Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-10-18

The growing uneasiness OF the people in re-
gard 10 the growth OF great mOnopolies and the
Capitalization, particularly OF gIest railroad in
terests mo a few strong and INSCRIPTIONS
hands, IL illustrated by the following extract
from a letter received in this city from a Cali
fOrnian having large business interests in his
state
'.Wheat is worth I'm San Francisco but 81 en
Per 100 lbs, while IN Liverpool il is worth I3s s.
or IS ~ per bushel There Is a combination IN AZ
mOnOpCiIzes everything here-the inland freight
and fares, ocean tonnage, money aud grain
sacks Until this year freight to Liverpool was
generally ., sometimes - per ton: this wear il
4 from 80 To so. In word, farmers are alb
soiutely robbed of seventy OF eighty cents on
every one hundred rounds OF wheat, and
10 me there seems no immediate remedy,
for railroads and schemeTs who are doing these
uIngs are powerful enough . dictate
20 conventions, sway legislatures and Con-
gTess. and Iribe all the executive officers.
The government must own the railroads
OF the latter will own the government. The
people must soon assert their night to be free, or
they will be crushed and made the slaves of
mOneytd uOWer. FTeights and fares must be
regulated for the benefit OF the people, and
made 30 that all, rich and poor alike. can use
them They are necessity, and necessities
should never be mOnOpOliZed and mad dear
that l. against humanity and public policy.
Steam, non and lightning are the useful ser
wants OF man, and all men should have equal
chance 10 use them. Som times 1 think II may
become necessary TO tax the wisdom of the age
20 solve the monopoly question. Unless taken
IN hand soon, IL may jar our country did
the slavery question. The mOnOpOsts are de-
teTmined u crush out opposition. and surely the
people OF our day are not going to become their
slaves -
This subject we see, has been taken up BIZ
the National Board Of Trade, sitting in New
York, and Mr. X. Ii. Ferguson, OF Troy, in All
elaborate paper upon "O1r Present Railroad
System" points out in detail the manner in
which five OF six railroad kings are gaining pos
az A.h he ninf.
already the railroad system of our country COM
prisiDg over 80 ,0OG miles, and fast increasingly
Is in the hands OF half dozen men, who can
Tomorrow morning telegraph orders from their
headquarters that will raise the barrel Of -four
you buy at noon Al per barrel, the pork you buy
and cents per pound, the beef you cat the
same, the coal yoU burn Il ton, every busheI
OF grain IN the country ,, 3, 8 and 10 cents per
bushel, putting into their purses millions of do
lars before night, to the disadvantage OF every
man, woman and child, and TO the benefit alone
OF half a dozen milliOnsires. This is power
aid authority tar beyond TIA. exercisedby Con-
gress, or the President of the United .ates The
railroad cictators have gradually 4sed their
taxation upon the products OF the country, So
that now IL = hardly an eXaggeration TO say that
II costs the western farmer thTee-Iuartsrs of
his crop To get it to the seabOard market. The
subject, therefore, il one OF national import
aLce; sGrjec; in which every one is equally
Interested. IS II affects the price OF every com
modify IN tue country. Every farmer. planter
and manufacturer is interested. Tae price of
bread, the price of grain, the price of dry goods
groceries, boots and shoes, iron, cotton. and in
TACT all things are affected by these railroad mo
nOTOlies.
The remedy advocated by Mr. Ferguson is
through the establishment OF trunk lines cross
ing the continent from ocean 10 ocean or from
the grain fields and ceuters OF the West to all
the seaboard cities In the East, said roads 20
consist OF four trscks-it advisable, a track
each way Tor freight and one each way for pas-
senger traffic. These roads to be free thorough
tares, over which the peoples freight shall be
carried fer cost, the roads to be built by the
leOFie-tlst Ia, every county and state through
which the road passes 10 pay an equal share of
the cost OF construction and equipment Accord
ing to Its population and wealth When a
county or state is too poor, the government to
give tie necessary aid. Another PLAN which
would be infinitely superior TO our present svs-
tom, would be 10 have a line OF road free 10 any
person, firm, or company to place cars upon the
track and compete for the carrying trade. This
would give rs far cheaper transportation than
we are nsw getting, but not as cheap as the
plan Just advocated, as those parties who COM
peteu "onld want to make something, while the
ioTner method would carry for cost.