, 1870-04-15
FRIDAY. APRIL Il, 1870,
We APPEAL 70 THE PEOPLE

FRIDAY. APRIL Il. 1870.
We APPEAL 70 THE PEOPLE,,
1t is to f'e feared from the cowardice of
vasions parties to whom the people of Chi
caeo and the grain growers ahippers and
owners have naturally looked for a vindi.
cation OF their rights against the railroad
companies and their eonnecting elevators,
that the reason why the rights Of the pub1ia
have thus far been trampled upon by these
great corporations Is because 20 few hare
had the pluck to contest with them in The
courts II is idle to call on the Cousti-
tuhonA' Convention to enact this, that. ar
the ether, if we have nobody able or willing
to enforce what they ensct- II We have
anybody Wiling to enforce the common
law obligations Of the railroads as common
carriers, they will he efound to include al that
the people need 1t has already been de-
cided that the rAilroAds are bound. as com.
mon carriers, to deliver to the consigneo, ut
his place Of business II they can reach il,
without subjecting the grim to any elevs-
tor charges whatever. We are also in
formed that, in 4 recent case tried at a Cir
cult Court n the interior Of the State. and
which WIS settled without appeal by the
railroad company, the Court instructed the
Jury TINT il through rates of freight were
rendered On grain shipped at way stations,
The company Was bound, As common car
ners to accept it, it being a violation OF
their obligations to charge lower rates for
long distances than for short On this
Same theory, the lawyers OF Pennsylvania
are now preparing to compel the Lake
Shore Road, At Eric, to carry, at the aarna
rnse psr mile, al freight and passengers
going on board there as they charge
the New York i Erie for
those that have come over that road. AL I
the decisions of tbs oourta heretofore, sus-
tain the doctrine that the common Law
ohhges railroad, AZ common carrier, to
strcdt nj G|ike.7 II elaborate statutes
were carved on tables Of stone, they could
get at nothing 10 perfectly satisfactory as
this would prove, actually carried out
and enforced. This obliges the company
to deliver to the consignee Oh the truck, il
he is ready to receive it there; to deliver to
any elevator that is connected with their
t1ack by switch, and I'VE think) to allow.
any elevntor TO connect in that manner that
desires or oGc1s to do 30. It Is rumored
that the Supreme Court have decided in the
Hempstead case that railroad cannot COM
pei one shipper to put his grain in bags II it
carries for others in bulk; and, also, that
railroads must receipt for grain by measure
OF weight, where they take il, and deliver
the EHrY1k f1nhnfifr ~ 70 nu5 |
that they cannot refuse to car7y for auv
person desiring to ship g.ain, il they carry
grain at all
To enfore these Fatious principles of the
c1lstlng law would be worth millions to the .
annual trade of Chicago, and would secure
It absolutely against diversion to other
ports OF cities. Single and indiyidua, en-
terprise seems to halt and hesitate to incur
the loss, trouble, disadvantages, and e1- .
pense of enforcing these rights, in which
Others have as large an interest as them-
selrea Even elevator owners, after seek
ing to connect their track with that Of the :
railroads, clustering Little, and failing, fall
back on their canal business, and wait for
other people to win their rights and save ,
them from being ttnmpled under foot. The
board Of Trade, the organized defenders OF
The grain and gEain-owners, are divided. :
and, for this purpose, inefficient, It de-
wolves, therefore, on the mercantile
community Of Chicago generally, with or
without The Board OF Trade, to take action
IN this matter Tho enforcement of tho :
rights Of the shippers and owners Of grain
Is demanded BY the common interests and |
welfare of Cur entire city. It is as much :.
our common duty to organize and redress .
these grievances as it would be to remove
blockade On vessels enteEing our port Tho !,
work demands general consultation and :.
organization, the raising of funds, the
bringing OF the proper suits, and the settle
ment, once for al, Of the question whether !.
the owners Of grain have any 1ighta which
its mere carriers and sto1e1a are bound to
respect To call on the Constitutional Con- = =
rendon to adopt new provisions, If wo are
all 30 pAral5zed by the money power Of a =
few railroads and elevators that ve dare not
enforce the ample remedies we already have =
at common Law, is only to repeat
the mistake OF the teamster, who |
prayed Hercules to lift him
out of the slough instead OF laying on the y
lash and putting his own shoulder to the !.
Wheel As the end in view is one in which
great numbers have m equal interest, it is
not improbable that where individual cour-
age fails, united action may attain the re- !,
suit Let the business men OF Chicago =
come together therefore, organize, contrib .
ute, and BY peaceful, but i'm and united
action, rePossess themselves Of the rights