National Republican., 1873-04-05

mentally since then, and arc destined to grow
still moro within the neat quarter OF century.
The demand forpcpular Presidential elections
to-day Is go etrvug as 10 bo almost Irfcsistl-
bio and there Is no doubt that We shall not
elect moro than ono more Presidcu, In the
old way.
Another subject that will be investigated
during the reccsss that Of commerce between
the States. A committee is charged with an In
qulry Into the whole transportation question,
and how far the Government has the right 10
interfere In the matter. Recent events have
given this subject q most commanding
significance. During the last ten years
the railroad business Of the country has
practically fallen into the hands Of less than
a dozen men, who WELD an almost imperial
power, and who, II must bc said, have not
always used that power for tho benefit Of the
people. The progress Of railroad cOnsolida-
lion has grown to such an extent as to crush
out competition aud to reduce the populations
Of whole States 10 q condition Of absolute
yassalagc. The West is already In arms
against the tyranny Of some Of these nonop-
olics, aud an important convention Of the
farmers Of Illinois assembled only few days
ago lu that State 10 devise ways and means
TO resist their aggrusslons. In q night, as II
were, this question has grown 10 he the great
question u the hour upon which
there l. every reason to believe the parties Of
the future will bc marshaled The farmers
Of Illinois, State which more than any
other lu tho Union has experienced tho good
as well as the evil effects Of railroads -.may
be said to have already given the keynote to
the antl.railruad war In the resolutions they
have adopted. This despotlsm," they say,
(which dehes our laws, plumbers our ship
pers, impoyerishes our people and corrupts
our Government, must be subdued and made
10 subservo public interests at whatever
cost" Thorc Is an unmIstakcablc ring to this,
and there Is no use In any party attempting TO
rosIst IL. There brcathcs through II the spirit
that blackoncd the waters Of Boston about
a hundred years ago. and klndlcd the flames
OF tho Revolution. We have experienced
this tyranny iu the city Of Washington. For
years the president Of tho Baltimore and
Ohio railroad has checked our industry
hindcrcd our growth, charged lis cSorbitant
rates on freight and passenger traffic, aud by
his Immense power In Congress killed every
effort to obtain competing line. For years
and years, by the aid of deadhead passes and,
for all We know, other means which may be
covered by the phrase, ''corruptlng our Gov.
ernmcnt," he has held tho national capital In
his grasp, aud made Il q mere waysldc village.
Our emancipation came only with the coming
of another rallroad king more powerful
than he. Mr.. Garrett has placed hlm.
self above the laws, national and
municipal, In this city. lie runs his car,
across our streets In defiance Of authority
and for years he has not paid a cent Of taxet
upon his property. The farmers Of lllinoii
do not sound the alarm moment too soon
and II is well for the Republican party that l
has thus early In the day bcstirred itself :,
action. The party Of the future will be IN,
anti-railroad partyi the party Of purity IL
government, that will make these giant cor
porations con1ne themselves to their legltl
mate business. They have been plunderinI
our people and corrupting our Goverumen
too long, and II Is time there should be au cnt
of II.
The election Of our President by u dircc
vote Of tue people aud tho curbing Of tn
railroad power arc likely to be the two mos
important subjects of legislation next winter