Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1871-02-10
The Power of Railways.

American Review, by Charles Francis Ad-
ans, Jr, on the Railway Syst Of the Uni
ted States, has caused profound sensation.
1t is specially commended to Legislative bo
dies, and deserves tho thoughtful considcrtion
of every intelligent man. We avail Ourselves
Of the following brief abstract Of the facts and
conclusions Of Mr.. Adams article, which we
fin'l in the Missouri Republican:
Gas illustrating the disposition on the part
Of the R,road maYnatcs to combine their
corporations, and t.ius lodge an immense
power i'll a few able hands, it is stated that
seventeen years ngo there were no less than
seven distinct lines between New York and
Butialo, six of which were not over seventy
six miles long cocl, To day there is suhstan-
TALLY but one linc. covering thousand miles
of track, and owned by one company. The
same company have the virtual controI Of
Rock Island, and Chicago and North. western
Roads--thus really holding the key to tho
chain Of railways linking together New York
and Omaha One year ago the distance be
tween the Atlantic and Pacific oceans was di.
vidcd between FIVE roads;>ix months ago thcs Q
five were practically reduced to three; six or
e!gHtccn months hence may see the whole Of
the vast trans continental highway under the
management of one hourd Of directors What
has been done here is being done throughout
the cntirc country, and the policy Of conbi.
nation and concentration is now dclrly rccog.
nzcd as the fundamental priuciple uf the
railway system. These corporations, repre-.
senting millions upon millions Of c,ptal, and
directed by the choicest executive and tinan
clai ability the n,tinn can produce, are well
nigh omnipotcnt They have, in most in
stances, cmancipatcd themselves entirely
from State control if interference is threat.
cncd n advance, they put forward their own
cInaid ties for the Legislature aud elect them;
II the interference c>ncs unnxplctcl lily, their
cnlssnrics constitute the major part Of the
lobby duriog the s,i,n, aud the necessary
number OF votes to defeat reform and consol-
idate monopoly arc secured hy methods which
need not be specified, So shamufully familiar
has thi 'rt OF corruption Become. In Now
York CITY the Erie r lilS,y ring have torncI
an offensive and defensive alliance with the
Tmmany ring, and the two not only swim.
tie political destiny Of the State, but openly
avow an Intention Of exercising controlling
iu;luncc upon the Presidential nouiuation Of
1872 It IS not long since the PENNSYLVANIA
Centra Railway elected United States Sen
ator, who did II t hesitate to declare that lie
went to Congress, not 50 much rs Senator
from Pennsylvania as representative of the
corporation to which he owed tie office
This corporation, in the opuion of Mr. Ad.
aus, may be taken as fair cxcmpil;crtion Of
t:ic workings OF the modern railway system
IN The Unitcd States. II owns 400 miles of
road in Pennsylvania controls 1920 miles
more aud outside the State leases and works
l,6O) miles. 1t holds bonds of different
kinds to the amount of $50 900 900 its
captal is $65, 900 900; it's income, 10000
0oO, aud its annual profits, $4,000, 900
Mr.. Adams cites, as an illustration of the
power and badness of this gig,Gtic corpora
tion, the i'c' that it attempted not long since,
to obtain possession of S9,50O,OOO in the
treasury of Pennsylvania, aud pledged to the
rcahctnn OF the State debt, by pushing
through tho Legislature bill uuthorizn.
the constitution of certain ruiIw,y bonds of
doubtful value, for tho unqncstioucd sccuri
tics composing tic sinking fund. a prompt
veto from Gov. Gerry killed the job, blu. dii
not destroy the moral conveyed in the incep-
ton and prosecution.
"After thus wildly portraying the dangers
which menace the nInsscs through the un-
scrupulous use Of railway influence, Mr. Ad.
ans suggests remedy. That remedy is tho
appointment or election Of grand tribunal
Which shall hear and decide all railway qucs
tions, and whose decision shall be irreyocabie
and without appeal. This, he thinks, will
relieve the State and Federal Governments
from all trouble and embarrassment in tho
matter, aud in the end lead to just aud
equitable management of tho railway business
everywhere In reply to tho object thnt
such tribunal would be liable to bo bought
up, Mr.. Adams says that in this case US in
tho judiciary, wo must trust to individual
character for defence against corruption, aud
If the country does not contain honest men
enough to perform these duties, then it must
sooncr or later 60 to ruin. Whether our