Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-04-05
THE ILLINOIS FARMERS CONvEN-
II = s--- TTON.

Z. go TTON.
The farmers oi Illinois have been hold
log State convention with reference to
the alleged exorbtant rates demanded by
railroads for carrying freight, and for 9th
err purposes The convention met and or
ganized at Springfield on the 2nd inst.
Sevcnty-two counties were represented.
and the number of delegates after organ
lzation was about four hundred Mr..
Dame Of Carroll, President of the con-
vention. spoke against the extortions of
railroads in freight and passenger traffic
and unjust determinations made by them.
He said the charges for shipping corn to
New York were on the average about
thirty-eight cents per bushel. when they
Should not be more than six cents A rem
sdy Tor such state Of things is what the
farmers Of the west desire. This they be-
E1ieve is to be found in the legislature. Mr..
Randall Of Witt county followed the Pres
ident with remarks urging the enforce
ment of the law in regard to corporations,
and claiming that the people had ample
power to control the railroads
Governor Beveridge, who addressed the
convention, appeared to be in full sympa-
thy with it. He held that in time public
opinion would compel the Supreme Court
TO reverse the principle enunciated in the
Dartmouth college decision, and that char
! tiers would he held merely as grants and
not As contracts. lie claimed that the
new Constitution of the State gives the
legislature ample power to fix the maxi
mum Oh freight and passenger tariff, and
the courts would probably enforce such
a law. The people demand that it be
done, and will never be satisfied until il
is done. If the law is inadequate, then
the Constitution of the United States must
be amended so as to permit the enforce
ment of laws regulating corporations.
Ex-Governor Palmer also spoke to the
same purpose, holding that n State gov
eminent cannot create a corporation which
it may not control and regulate. The res
olutions adopted agreed with the opinions
expressed by the principal speakers. The
proceedings manifested deep feeling
against the railroads, and determination
TO carry the war against them to dec-
sive test of strength.
There were other subjects before the
convention during its two days session,
but the railroad question was the principal
and absorbing one. The result of this
movement will be looked for with consid-
cradle interest, both by the public and
railroad managers. This with other de-
yelopments in nearly all States where
railroads exist, point to time rapidly APP
preaching when the rights of the public
and the power of legislatures over rail
road corporations will be better defined
and understood than ut present. The
sooner that time comes the better, for I'M
i'll il does come there will be strife be-
tween the corporations and the people,
between whom it is maniicstly important
that there should be just and stable rela-
tiops for the benefit of both. Ii railroads
and other corporations will grind the peo-
pie with extoriions and impositions, such
Us the farmers of Illinois appear to be en-
during, they may expect war to be made
upon them and their power to he curtailed
mach to their disadvantage.