamblers who manipulate these !
stocks. Within the past year tha Illinois
Central has been turning its attention 10 local
busiuess, and has thus FAR found it to pay;
hut one road can do but little in general re~
form. The people think the rates too high, on IN
average, and inaist upon change, and the I'M
precision ia general anong those who hase
given tho subject attention, that lower rates by
increasing the business will, IN short tme1
pay better than those now IN force. It ia due
he people, that trial be made. This need
not involve the whole Of the roads, 30 1as as
the passenger traffic is concerned, but might
,,e tested on d single lindsay from Chicago
to Mendoza, Rockford, bloomington or Cham
paigu Put tho fare at half OF txo-thirds OF
the present rzte for three or sax months.
The fixing Of uniform rate per
nile for freight or fare on all the
roads is an Absu1dity. When lower.
rites will not inc.case the business, no such
| road ought to be asked to cauy As chaaply..
| We must take this matter on tho lroad ground
uf ma:,;ug al roads pay fair dividends that are
I required for tho business Of tho country.
This 1ntagonism botwcon tho people and the
| railroads has, 10 large extent, grown odt OF
| tho struggle for the through traffic. Tho
| farmers a.guo that it the long lines can carry
! at the competing price, that they should pro
| rata, on the eto1t liaey. They do nottake in
| to consideration that this competition often
luada to 1esious loss. In ehoEt.
this whole subject Of railroads nocds
reforming, and ono OF tho h-st steps is
to have Illinois roads mausged in Illinois, not
il Wall street.
The interests Of the people and the roadsaro
| mutual, and neither side can afford To take
my undue advantage Of the other. Tho roads
are necessary to the people. and, without tho
patronage Of the people, tho roads are Of no
value. The roads stand in relation to the peo-
ple the Same As merchant, and they cannot
afford to do mean act toward their custom
| rv,+1 la nj, har1 tI,a r41af
| afford to nek the roads to operate at loss
| When farm products are low, the farmer is
compelled to curtal bis expenses, h rule that
railroads are not entirely FREQ from. VIC
henr a great deal about competing lines.
Tint is not what we need 80
much Us fair dealing. Competing lines cannot
live without profit, md non-paying compel
ing line IL q damage 10 any community. Like
all other investments, railroads must pay.
Reduce tho cost Of iron, lies and, az far as
poseiblc, all departments Of the business, and
then aek for further reductions in ratea. The
stockholders have to meet these business
matters, and the sooner tho better. They
may, for time, shape tho legislation Of the
country on these points, but it ia not for their
interest to do 60, nor do think it is their in-
tention, il met in spirit Of mutual couces-
sion. The charge that tle press will not do
its duty and deal justly between the parties,
is absurd. Their interest lies with ths general
prosperity Of tho country, not to sec ono in
tcrest suffer at the expense OF another.
HUNGARIAN GRASS.
When this grass was first introduced it be-
came very popular, but it MSS found to be III
furious to horses, and the cbinch bug had an
cspecial liking TO it. The injury to Aotses was
fha result of A tniefaka in flA time of emitting