Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1873-01-09
THE SHELLARARGE BILL

The telegraph has mentioned, very
briefly, The Raiiroad bill introduced IN
Congress by Mr.. .oneIithar.er. 1t striN, 8
ject now before the puhic. II l. entlii d
"A hill 10 amend an acJ entitled An act
'to facIiittte commercial postal aud IN .
''iiary communications among the sever
al States appro Ell jam fifteenth, eigi .
teen hundred and sIAty-six he iul
text OF tie measure Is ~ loI ow~;
BE item ted by the Senate and House Of
Representatives. IF Me United >toteS IF Aaatf,ca,
ia Congress assembled, That the compenSI.
tion authorized AMI contemplated ~ the
second section at the aci o. the fifteenth Of
June, Ahro Dpmiui eighteen humid ed aud
sixtN-s.x, entitled "Au act TO tac ltate
commercial, postal and military cOmmuni
cation anon. the several States" tor tpe
several descriptions Of service named in
said section shall b. charged at u form
rates per mile for the transportation t. the
same amount and description OF freight, nd
the same dcs'r ptt1u Of passengers, and W y
Passengers AID treightS shall not be SUI.
jected to higher rates Of charge per mile
than the lowest rates chang bN tine same
line to- the same serve owe, any otter part
Of the said line; and any person or perspus
who snail be subjected e. or demanded TO
pay, any excessive charge IN violation of
Tin i,ons of this act INV recover from
the party making the charge such excess So
either demanded or paid, together tn the
costs and rea onabie Counsel fees, u any
court Of competent iur,s, elton: p oot,led,
.L5t. f ll,., ,,,,t
prohibit any common carrier coming with.
in its provisions from receiving just com
pensation for the necessary expenses uf
lading and unladug way freiphts: dnd
proV1ed moreover, That the provisions of
this act shall apply to all common carriers
in carrying passengers or FIRE ghts on their
way from one State to or through another
State.
1t now takes fya bushels of corn to
move one from the Mississippi to the At
lantic The Constitution eg res-ly COM
mands Congress to regulate commerce
among the several States, and it has
well been asked" viii the people long
"stand by and see tens Of thousands OF
"their children star, ing for bread at one
lend of a huge and voraciouS monopoly,
land those Mt the other perishing for the
"other necess ties of life, and all this be-
'cause the railroads will not interchange
Except at exorbitant rates, the commons
cities which are pershing for want OF
CONSUMERS mt the place of production
We know that Congress regulates in n
great variety OF respects commerce by
water; why not by rnil? The Consitu
ton recognizes no distinction betw cen
land and water communication Judge
Redheld, ct Vermont, author of the
standard law book upon railroads, says
in substance that all State avs and
charters which operate as regulations OF
commerce among the Sc eral States are
passed, and the charters are accepted,
subject to the paramount power OF Con
gress to alter them, whenever Con-
gress shall decide to do so in aid and
regulation of commerce between the
several States To this position must we
come before we can so much rs make II
beginning in transportation reform. The
Shellabarger bill is evidently designed as
o mere entering wedge, or starting point.