, 1873-02-28

1
an nnaccountable facility for falling into unsernpaloa
hands. In other business where money Is Masse
in large amounts whether @ IL Esq
seeIaent Ct railwsy eorporati9ns WI EhethcE h. 9
nroper checks and Eal inces in the rendering or
counts n1d tho consequent 1ooseaess Of
exsssnt me r toe eoe
aro Ilada the peculiar ind profitable prey Of men Q
tho stamp Of Vanderbilt, Drew, Fiji, and Gould.
e1tortion unlimited power to charge In the hands
| rspacious and uuscrup,lous men, That this powe
has not been abused more than it hna ia duo to tn
fact that nll railway men not unscrupufonB, AM
that those who are did not recognize their avantag
and avail themselves Of It earlier simply becauso, iih
the rest 81 us, they were aho1t-sghted We have es
capped, to certain extent, also because ther
hon is comparatively late fact. But that We ate th
endurance Of those who plundered, Is now certain
Heretofore the fact of e.toronate charges 5as been
send bushel Of wheat at 81 IS pee bunhel ooo m1le
by rail- instead Of LIS by wagon before 1t would be con
fact to scan charges coseiy Whila prices wefe high
tho percentage Of cost OF @ Mas
eEsst Bos ehaees for say
fnct tss 4a1Wny companies nre charging far In ad
or t1s o'
This fact cannot he gainsaid OF denied, let the ad
vocates OF the present extortonata system say what
psated Is is attempted by IN editorial in the Rat
road Gazette OF Feb 9, upon The Tendency Of
Freight Bates Of which have been favored with
copy, but certainly not Justified or defended You
cannot defend railway sysem that, as IN Illinois,
charged 27 cents mile for passengers IN 1866 a
ISL III tho face Of greayncreascd facities greater
travel, aid diminished initiation. You cannot defend
tic fact which the writer In the Railroad Gazette, who
fur man, admits, that the producer, shipper
and consumer must, or more Of them. pay, during
the Inst nyn years nearly s. cents freight On every
bushel Of &c pounds Of grain sent to New York.
Charges like these, ~ have already and elsewhere
alown aru extortonate BECAUSE largely in advance Of
the necessary and actual cost of transportation.
~. They: decrease aud dry up the stream Of pro-
ducton. They Rll the goose that lays the golden egg
The w1ser rs1ixsy sn Partially SEQ thts bSt the grt
agood fnanua1 exhibit to the stockholders for hia
year. He lacks thq nerve and the pluck to low
mate1y pay tho best. I know hit Of road only IS
miles long, just finished, between Arcola and Paris,
whose Constructing Engineer and Acting superin~
nerve and the will Che is the Of Of lending
Champaign County farers to put passenger rates At
4 % q aad 1res 2an a rsns result n
freight; while the Illinois Central passenger
nearly half empty throngh the same region atrstes
ranging between& aud cents mile. More than this,
the rheapening Of freight, even over that thrtyva
miles Of 1ailroad haa advanced the price OF
what might be done by an enlightened sefinterest Il
ne had men whpee heads were IS clear and hearts as
right In charge Of the great railway routes Eastward
o7p9rations their dscrinnations Practically they
drive manufacturers and others who ship largely from
to the terminal
unnnturally at another, according to the ca-
corporation T6e only excuse for this is competition.
ut the terminal Or junction points: and that now has
to Is
tory at Elgin to Chicago, Is It did from New FORK
Rosd On a. an Illinois branch, used its 81 power to 5reaE
down cur home-manufacturiug Product, aud permit
Ehat Of other States to have N undue advantage.
chief The shipper, whether the farmer, the grain
buyer Or the 1,anufecturer, can nuke no certain
1vereharge his buy at unduly low rates,
I'm The risk Of failure Railway corporations seem
9ut reference to the bad effect 1t may hare their
ous1aiw.y corporations ire hahtua1ly ytolatore Of
,ut state laws. We have 1awa fdrbtdding dacrimna-
lion in freights, and fixing maximum passenger
rates.. Both bare been continuously violated ever
oas nar Sag claim hess as to be
ionsI but that does not authorza continuous yoa
ion ot them during ths time tut ts needed to test
Taught obey Law until it proved to be
stttutona1 bnt railway corporations only to
These, then, afa the grieeances to be redressed.
These, then, he charges Of the people ag1ins the
The law. aud; for these sroagy, demand relresz
sste aaah b. Submitted to State aT ad
re will tolerate power superior to the State within
he Sate saYe that Of the General Government aone
express the almost unanimous sentiment of tho peo
le Of Illinois when Is1 that whatevG legislation 4p-
or condemnation Is needed to submit the
ailWay corpora tons to such supervision and control
III representatives should provide aud executive
>fhce1s should enforce, 49,.
ailway corporations under continuous and tnfe1ibe
ule OF responsibility, public quaat public cu1po
atio9s 'ns controlling :the II public hlghways 9t
ubhc highways, upon which, upon payment Of rea-
onsble tolls ths OF any pnd MI Companies shal
5re shall Be compelled to furnish s adequate
aeks and rolling aud not, by furnishing In
,teeat FACILITIES fsr shipptng somps1 sstoroasts
stded' nd H. We demand % awE 6ans IL @ srcasenalle M ma maximum @
ties Of freight and puniahing unlawful e1toFtjou
ne want legislation not only in our uw State, but
States along the leading railroads throughout the
,untry, all to the same end Of lessening tho great
On, and the condemnation, State mud National, Of
anchises sbused BY the corporations that possess
But remedy we must and will have. Times Of
gh prices may come when this grinding Transports
IN tax may be less felt but the continuous unueces
~ dtnin upon the wealth Of tho county, required
At fe" may grow enormously wealthy, is contrary
the genius Of Republican 1nsututtons and a. dis !
ace 10 LIE ClFlZA11Ou III Iue age. IL lQueI lo@ ana
all not remain; and the 500 900 farmers Of Illinois,
hose fair and fertile farms aro threatened BY taxa
n that government wo!d ever dare to ssseas;
I men who must begin and carry on the war. IN
r hands the issues Of this contest, and de-
rye net the name OF fatmers-oc freencu-K He t
rutt the irresponsible and Illegal force OF railway
to make their vassals and payers OF
butte, Let us fight It out on this line. .-.. ,
After the address OF Mr. Flagg, Which was :
IL received BY the Convention, ]
NIB, CIAnKE,..: a
itor Of the american Eee-J Journal, was called !
:, and pledged his support to the movement, =
lich was bit in tho interest OF Justice TO all
ases. His remarks abounded IN pointed and =
sctical common sense with epico Of hun1dr, l. e
d apt Illustrations that elected repeated ap- d
:. nh. a1ATEws, :; .: 49,. + g
indiana, being present.. was invited to =
d1eas the Convention; and responded in ta | =
ct address on the encroaching power Of -
neyed corporations, shaping, directing, and =.
,yenfing Legislation in this country rs an evil u
alarming magnitude, and that demanded the ::
neat consideration Of the n1assoa of the
,ple.s He knew of no. class OF the people |
t -1egislators~ would more readily: heed ~
a 1armets. T they reso1utely and firmly do h,
nded their rights, they could accom- =, ~
h, beyond all doubt, the. objects Of tbs =