, 1873-03-12

deliberately yoto 81 ,5oo,o 600 Of your money (and
which ron cnn only pay by Holllng corn at 30
centa per busl,oD in or1orr to stoal 96,o0o enol,
thbn my heart fnis mo to oxpnct tuBtioo from
Conurcsa until 1t il purified The Congressman
WHO will thur, atcnl $4,000 OF hn consttuonlH
money ,oiu sell his uote to ta,1G or railroad
monopoly for a icas sun,
In tho meantime, we numb look to our own
State for MI tho ro1of TINT Bl,o can givo ,,s, y
laws, that will project our interests. Tho ilrst
duty Of ngoVornmont il to protect tho citizon
from wrong and oppression; md tho Gtato
tat la,tn II j, thin ilrat dnty IL delua9n a1ld
for Tho l'oop1o. Botter havo no government than
n government that affords you no protection,
aud protects your foo.
Tlio railroads CHIN theso extraordinary rlghta
il but ono railroad IN tho State Of Illinois tllat
has. a legal charter, or has legal corporate
eristcncc All existing roads hayo boon built
siaco tho nt1option Of tho ConBtitution- Of 1a48.
ART. 10. Soc. !, Of TINT instrument saya: Cor
not DO croatel by special nets, except for munto-
ipn1 p,lrposen, mud in case whore, In tho judy
mont Of tho General Assembly, tho o6jeots,
nor tue eouea Ws "oas 10 and eorl
rations; they nro not for municipal purposes, nor
do thoy hayo banking .powors; honco, tho
Constitution eays tlloy shatl not bo created by
special lawe, which moens by private, cl,nrtora.
oral corporation act, which has remained ever
since tn force and That not provides that tho
railroads should bo nub1cct to tho logie{atiro will,
and rosnain llalor State CONTROL In violation Of
tho Constitution, and in fraud Of tho rghte of
tho poople, tho rsilroadg prepared 'spooal char
tors, and organized under thom; dna there ia
but ono railroad III tho State Of Illinois whoso
charter Ia In conformity to this constitutional
provision. Tho courts cnn 1oclaro, and will de-
clare, tho chartors void, being III violation Of tho
| Constitution. Tho question camo before our
Supreme Court, when tho Court said: ut Is
now too late to .raiso thiB CONSTITUTIONAL ob5oc-
tion, since, by tho action Of tho doncral Assem-
bly Under thin clauBo, apecial aots hnyo boon 30
long tho order Of tho day, and tho ruling passion
With oyory Lcgis1at,lro Which is conycnotl ul1or
tho Constitution, until their acts Of this doscrp-
tion oil a large and n,isel1apen volume and I'M
portant and valuable tnterosts nro claimed undcr
tho1n. This clause Of Tie Constitution has been
1oho1ly disycgarded, but 1t would now produce
widespread ruin to doclaro these actH unconsti-
tutionaland void"
Tho Court shows concluBiyoly, by its roaBon-
ing, that tho charters aro unconstitutional; but,
because Of grcat public oxigoncy, tho Court
But, shon these samo corporations orgauized in
violation Of tho Constitution, at1d in fraud of
the law, became n foarful machinery OF oxtor--
ton and oppression, defying State authority,and
iet o great public necessity that will compel the
courts to aoquieBco in thoir corporate existence;
but, when tho viper etinga to death tho hand
which fostorel it, the public, necessity will con-
pol the courts to pronounce tho righteous judg-
mont Of the law upon tllem.
Tile ohar0oter Of a railroads us public corpora
tions. as distinguished from pripate corpora
tiona, was discussed at longth. The roads are
phoftc. corporations whon thoy want lana-
grant, ststo or Natlonal subsidies, county or
| oxcrc;go tho rir]t nf eminent tfomaip:
they admit they aro public corporations
III iot ~ " isasst % rt4n ana ~
pus olaln1 10 Do prlfate, "noh tne ntato soeks ~
Tho Speaker rc6d authorities wloro tho Courts
hold tic railroads to bo public cor1iorationa, md
he sunJcGs 10 10 70 coniso a.e ta ,s
of Tho lsw' md % pn1nr tho isw and by thu inW.
anu oYehItualy 9tI tne victory VII oo onta.
At tliB point the Committee camo ~, whom
tho Speaker ceased bis remarks, although urged
pEn,rarFsr onnArrz.7roN
Tin conr;tionn popn'anont :, f,c:ra rsrortoa
1np Euns'ooun ohutnnetlt .olo. ~
INC .iohowhg non1na31ons, Wnlcn we're unanl-
nounly G.cetea' ~ ~: ALRolo 1leo4uEttt
Merson Dunlap, hecoralng-seefet ApeEe aa.l
Tarr;a nsMW
EerIls, 1IeaauLer. EXECUTIVE CoHanttlce-M'
". Noe!, y. ". Monafry, Jonn itlcnatason. Eacn
Vice-Prosident for this association. -.
eInmene .n1 u the assoc'atloni WHICH "as aoopteu
"4'"oo' o''7on''
Tho following nii,oss' reaoin3inuss roportea ,v tim
| Committee, wer5 unanimously adopted:
Resolrtd, That We, farners aro in favor District
oDoaoneo 10 lay" and demand stFies enforcement OF
Resolved, That wo do not ignore tho rgha OF others,
but hat no demand Of our Representatives The enact,
~ oa. y. nuI t"s ] 10 ~ ,it a. IT, 4 1 . A
aora o,r aws -. ~ ,sot cuorv ""a fbo
at Of 1e eo5s 10
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