The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1873-01-15
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.

provsments undertaken by the state in its
early history, proves that the people even
then perceived the usefulness Of railways,
and their willingness TO make largo sacri.
6css 70 secure 10 themselves their advan-
tages and since the failure Of that sys.
tenn, no state has made greater efforts, by
liberal acts Of corporations TO private ad-
ventures, grants for the right Of way for
railroads previously acquired by the state,
gratuities in money and lands, and loans
Of credit BY counties and other public and
municipal bodies, to secure the construc-
eion OF railroads, than has Illinois, and
the citizens Of the state have, with tho
most liberal spirit and by every means in
their power, aided in the development of
the railway systsm to its present proper
tions.
The state of Illinois contains within its
limits more than six thousand miles of
railroad; they penetrate almost every
county. And the railroads Of this state,
BY their legal connections, and the iden-
tity Of their interests and purposes with
those OF other states, have become part
Of system that, il Is said. embraces sixty
thousand square miles Of railroads, in the
United States, and which il being extended
70 limits that do not admit of any defni-
tion.
The railroads and carrying interests con-
tfol larger amount OF capital than any
other In the United States, and BY means
OF their capital and their intimate rela.
lions with all other business pursuits, ex-
tending, too, ~ railroads do, TO all parts
OF the country, they exercise q greater
measure Of influence than was ever before,
In any country, in the hands of individuals.
The iron rail, the steam engine and the
telegraph, all now in substantial cooper
alton, already control the commerce Of the
continent, and 10 large extent influence
the value Of every product Of industry,
and the profits Of every business pursuit.
They build up favored cities, and depress
their rivals; they have diminished the
value OF the great rivers a. highways Of
commerce; and the shipping Of the lakes,
and that engaged In coastwise trade, en-.
barrassel by obstacles that tho engine
upon the iron rail denes, maintain with
the new agencies but a feeble and strug-
Cling competition. From the superiority
OF this new method Of transportation in
speed, in safety and power, all other
modes are rendered comparatively useless,
and the country 10 brought TO face the
fact that in this ago OF remarkable com.
mercial and intellectual activity tho only
available lines Of intercourse and trade on
the continent are under tho control of pri-
vate individuals, who assert for them.
selves the power and the right to impose
burdens upon the intercourse and com.
mercs OF the country to an extent to
which they acknowledge no definite limits,
nor In the exercise Of the discretion they
claim - TO the amounts they may impose,
do they admit themselves TO DO bound to
conform 70 any rule of equality, but they
maintain their right to discriminate be-
tween different points on their own lines,
between different individuals engaged in
the same business at the same points, and
and TO increase and reduce their rates at
pleasure, until the ordinary hazards Of
business 10 added to the uncertain Auctua-
ticns dependent upon the management Of
railways.
In my judgment the existing laws, in
tended " regulate the duties and define
the obligations Of common carriers by rail-
way, will not accomplish the object do
sired, for tho reason amongst others, that
they are to certain extent based upon
the widespread misconception Of the true
relation Of that class Of public agents Of
the people, and, a. consequence Of that
misconception, the regulations Of the
government Of the owners and managers
Of railway lines are confused and weak
ened by assuming that the ownership and
management Of railway lines, and the re-
csipt, transportation and delivery Of pas
sengers and freights for hire, which con.
stitutes the business Of . common-carrier,
are 20 inseperable that they are necessarily
pArts OF the Same general business, while,
IN the nature Of things, and from the force
Of practices that now generally prevail on
many lines Of railway, they are essentially
different Fursuits; and regulations in
tended for the government Of tho one,
havs'no fitness or proper application to
the other.
All the railroads now in operation in
the state were constructed under the au-
thority Of the laws that conferred upon
the corporation that undertook them the
power 70 acquire the lands needed for
the use Of their roads by consent of the
owners, or take land as for public uses
upon making compensation, and the
power to construct and maintain railway
with the proper appurtenances, and 10 ac-
quire and hold the suitable necessary ma
chinery to operate them, and then to en-
gage in the business of common carriers
on their own lines; and il 10 to the fact
that railway corporations exercise the
power conferred upon them 10 carry on
the business Of common carriers, and by
their own arbitrary authority to ak
the rates they will demand for ser
vices rendered exclusively by them on
their own lines, or, by combinations with
other corporations that claim similar DOW.
ers, q 4 the rates between the more impor..
tsnt and distant points, that we owe the
interest the people feel in their manage
mont. Every one interested in the sub.
ject Of the cost Of the transportation of the
products OF the country TO q market, real
lies, In the result Of the exercise of these
powers by railway carriers, all the evils
that are produced by the existence Of a
monopoly, and many methods have been
proposed for anording relief; but without
now discussing any Of them am satisfied
that the only means that will afford the
country the relief demanded, is to invite
and encourage competition on sll the rail
roads In tbs state, between the carriers
that own or control them, and others who
upon Just compensation " be made for
the use OF the roads and their appurtenan-
csss, and for tho fixed facilities needed
may choose to engage in the business. II
the monopoly OF the business on any of
the important lines Of railroad was taken
from the corporation that owns the road,
the eject would soon be perceived In the
increased facilities for transportation and
chsapsr rasss. 1t 10 because competition
~ not now possible that railroad mana.
Gefe discriminate between localities and
Individuals, but u the legal right ofothers
. engage In business on the railroads of
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