Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-01-11

ial, the Legislature can not regard
that duty as completely performed
until an appropriate monument has
been built at his grave.
Since the adoption of the present
Constitution the Governors duties
have compelled him to reside at the
capital. If any change is made in re-
spect to the powers and duties or the
Executive in the revision about to be
made in the Constitution, the change,
! it is probable, will increase rather
than diminish his duties. The evil
dent impropriety of subjecting each
new incubent of the office to the in
convenience and the expense.of pro
curing and furnishing suitable resi-
dence for the short period of a Gov
ernor's, term of office has led, in
many States, to the purchase or 81
| Governors mansion. Three or the
states adjoining Ohio have adopted
this course. IL can not be doubted
that Ohio will. and no distant day,
follow their example. The rapid in
crease the value of real estate Colum
bus in consequence fits present grow
and its promise of continued prosper
ity in the future, gives force to the
suggestion that, if the State is to pur
chase a Governors residence at all, it
would be we'll to do it promptly.
The Importance of wise legislation
on the subject of railroads, in State
having the geo graphical position
which belongs to Ohio, can not be
overestimated The greater Part of
the trade and travel between the CON-
mercial and manufacturing States of
the East and the a gricultaral States
of the West. and of the business of
the continental railways which con-
meet the Atlantic and Pacific oceans,
passes over the railroads of this State.
Fourteen years ago, Gov, Chase,
speaking of the railroads of Ohio, 8 aid
''This vast interest, affecting vitaily
so many other interests, has grown
suddenly to its presents dimensions
without general organization and, in
some important respects, without re-
sponsibility. "Then the railroads of
theState carried annually about mil
lion of passengers, and their gross re-
ceipts, were about six millions OF dol
lars year. Last year they carried
twelve millions of passengers, and
their gross receipts exceed thirty mil
lions of dollars
All of the just powers of the corpo-
rat:ons which conduct this immense
business, are derived from the laws
of the State. If these laws fail 10
guard adequately the rights and the
interests of our citizens, it is the duty
Of the General Assembly to supply
their defects Serious and well
grounded apprehensions are felt that
in the management of these compa-
nies. which are largely controlled by
non residents of Ohio, practices not
sanctioned by the law, nor by sound
morality, have become common,
which are prcjudicial to the interests
of the great body of the people, and
which, if continued, will ultimately
destroy the prosperity Of the State,
+ Regarding railroads as the most
useful instrumentality by which in
tercourse is carried on between diff
ferent sections of the country, the
people do not desire the adoption of
narrow or unfriendly policy toward
them. But it should be remembered
, that these corporations were created,
and their valuable franchises granted
by the Legislature to promote the in
terests of the people of the State.
, No railroad company can sacrifice
those interests without violating the
law of its origin. 1t is not to be
: doubted that the authority of the
General Assembly is competent to
correct whatever abuses have grown
up in the management of the rail
roads of the State.
The late commissioner of rail
roads and Telegraphs, in his last able
and valuable report, directs attention
to large number of what he terms
"clear and palpable violations of
law" by railroad companies, which
are of frequent occurrence.
In relation to the rates prescribed
by law for the transportation of per
sons and property, he says: "There
is not a railroad operated in the State,
either under special charter or the
general law, upon which the law reg
ulating rates is not in some way vio-
lated nearly every time a regular
, passenger, or freight, OR mixed train,
passes over it."
AS to the laws regulating the occu-
pying of streets and alleys by railroad
tracks, the speed of locomotives in
towns and cities, and railroad cross
, ings, he says that statutes which he
regards as wholesome are, sit is no
torious, wholly ignored by some
companies, and only partially obeyed
by Others"
, He quotes the laws forbiding rail
road officials from being interested in
fast freight, express or transportation
companies, and from dealing in rail-
road securities, and adds that the
"violstion of these laws is believed
J to be very common umong railroad
. officials"
, The Commissioners also gives ex-
, amples Of ''the increase or watering
of stock" by railroad companies. and
remarks, THE foregoing statements
are the more striking in view Of the
fact that the stockholders in the com
pany have been in receipt of regular
semi-anual dividends for several
. years, of from six to ten per cent per
anum"
The significance of this remark of
, the Commissioners lies in the fact
that the rates which railroad compa
nies may charge for the transporta-