The sun., 1873-08-22
The War Against NonopoIrcs.

ANStuts
The War Against NonopoiIcs.
Two notable speeches have recently been
delivered by two able and distinguished
men on subject which is now engaging
great attention in all parts OF the country,
the enormous power exercised by railroad
corporations. one OF the speakers was
GOV. PALMER Of Illinois, the other Gov.
~.,,.ro>, @"r" Of California. The rr-
marks Of the latter were in special refer
cncc to the tyranny and the exorbit.nt
cxactions of the Central Pacific Railroad
Ring. hut they included q review of the
general relations of all railroad companies
TO the industry of the country.
In all the Western Stntes and especially OH
the paclc coast, there i Il general outcrN
among the fai mers that the riilr,ad CONF
panics, ~ cXtravacaut charges for trans
! portation, and i'm many Instances by un-
lust discrimination n f., -ht rate, are
running the agricultural inter, t; that
through srlhsh cUm1inliols by railway
managers the labor of the country a. sub-
! ielted TO unreasonable burdens: and ths
these corporations in lart are 50 mann p ad
a. 20 absorb nearly al the prohts II a1ri-
culture,
! Not Only tins, but many * the corpora
/ tious have invaded the hVii OF IO.Iii,s, ard
! hy the use of money ana Influence are
enabled to dictate pomunations to party
caucu,cs and conventions, thereby sccU-
ing the election of thcir own AGENTS to
Offices of importance In the STATE aud na-
tional Governments. This Is especially the
| case in California, where the Contra "a iic
monopoly has cowplcte control of tho N' =
publican organization; and having secured
a seat in the United States senate for ono
of IT. most ruscrupulous agents, a. A. SAR-
GENT, is no.; making the most exraordi-
nary efforts 20 give their mercenary col
league as subscrvicnt as himself. In that
state very important political move
t....-- '..,,'', s. ,.,,t-.e.j.. - .y
tyranny Of the Central Pacific Railroad
Company. Gov. PALMER aud Gov. BoorH
have both come forward rs champions of
the people who are cudcayoTiug to restrict
the power of railroad corporations; and
GOV. BouTH goes 20 far ne TO avow his be
lief that the choice is between reform in
these matter, now or revolution hereafter
In his san Francisco speech he pictured
the monopoly Of the coal, the wheat, AMI
the salt trade Of the country by railroad
corporations us something not impossib,
nor even improbable and the final cOnsoli-
dat ON of the whole railroad system of the
United States under the control Of one
company, rs an illustration of what abso
lutte control over the productive industrie'
Of America might yet be exercised bN
al 81 lt,
maguates. "NOr is this violent pre-
SUMPTION" he SAYS. "Whcn We consider
the colossal strides of the New York Cen
tral and Pennsylvania Central toward thi
result-thc latter now owning or operating
more than four thousand miles, making
thousand-year leases, and gunrantoein!
dividends for thirty generations-and rc
fleet that the owners Of the trunk line.
control their feeders rs absolutely "a
though they owned them, it will not seen
improbable that the whole system may
pass under one general management"
Whatever may be thought of the cX
trome views presented by Gov. BoorIl
there j. no doubt that the growing powe
of our great RAILROADS, and especially tn,
means some of them have used to influence
legislation, have excited grave apprehcu
sions in the minds OF thoughtful men
? while they have engendered a dangcrou
spirit of Jealousy and hostility among
, very important class OF our citizens. How
, to guard against abuses Of the enoTTnOu
power held by these corporations is
problem which has puzzled some of on
. wiscst men. Gov. BooTH frankly says tha
? for the whole question no adequate solu
- I tion has been found, though he believe
e that where the Government has loaned il
! credit and given its bonds TO build roal
and been defrauded Of It's securities it In
, the right, and should exercise the power
to take possession of the road and operat
il for th" public good. At the same tim
: the proposition advanced in some quarter
that the Government should take posse,
: sion OF the whole railroad system ough
not to be entertained unless preceded by
| Ciyil service reform of a nature of whic
rs yet we have had no experience. Bu
there Is one step toward reform which tn
$ Governor says can be safely taken now
: and that is to break the political powc
ana dletauon of these corporation
whether they comprise three men q
+ three thousand.
Inc views Ol hoV' PALMER are eXpresSc
with more confidence, and point more dl
rectly TO remedy which he believes wi
l be eifcctual. His position is that, admit
Z ting railroad charter to be in the natur
. OF contract comforting vested righ
= which cannot be impaired by Legislation
, this contract imposes reciprocal obi ~
t tions upon the company to perform all tn
G duties of common carrier to which
e knew il would be liable when il apple
:, for charter. Among these duties is thi
: OF supplying the public with reasonab
: and ordinary facilities for transportation