Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1873-09-13
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK.,

Newton Booth. at PATS Hail.
aaznss, isth, is7s.
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK.
CHANGES IN METHODS AND PRINCIPLES OF
TRANSPORTATION CAUSED BY RAIL
ROADS.
Before the introduction of railroads,
all public highways by land and water
were free to all upon the same condi-
tions. The facilities for travel and
transportation were insufficient, the
methods often crude and imperfect, but
the means were free. Exchanges were
difficult, but they were not controlled.
With the introduction of railroads
all this has been changed.
The facilities and methods have been i'm
proved-exchanges have been made
easy, but the freedom is gone. The
means are in the hands of a power that
claims to be, and seems TO be, indepen-
dent of law and public opinion-a pow
er which is often able to make law in
defiance of public opinion. 1t is as easy
as it is brutal TO say, "if you do not like
our railroads you can go back to OK
carts and pack-mules'' The old order
of things has been destroyed by the
new. The railroad was built over our
highways, through public domain,
through private possessions, by right of
the highest prerogative of government
the right to take private property for
public use; it was built for public use,
for just, equitable and necessary pub
lie use; and with full consciousness
that it was to destroy the old order of
things these grants and concessions
were made to it, and it was armed with
ithaca r,rar0ro If ia ac oaSv q 9 If iS
insulting to say, if you do not like the
management of sour railroads, build
others yourselves. The answer is: The
men who use railroads are not able to
build them; most of them are poor, and
those who are not have their means in
other pursuits; besides, the probabili-
ties are, you did not build with your
money the road you contrOl-the road
may have made you rich, your riches
did not make the road.
APPROVED PLAN OF BUILDING RAILROADS.
For many years it has not been the
American fashion for the owners OF
railroads to put their own money into
their construction. If it had been it
would have insured more conservative
and business-like use of that species of
property. The favorite plan has been
to get grants of land. and loans of cred
| it from the General Government: guar
autees of interest from the State
Government; subscriptions and dona-
tions from counties, cities and individ-
uals; and upon the credit of all this,
| issue all the bonds that can be put upon
tine market; make close estimate as to
how much less the road can be built
for than the sum of these assets form a
ring; call it-say the Credit Mobilier or
L ~ M nd G<,f,ar, " %
purpose of constructing the road, divid-
ing the bonds that are left; owning the
lands. owning and operating the road
until the first mortgage becomes due,
| and graciously allowing the Govern
ment to pay principal and interest upon
| the loan of her credit, while "every tie
| in the road is the grave of a small stock
holder. Under this plan the only men
| in the community who are absolutely
certain not to contribute any money tG
| the construction of the road are those
| who own it and control it when it is
finished. This method requires a GER
tain kind of genius. political influence
and power of manipulation, and fur.
nishes one clew to the reason why rail.
roads s'interfere in politics. The per.
sonal profit upon this enterprise is moi
a profit upon capital invested. but the
result of in-work-administra
talent, they call it, in particular
direction. When the road is built eapi.
tai will seek it, but until the whole
principle of subsidies is abolished il
will not seek to build 1t. 1t is easier
more delightful and more profitable tt
build with other peoples money thar
their own. - sue
Again, do not want to say that rail
road men are more selfish than othel
men. but that opportunities are Offered
l-of which only the strong can avail
themselves-that might might MAKE
Caesars of the best, and that no men ar,
trary power. When Lord Give was be
fore Committee of the House of Com
mons on charge of having enriched
himself by the plumber of India, ac
cording to Maeaulay, he justified hi
acts, "described in vivid language tn
situation in which his victory hat
placed him-a great prince dependent OF
his pleasure; an opulent city afraid o
being given up to plumber; wealth,
bankers bidding against each other fo
his smiles; vaults piled with gold an,
jewels thrown open to him alone-an,
exclaimed in conclusion, "By ---
Mr.. Chairman, at this moment stan,
astenished at my own moderation" /" st
MAGNIFICENCE OF THE PRIZE.
To form some idea of the magnificent
of the whole prize at stake, let US sup
pose that the entire railroad system Q
the United States is under the contrG
of one company. Nor is this a violen
presumption. When we consider th
colossal strides of the New York Ger
trail and Pennsylvania Central toward
, this result-the latter now owning Q
operating more than four thousan
miles, making thousand-year leases an
erations-and reflect that the owners {
the>trunk lines control their feeders .
absolutely as though they owned them
it will not seem Improbable that tn
whole system may pass under on
general management. Imagine this AZ
complished, and the principle that th
law cannet fix rates and compel unifol
. nifty is established, one company woul
! then have mo nopoly of all milan
transportation. A, B, c, and D own I'll
coal mines which supply the city of Ne
. York. The mines of A are most valus
! bic and nearest to market. He finds 1
, his astonishment that his rivals ca
underselI him, and the value of b
j property is destroyed. He learns upo
inquiry that while he pays freight accOl
Il
, have special rates. He complains. an
, is told that he can haul his coal on cart
+ or pack it on mules. He demonstrate
;; and is told that he can build his ow
! railroad. Finally between that an
> bankruptcy. he sells or gives coptro
i ing interest in his mine to the Directo
: of the Mammoth Railroad Company.
= The same process goes ON successivel
4 with B, G and D, and reaches the san
: result. Then the great "Anthraci
Company is formed, composed of Il
!, Directors of the Mammoth Railros
q Company" stock of coal is accumnla
q ed in the city; winter has come I'll
= Director of the Mammoth looks in Il
mirror and says to the image he Sc
: there, "Anthracite, we have got to az
q vance your rates % and the image r
= fleets smile and bow; coal advanc
in the city, but there is no panic. Tht
some new regulation is established at Il
% mine which prOvokes O strike. The r
NOR goes abroad, 'sNo more coal" Tht
10 there are panic and famine prices i'm Il
10 city, murder at the mine, and the DO
20 shiver and freeze over the white ash
# in their CRATES, that Anthracite IN,
q swell Mammoth's profits. Some OF
:, ventures to say this is wrong, this is M
:, nopoly, and the whole brood of parasit
| thof hoc N tho p0o;o1 or NJ.