The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-06-21

colossal fortunes for q few men the people are
made to pay increased fares for travelling and
augmented freights on every article of produce
aud merchandise they use. Every man,
woman or child is thus taxed far beyond what
fair income ON the actual cost and run
ming expenses Of railroads call for, aud
there Is no escape from this kind
Of burdensome taxation except through
the very Legislatures which are mostly con-
trolled by tho railroad corporations. The
people are compelled to use the railroads, how
ever exacting the charges may be. The only
remedy for this evil-and it is one that is
growing daily-must be found in the federal
government. The railroads are the arteries
of commerce between the several States, just
as our great rivers are, and 1t is competent for
the government under the express provisions
of the constitution to regulate this commerce.
Sooner or later the government will have to
control, directly or indirectly, railroad cor
porations and their business.
Out of the coafict that is coming on this
question the railroad corporations will pro-
badly assume more decided political charac-
ter than they have heretofore assumed. They
have not yet generally taken sides with one
political party or another on purely political
questions, except only SO far as their own par
ticular material interests have been involved.
But whenever the issue comes-whenever
movement shall be made to regulate their
operations by government they will fight as
fho nj Mi Ctotaa
Bank did when Jackson touched it, In
that event they will, probably, become
allies Of the States rights politicians. 1t would
be their role naturally to oppose the exercise
of power by the federal government, and to
fall back upon the authority of the separate
States in all matters of railroad legislation.
Considering their immense and growing power
this may become at no remote day most ex-
citing and stubbornly fought ISSUE The old
States rights party found its strength in the
institution of slavery. 1t would be curious
turn in the political wheel to see new States
rights party based upon the privileges and
interests Of the powerful railroad corpora
tions-to see The federal consultations IS
arrayed on the side of the people as against vast
monopolists and great capitalists, and these
monopolists trying to save their power ard
privileges by holding to the democratic States
rights doctrine. Yet we think it must come
to that, unless the railroad. can control the
governmen so far as to prevent the issue
being made. Corporations, it has been said,
have no souls, and the railroad companies are
~ liz, IN or inf tirrr hal cto
dating their power and grinding all they can
out of the people. AS this cannot go on for
ever, the time must come when an issue will
be made, and then will be seen, probably,
new political developments and another de-
parture for political parties.
The Connolly Inquest-Rum the Devil
That Did II.
The inquest upon the bodies of DR.. Con-
molly aad his two children has ended with a
verdict Of murder and suicide while insane.
The testimony shows beyond question that
DR.. Connolly had been drinker, and that the
insanity that caused him to take the
life of his two children and of himself
was the result of drink. The devil OF rum,
in all its long list of atrocities and horrors has
no more terrible deed to answer for. Yet it
does not seem that DR.. Connolly was one of
those steady rum drinkers who befog their
brains continuously with liquor. 1t would
appear rather that he was a man who, liking
his social glass and convivial company,
could still keep his eye and brain
clear, and, if the resolution seized him,
refrain for long periods from the touch or
taste of the devil that overmatched him at
last. He could, in short, trife and toy with
the dangerous cup. He was physician Of no
mean eminence, in well-to-do portion Of the
city. and no besotted drunkard could be that
for the length Of time he was. 1t would APP
pear, then, that he was one of those drinkers
who, touching liquor moderately at all times,
ventured at intervals upon ''spree"-one
Of those maddening whirls of dissipation
that last sometimes few days and
sometimes week or two-in which the soul
that has been restraining its passion for so
long time gives up everything to the craving
for drink and ends with the aching body,
unmanageable nerves and bewildered brain
that attend the few excitablc, feverish days
of "tapering Off. 1t is in these days that
the devil of madness seizes the moderate"
drinker, and from all appearances it was under
these circumstances that the devil of mad
ness seiz ID Dr. Connolly. Is there no remedy
for these terrible deeds? Is there rothing
upon our statute books that requires the police
to lock up voluntary madmen? Is there no
law to restrain these ''sprees" that lead to
madness and murder? There are laws
enough, and they should be enforced.
WALL STREET AGITATIoNs.- The specu,a-
tive fraternity are getting ready for their usual
summer rustication, and hence, as they like to
leave town without the mental worry of too