Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-04-01
RAILWAY meNopoLrEs.


tribute TO commerce as in former times it
did to the sword" The despotism of this
feudalism is as certain as was the other,
though the means for enforcing it are
more subtle and complex, psrtsking in
this respect of the change in the spplica-
ton of force which has marked the adj
vance of industry itself. Industry now
does not depend upon mere muscular en-
efgy, but upon steam, nor does despotism
depend upon the sword for maintaining
it's rule, but upon legislation, upon finan.
cial methods.
; The writer above referred to says:
'Already three of the States are as much
controlled 10 their political, financial and
commercial interests, by railways in their
borders, as ever the people in the
feudal times were controlled by
the baron in the castle. Pennsylvania
is well known to be under
the control of the Pennsylvania Central
Railroad and its allies in that State. This
is so patent fact that within the past
year Democratic member of the Legis-
lature of that State said: 'Air. Speaker,
if Tom Scott [the Vice President of the
Pennsylvania Central has no further bus
mess with this Legislature, move we
adjourn" This Thomas A. Scott has,
within the last few weeks, BEEN elected
President of the Union Pacific, and j.
Edgar Thompson, the President of the
Pennsylvania Central, has been elected 8
director IN this Pacific road. This same
Pennsylvania company has invaded Vir-
GINA. The Richmond Commercial
says:
The closing scenes of the railroad
struggle in the Senate, on the Esd ult.,
were somewhat new in this section, and
we could almost have imagined that we
had been transferred to Harrisburg. The
chamber was crowded; blonde bearded,
blue. eyed, keen-yisaged Pennsylvania
Yankees grinned exultantly, bustling
hither and thither, buttonholing, Whisper
ing, interviewing, sending and receiving
mt ssages; while the Radical members and
their Senatorial allies smirked in high
glee at the noble but futile efforts OF
Penn, Taylor, and other true Virginians,
to avert the impending disgrace and ruin
of the old commonwealth.
A Baltimore paper, speaking of this
same railroad struggle, adds:
The fight has been desperate one.
The friends of the Pennsylvania Central
followed freely examples which had been
already set. Rooms were open, liquor
flowed, Havana cigars lay plentifull,'
about, popular counsel were engaged at
large lobby salaries, and there are stories
of money having been used very freely in
other ways. The expenditure OF the
company to secure its charter is vsriously
estimated at from 100000 to $3.50, 600.
At the last annual meeting of this COM
pany, Feb. 81, Mr.. Scott in reply to an
inquiry by stakeholder, whether there
was a combination to absorb all the lines
which this company now controls west
of ittsburg, answered: ''The extensions
of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company
now are limited 10 Chicago, st. Louis,
Louisville, Cincinnati, and, as leadina!
from these centres, others forming con-
nection with New Orleans, and lines to
the Pacific coast"
New Jersey is in the hands of the New
Jersey railroad, corporation resulting
from the combination of the Camden and
Amboy and the New jersey Transports
ton Company, and this too has been
leased to the Pennsylvania Central.
Maryland is under the dominion of the
Baltimore and Ohio road. New
York finds its safety in the fight be-
tween the Central and Erie. Where is
this to endl If legislation shall continue
to be controlled in the future as it has
been in the past, how long will it be be
fore our democratic institutions are at the
mercy Of a combined railway monopoly
Under their plausible plea of "vested
rights" what enOrmity commercially ms
they not perpetrate upon the people
But will that plea be permitted to avail
them in their victorious msrch2 Will not
their own encroachments arouse power
and determination to strip them of theiI
sovereignty9 Our forefsthers in theil
Declaration CT Independence said: "When
long train of abuses and usurpations,
pursuing invariably the same object, evin'
ces design to reduce mankind under
absolute despotism, it is their right,
it is their duty, TO throw of
such government and to provide
new guard for ther future secu,
rity." Will not this doctrine apply
as forcibly to a despotism of railroad
Kings as it did to the despotism of the
King of Great Britain 1t is true the
constitution of Tennessee says ''no law
impairing the obligation of contracts shall
be made 1t also says: "Perpetuiies
and monopolies are contrary to the genius
of free State, and shall not be al
Lo,Ued." Will corporation under the
protection of the first of these sections
be permitted to ruthlessly trsmple under
foot the second? We presume not 1t
is consoling to know that if commerce
does threaten to organize more formid-
able tyranny than even the feudalism of
the sword ever became, yet the forces adj
couate for its peaceful overthrow are &C
qliring equal if not greater strength.
Let the people be correctly informed and
all will be well.