Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-12-04

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THURSDAY MORNING. DEC. :. 1873.
Railroad legislation.
The formers are looking anxious'y
for some action upon the question OF
fteights. The Legislature. soon to con-
vcnc, cannot long ignore tho wishes of
tho pcoplc. Something will be do"e'
but lust what, may not be safely pre-
dicted at present. One thing, how
ever, is certain. There will be sharp
contest between the Railroad comoa~
MES and the public, unless they can
agree to an adjustment Of their diff.
eulties, upon some amicable basis. The
corporations have tho advantage, as
usual. Several Of their most able rep.
,escutatives are in the Legislature, aud
they will do their utuost to make it
appear that the railroad companies arc
tho beuefaetors Of the State,-that
they are now, and always have been,
working It = los TO themselves, and
that they depend solely upon An in
crease Of business to reimburse the
losses they have sustained By operatin 2
their roads under tho disadvantages In
eident to new and sparscly settled
State. The cry Of poverty is always
heard in the Legislature when
any effort is made to control railroads,
and tears Aow 50 cop;ously that even
tarmer.lcgislators suffer their sympa-
thies to become enlisted in favor Of
those against whom they are pledged
to contend.
It will be so this winter. The rail-
roads were never better prepared with
tho materially for successful defence
than they arc now, and If they use it
skillful!y, they will hold their sovereign
franchises intact.
For the consideration Of those who
have the courage to institute measures
for relief from railroad extortions, and
who have tho honesty to prosecute the
work unswervinely, We offer the follow
ing suggestion, Wig:
That the franchises heretofore grant
ed to rai!road companies were among
The inherent rights Of the State, and
g ssea. we're the intangible property
Of every citizen-hcnce, when the
terms upon which such franchises were
granted, haze been violated, such VIC.
lation constitutes an offense against the
rights Of each citizen, and against the
dignity Of the State, and is properly a
M1SDEMEANOR! If,therctore, the
charter Of comp: ny provides for the
transportation IF freight and passen.
gers at reasonable rates, aud that cou'-
pany levies excessive or crortttant
charges. such act should be made
punishable as a CRIME! A charge for
transportation so disproportionate to the
service rendered, or to the labor per-
formed, as to stop production or to lay
m embargo Upon trade, is as much
a species Of robbery as though
the company establishing the same
we're to change their mode Of procedure
and-goi"g upon the highway-take
~imi!ar SUNS from innocent travellers,
under the persuasive influence ofpistol
and sabre.
Let US Rave !aw, then, providing
that the collection by railroad compa-
MES, or by their agents, Of any sum
for the transportation Of freight, in
excess Of what is reasonable, shall be
considered u m;sdemeanor, aud punish
able BY fine or imprisonm ut, or both,
in the discretion Of the court.
Railroads are now, by law, bound to
cary for reasonable rates, but not one
men in . thousand Who ia over-chargcd,
can afford to defend himself in the
eou,ts,-hcnce, the provision is prscti-
eally nullity; but if the legal effect
Of each violation were such Us to SUBJ
ject the party to indictment, the re-
striction would be Of material value,
and etfectual for the purpose intended
Where railroad company takes from
the pocket-book of citizen, under
duress, a certain sum, for service not
worth half as much, We say that com.
pany-because it has been licensed
by the State, aud is abusing the
franchises derived from it,-does q
wrong, not alone, to the individual, but
to the commonwealth, and its agents or
managers should be held to an account
At her criminal bar.
In other words, the State having
created corporations, and bestowed upon
them certain privileges-tke property
Of her citizens, she is bound to defend
herself and them, and to provide for
the summary punishment Of every Of
Tense against either. In this way rail-
roads can be made subservient to the
interests Of their owners, without i'm
pairing their usefulness to the public,
and be kept under proper control with
out suffering any abridsement of their
legal rights, and this is the precise re-
lation which they should sustain to the
people Of the State.
Terrible Calamity.
The steamship Vile du Havre, which
left New York for Havre on the 18th
) ult., was on the 22nd, at about 2 o'clock