Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1873-04-22

factory. II requires no great know.
ledge OF hamsn nature TO anticipate
in such case Of speedy cooling Of
ovens and cessation Of wheels.
Niue far, therefore, the result of
the Illinois railroad war no ust be re-
garded as rather portentous than
satisfactory. legislatures are once
more to try their hands at the great
work OF fixing prices, and iuriss are
70 decide whether the prices thus
Fixed are what they ought to be
Such attempts are by no means new
hitherto they have not pro ed ben
eicial. The farmers of Illinois, how
ever, may revolutionize the ripe ex-
perience of all times and of all coun'
tries, bot if they do it will be
through the use of sIngularly me-
diaeval machinery. While we in
New York are struggling to bring
about the repeal of our ridiculous
usury laws, in Illinois they have not
only just re.enacted them, but they
are exerting themselves TO extend
their operations over railroads, ele-
vators and cattle.yards-over, in q
word, the whole machinery of their
business While we are discussing
the shortcomings of the jury system,
they are elevating that somewhat
obsolete tribunal into a species OF
grand, general fnanci | regulator
The panel Is, ia future, to pass upon
disputed points OF political economy
"a method of arriving at correct re.
suits which never probably suggested
itself to the late DIR Adam Smith
Stiil, unique as the machinery ia, 4
will not lmprobably grind out the re-
suit Immediately desired by its in.
genious inventors But what then ?
will their condition be thereby i'm
proved ? This we gravely d 'ubt
What, after all, is the occasion OF
this plethora of the produce OF the
West, which has gone on reducing
prices until profits are now wholly
eaten up in frieghts? Msnitestly it
Is due TO the fact that abroad devel-
opment has extended the area of az
tainable food producing lands over so
wide region that more food is pro-
duced than can be disposed OF 70
profit under the present cost Of pro-
duction. let us suppose that the
hope Of the farmers was realized and
that their great staples could be
brought to the market at half of the
present cost, what would be the re-
suit to them? Would they profit by
the reduction =? 1t is difficult TO see
how they could. The immediate re-
suit would be q FAST extension of
even the present area of profitable
food production, and the introduce
tion of new host Of competitors
Every reduction OF rates would thu.
enure wholly to the consumer. mot
st ell To the producer. Return
freights might be lower, which would
somewhat, though 70 very small
degree, reduce the price of mauufac-
tured articles in the West, but the
farmer would have no more money
in proportion TO buy them with
The difficulty is in over.p oduction
at the present cost OF production, not
In hign rates of carriage. To in
crease his profit, ths farmer mast re-
duce the cost Of growing his crops
and at the same time limit the area
which completes with him, otherwise
every dollar yielded to HIM or ex-
torted by him in rates will accrue
not To his benefit but TO the 5enrf
of The consumer, aud OF other farm
ers further West now excluded from
the market.
SO far as the present phase of this
question is concerned, therefore. the
remedy would seem To be beyond
the reach of the railroad corporations
Every possible concession which the
most enthusiastic farmer demands
on their part would bu: move The
seat of the straggle. But it still
brings forward into clear, strObg
light what must inevila ably prove one
OF the momenlus questions of the fn-
,ure In iIs essenc', hat which III,
farmers demard l. ju-t Tnyy ask
for AN Access 10 thrn maxi which
snail combine the three elem tnls OF
certainly, ec.nolny andimpartlallly
A these are rea-ouatl5 demand,
and ) ct these are JUS what he ex-
LIST ing system Of transportation can
never afford IL is not The fault OF
the railroad corporations II is
nothing less than the break down q
competition as applied 20 our rail
road system tn" c - # auspv'
tai - caunJt b. certain " ere II 5
necessarily subject to periodical wars
OF rates, resulting in brief trUces OF /
extortions; II esnRot be economical |
while performed by many agents d.
vldi"g the tratfii which can only |
6ow che0ply when concentrated ~
single broad, deep channels it eau
not be impartial while the results II /
ruinous competition AZ one point
must necessarily DO made good by
double profits at another. La Other
words, we are gradually realizing
that thls enormous interest has been
built up on a false economical prin-
ciple-that competitor will regulate
where 1t has free, full play, bot !
where il has not such full, clear play.
it must clnfound.
A vague glimmering Of this diff
Guilty il beginning To dawn on our /
people. The remedy for it lies far be-
yond the verdict OF any twelve men
ia q jury boz however Intelligent
these may be, they can hardly sup /
pIement detective laws of trade. |
The contest now going on in Illinois
is one of the early skirmishes OF the
impending war, which, unless we
greatly err, is destined TO produce
Industrial, social, and, above all, pn-
Iitiesl changes in this country of The
most startling description The 10.
conceive is coming in contact with
the framework of our insti utions.
In this country of simple govern
msnt the most MOVIE, ful centralfz-