The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-03-29
RAILROAD ExToRTroN-..A RETROSPECT

en- years ago, which proved so shortlived ano
abortive, however that we have impIorrd inc
farmers not to allow the present uprising lc
share the same fate
In looking over our files, and comparing
the resolutions and uttcrances Of that day with
those of the present it is curious 10 note the
similarity Of the ideas prevailing then ano
now, and how little of the uttcranccs Of to-day
is really new,
On the 18th of January 1906 mass conyen
ton of farmers was held at Ottawa. "Iht
main object of the meeting" as stated by the
chairman, at the opening of the proceedings
"was to take some action in favor OF snip
canal around the falls of Niagara The pro
posed ship canal, however, cut comparative
" small figure in the proceedings, the speech
cs and resolutions diverging TO other topics
evidently felt to be Of more immediate con
ccrnment. and on which time has but contribu-
ted still more to concentrate public attention
Among the speakers at the meeting alluded
to, of whose remarks brief report IS given,
were the Hon VIM Rcddick, Hon. j. o. GLOW
er and Col. r. Lyle Dickey. We were almost
startled, on running over the remarks OF the
last named gentleman, to find with what per
spicuity and holiness he had announced u
doctrine which Is even now looked upon as
rather new, and then must have been regard
ed almost revolutionary. The doctrine we re.
fer to is, the constitutional power Of the legis-
laturc to regulate railroad charges orircightS
and fares So far as we know, this was the
first public ayowal Of that doctrine made in
this country from Il source calculated TO at.
tract attention and secure the confidence Of
the public We append an extract from the
speech of Col Dickey at the meeting alluded
to:
But besides the ship canal and tariil, there
was another thing to attend TO- Any OF our
merchants can tell us that the freight on
goods from Chicago TO Ottawa is hall as
much as from New York TO Chicago though
not sixth the distance We are robbed by
our railroads These roads had been cher
ishcd and lostcrcd by a magnanlmous puOllc,
and they are crushing that public under thelr
iron heel The fact that they carried coal
from La Sale TO Chicago cheaper than from
Ottawa to Chicago, was proof that III lhc lat
ter case it was cXtortion We must inspire
our legislators to lay hands on these railroads
and compel them to do right lie had no
doubt it was entirely competent for the lcgis
aturc TO fix the tariff of freight and fare per
mile on all our railroads. Talk of vested
rights, Where were they? We had aycsted
right TO use our own money but did not the
legislature come in and say we must not lend
t for more than ten per cent? In Chicago,
hey fix the price to be charged by ehacks,
lrays, &c. What difference was there be-
wecn this and fixing the price to be charged
" railroads. He (Mr D. granted that the
irst attempts to fix these rates would be crude
md imperfect, and might occasionally work
Injustice, but that would be nothing TO sub
hitting to the present system OF blood sucking
and cXtOrtiOn; besides time would eventually
find the true mean. He knew there were
many difficulties in the way of accomplishing
his. Wealth was all powerful, andthe mem
bers we sent to the Legislature to do it would
be bought and sold half II dozen times before
hey knew it, The only way was to let our
Legislators know and feel constantly that our
Eyes are upon them rD
A committee was appointed at that meeting,
consisting Of W. Perkins Vim. Rcddick, 5. X.
Lewis, T. Lyle Dckey and \. Campbell, to
prepare resolutions, which committee report
I'd to an adjourned meeting, held February
.1st. Among the resolutions reported by that
and adopted by the adjourned
Meeting, was the following, understood toI
rave been prepared by Col. Dickey, and fully
the doctrine he had advocated in
lis speech at the former meeting:
Resotoed, That corporations are regarded
n law as artificial persons, but have no high
r qualities or more sacred rights than natu-
al persons; and while they should, like ma
urai persons, be protected in their rights by
he law, they, at the same time, like natural
persons, be subject to the law, and may, like
Natural persons be restrained by law from
and wrong. 1t is held, in all civil.
zed countries, to be competent for the law
making power to fix a maximum rate OF in
crest on loaned money, maximum rate OF
crriagc, and maximum rate of tol! for grind. |
ny hrcadstufls, and this upon the principle |
HAT eNtortion, where one party has the advan-
age of the other, may be prohibited by statute.
| pom this principlc we assert the right OF the
pnblic TO have maximum rates OF travel and
by railways fixed by the legis-
lurc, ana the present arbitrary discrimination
between different points on the same line pro
hibitcd. ~. r..r-..
Though so radical doctrine, thus boldly |
occasioncd no marked impression
at the time, the feeling among the agricultur
lists themselves subsiding so rapidly, the doc |
trinc, like John Browns soul, seems to have
marched on" for we find the following win.
ter, the subject of legislative control over rail
roads was taken up in the Iowa Legislature
and an exhaustive report was made by com.
mittec in support of the power of the legisla-
Iure in the premises. Subsequently, in our
constitutional convention, the power was re-
and the trainers of our new consti
ution, and after them the legislature, sought
% give it tangible, practical form. But the
discussion still went on, until this winter we
have IA decision from our Supreme Court, A.
'crting the power of the legislature 10 prohibit
but denying the power TO fin arbi-