Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1873-09-02
RAILROAD

Hon. Amasa Walker addressed a
large public meeting which was held
yesterday in Boston, Mass, under the
auspices Of thu Boston Grange Of the
Patrons of Husbandry, On the question
Of cheap transportation. MI. Walker
Is reported to have declared It to DO
tho duty Of Congress to interfere and
protect the business interests Of the
country. He said there were three
ways In which the great result Of Sc
curing cheaper transportation could
be obtained. First, by . general law
fixing the rates of travel and freight
on all roads In the country. Second,
to create new llnes between the prin-
cipsl depots OF transportation ; and
third, By purchasing all the roads and
putting them under Government man.
agemert to be leased, which would
open all roads to the public at the
cheapest rates. After reviewing the
different plans, Mr.. Walker concluded
that the last method was the most fsa-
sible. He considered, and rightly,
the question Of railroad reform to be a
National question, which would be-
come q political one, and could only
BE- achieved by political action.
AS we have not at hand Nj.
Walkers arguments In favor Of the
method Of reform which he deems most
feasible, l. e.-the purchasing and
leasing Of all railroads by the General
Government 1t Ia impossible to weigh
them. At the first glance, however,
the idea does not strike us avorably.
The large amount Of money involved
and the avenues Of fraud which the
purchase and management ola thousand
lines of railroad would open, are the
strongest arguments against such n
course. Moreover, We are largely
tinctured with the old theory upon
which our Republican system was
founded. viz: that the Government
should engage in no enterprise which
can be consummated and controlled
By private capital, aud that 1t Is not
the province Of Government to do
more than protect It's citizens In the
pursuit of their avocations. Tho bus
mess Of ~telegraphy or Of Transports
ton, It seems to US, Is not n legitimate
object Of Government pursuit. They
are avocations which arc not only
within the limits Of private capital,
but the latter Is simply an enlarge
ment upon and extension Of a pursuit
which from time immemorial has been
recognized A. that belonging to private
citizens and open to public compe-
tition-that Of common carriers. We
fully believe that 1t Is the duty Of four
Government to prevent oppressive
measures BY legislation ; and to our
mind this seems ut once the most fsas.
lble and frausht with loss danger than
any other mode. The management, tho
holding, or W the leasing Of the
almost iunumerable lines Of railroads
In this country would be a work sec
ond to none; In fact, comparable to
none now controlled by the Govern
ment. 1t would far surpass the oper-
ations Of any department OF tho
Government, aud the Cabinet Of
ficer, who should rs head OF
such n department, have con-
troll Of this system would DO vested
with more power, and that irresponsi-
BILE, save to tho President, than any
monarch of Ghristendom. The United
States has now more miles Of railroad
In operation than all other nations OF
the Garth. Their cost largely exceeds
the present National debt their man
agement requires the services Of armies
Of civilians, and officers Of the highest
executive talent. 10 place all this
vast machinery directly under tho
grasp Of q successful party, filed with
the surface sweepings of u >po.
litical system and demanding the
control Of these great avenues Of
wealth and power, on tho principle
,hot {. IN Pho vIrtors belono the spollsO