, 1873-03-03
THE RAILROADS AND TIE FARMERS.

To the Editor Qf Tho Chicago 1T74uHe:
a1n: In your reply to my letter Of tho 10Th ult.,
5ou say THE TRIBUNE has taken stanl for rigid ad-
horonco to Law. havc examined THE TRIBUNE
{wcokly cditIon) for several months past but fail to
find . single limo demanding Of railroad companies
obedioneo to tho law Of tho stato regulating freight
an passenger faro. You say, While every nun in IL
1inoiB Is ut liberty to have his own opinion, &c TO
question whothcr any man, or body OF men, can aH-
nmo authority to decide tho for tho Court None
but railroad companies have assumed suthorty to de-
eide the validity OF tho law in ndyance Of tho su-
promo Court Of tho sate. Tho people hago
thus far ntood upon the statute Of tho State.
Yet TuE TRIBUNE calls tho people mob, md
railroad companies 1AW-abiding citlzons. II no have
reached apont where railroad companies longer
subject to the Inv, then indeed hhvo the poope lost
their liberties You ray the law to which these railroad
companies object Is ono. Ia It any tho less binl
ing because 1t is new7 Arc a 1aws to be dencd be-
cause they new7 Most certainly not. You say tho
law Of the ate proposes to revolut!onze tho hitherto
accepted law on TINT subject Undoubtedly the hithc
to accepted Law that subject has been, and s op
prosslve. Yet, according to tho reasoning Of THE
TRIBUNE, tho people hayo no redrcss II tho poop'o
wcro to follow tho teaching OF The TRIBUNE aud
prnetico Of railroad companies thoy would act ut do
nanco all 1awH tho people concsivo to bo unjust But
tho people not propose to set at defiance the laws OF
tho State; Mother do the people propose to tear up
railroads but they do propose that railroad companies
shall obey tho Inv aa well the poople. Respectfully
yours, Q, 8. PIERCE.
ANSWER.
Tho general tone Of Mr, Picrce's letter shows
that he has not read TIE TRIBUNE aa carefully
as he should; but, to e1plain more fully for Ills
information, and that Of any others who labor
under the aamo misapprohensions, ITO will an-
swer the pointB he advances And first We wish
to say TINT NO arc in entire sympathy with tho
farmers in their efforts to obtain lower froights,
aud ln their war againas unjust determinations
We know perfectly well that they aro the VIC
Tins OF humorous monopolies, Of which rail-
road monopolies and tariff monopolies aro the
most yiciouB aud grinding. We look upon tho
organization Of farmers clubs, oranges, unions,
otc.,-howoyor wido Of tho mark wo may think
Homo Of their movements to bo,-as one Of tho
most hopeful signs Of tho. times, since it
foroahadows an emancipation of tho
public mind from the tyranny of old
party trammels, and tho concentration
Of ideas upon now questions relating to tho I'M
mediate wants Of society. Wo have contributed
something, wo think, to this emancipation.
What TIC object to, and oppose. is that specios Of
reckless legislation and revolutionary proceed
ing which begins by trampling down tho rights
OF the minority, and onds in losing tho object
sought to be- gained. With this much for pro-
face, wo proceed to answer A1r. Piorco'a
criticism:
!. The TRIBUNE has novor advised anything
but obedience to the laws Of tho State, but
obedience does not inhibit any person from con-
tasting tho constitutionality of any law Which
tho Legislature may pass. To this extent have
tho railroads merely enjoyed tho BANJO right that
is given to othor persons or corporations in tho
State, and to this oxtont only has TIE TRIBUNE
defended lhom,
q, Tho State of Illinois Is made up Of yarie-
ty of classes and interests. Among these, tho
agricultural class is tho most humorous md in-
auontial; tho transportation interest comes
no1t in point Of numbors then follow other in
torosts which nood not DO now enunerated,- all
together making up solid body called q State
Government. The agricultural iutoroat has
used its power to onnct legislation fixing the
fASo1
rendered by tho transportation interost. Sup
pose tho ordor had hoen reversed, and tho tra,,a-
portation Glass Ind boon the most powerful. Sup
pose it had used it's powor to fix ths maximum
prlce Of corn at as conts buslol aul Of wheat at
81 per bushol,-provlding, by an act Of
tho Legislature that no farmer should
sell bushel Of corn above that figure,
though tho n,arkqt.prics should range much
hlghor,-would not tho farmers b0 justified, at
lcaat, In appealing to the courts against such
law7 We ask Mr.. Pierce II ho bolioyea ttat tho
farmers would submit to auoh law without q
oontost7 TIE TRIBUNE would not, In such
ceso, advise tho farmers to diaobey tho laws Of
tho State; but It would advise thom to toat tho
validity Of this particular law at onco, aud would
uphold them in tho exercise Of tholr former
rights until tho validity Of the new law should
bo established. This ia pseolaely what the rail: