, 1873-04-28
THE RAILROAD QUESTION.

PORTLAND, 11e,, April 20, 1879.
To The Editor Of The Chicago Tribune:
srn: In financial circloB In all the cities cast
Of Chicago. I find almost q pnnio, certainly
worry panicky fooling,- gold and bonds going up;
currency Hoarco; trade depressed; collections
difficult; discounts out Of tho question at tho
bnnka; merchants embarrassed to moot their
maturing bills; and laborers and traaes-uniona
contemplating atrikes or altogether ont Of en-
ploy1nont. I also find tho people Of Maine agi-
tating tho groat question Of railroad monopoly,
which is now absorbing 80 much attention in
the Woat. The Maine Central Railroad is
tho big fish hero Which has swallowed,
or is preparing to swallow, all the
little onos. nnd, like the Camden Il Anboy in
Now Jersey, threatens to rulo and ruin the State,
-la Indeed, ruling 1t. All uortB Of monopoly
rings aro In existence III the interest Of the man.
agera Of this road. Wood rings, lumber rings,
town site, manufacturing, and construction
rings, lobby rings, election rings, banking rings,
newspaper rings, and don't know but church
rings, ara in existence, in the interest Of tho
managers Of tho Milne Central. The Btook-
holders, on the ono hand, mud the people, on the
other, arc the victimH Of tbese HchemerB known
as nnanciers and railroad kings. The people,
however, arc waking up to tho peri1s Of tho situ-
alton, and catching tho spirit which ia awcop-
ing ovor tho West. It aeoma to me Tint these
llroH will moot on tho Alloghonies about four
years from now, and cnvclop the nation.
In general, and OF the railroad 1nonopo{intt Of
Now England In particular, in yestoyday'H issue,
IN q lengthy loader on tho stnntion. aftor sum-
ming up the probable results of the great up
rising in ulinoiB, doclaros, oracularly, that the
proposed legislation in 1llinois. fixing maximum
rates. and prohibiting unjust Discrimination, il
accomplished, twill not DO oboycd by the rail-
roads," OF course tho railroads reforred to are
L 2. III Ht.r1S
ton g. Quincy, at these roatls arc chiefly owned
by Boston capitalists, and aEo controlled by Bos
ton mon. Tho Directors, I believe, are mostly
Boston 1nen, also
discusses, and tho true interests OF the stock
holders 1t tries to represent, it would mako COM
mon cause with tho people OF the Wost against
tho managers Of these roads. Both tho people
and tho Stockholders arc tho victims Of tho
fser understood oil about tho " Red Line, ="
II Blue Line" National Line" White sta1
Line" and Il dozen other roling-stock rings,
with the Pullman Sleeping and Palace;
transportation rings, and various rings
and schemes of railroad muuagora, By
which stockholders arc swindlod, roads worn
out Stoek and rno no%ds opf'eatead Waed
discourse in worry diroront atrain. aa tho mouth
piece Of the stockholdors and Directors it is
supposed to represent. The people in tho West
aro getting tholr oyoH open to these sricks by
which superintendents Presidents, Purchasing
Agents, Tronaurers, and Attorneys Of railroads
bocome rnllionairca in few years, while tho
stockholders grow poor and tho people starve'
It nus lately proved in court that o Vico-proBi-
dent q tho Eric nosd In made M Slo ro on EYER every
for several years in succossion. II t. ,4dter.
tiser would find out how much tho MI ,;igora
stock and pnllman-Car Companies. and
how much it costs tho stockhold-
ors In wear anl tear Of traole and engines,
and how much IL actually paid for handling these
| cars, which neyor finds its way into tho treasury
Of tl4e roads, 1t would hayc vastly more sympa,,
these bills, and, instead Of threatening disobe-
enco to maximum freight law it would g. ,i' II
of tho big elm on Boston Common, providing
they should eyer haye tho assurance to attend
aud providing the Advertiser was capable Of any
righteous Indignation whatever, or could grow
red In the face oven while catching the hand OF
n ttcf in itn own ponket,-aitl,nr at which COM
dition Of things Is altogether unlikely. A.J.G.