The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-04-03

Legislature now in session, hal
given their best efforts to o solution
| this question. he believed they wer
honestly trying TO aerve the people In thi
matter, but It was difficult one to man
age. Referring TO the decisions OF th'
) courts that the charter Of railroads wert
contracts between the people and the cor
porations, be argued against the correct
ness Of the proposition and expressed hil
belief that these charters were simply
grants OF power 10 the corporators t
build roads, and consequently subject Il
the control Of the Legislature, and thC
time was coming when the courts woulC
80 decide. He took the ground that the
provision in the constitution Of this State
giving,the Legislature power to regulate
rates for freight and passenger charges on
railroads was to prevent unjust disCrimi-
nation, and that the Legislature having
fixed these rates and decided what was
unjust discrimination, the courts had
no right 10 go behind that action and
decide upon It's correctness. What he
wanted To sec was law passed by the
Legislature which would bring the ques-
tion directly before the Courts and have
the matter decided at once. He believed
1t was for the interest of both the people
\ and tue railroads to have q speedy de-
c:sion Of the matter, and II the Courts do.
cided 1t tho Legislature had the right.
Then he railroads must submit II
they decided againstit Thepeople must
either settle down to things as they now
are-TCries of mo we won't. No, no,
ueyer"l-or, continued the Governor, OBJ.
tain an amendment 10 the Constitution OF
the United States which viii. secure the
desired object. This was IAN undoubted
right ofthe people which had often been
exercised and could be again.
In conclusion, the Governor declared
his intention 20 faithfully, without fear,
favor or affection, 60 forward In the dis
charge OF all his duties and leave the re-
suits to the conslderate judgment OF the
people Of tho State.
Ex-Governor Palmer then appeared by
consent of tho Convention, and made q
short speech. He econsidercd tho fact that
the farmers Of the State had come togeth-
er in such numbers to seek for d remedy
from the evils that oppressed them, was
significant, indicating as 1t did an inten'
ton OF dealing with the living present is
sues, instead Of far away or past ones. The
necessity Of bringing the products OF the
country Io,msfket made railroads in;this
prolific country absolutely necessary, and
| thogQheslion was not now between the
railroads and other means Of transpOrta'
ton, but it was struggle between rail-
road managers and the people who make
railroads and arc taxed for their support.
The doctrine of vested rights which had
been declared by some Of the Courts OF
the country, he declared was one
which could not bo submitted to.
The creature would not be greater than
lis creator, and the corporations could
have no more rights than q single indiVld.
ual. He took the ground that the rail.
roads are public highways, and their
managers public agents, both subject to
the same control by the Legislature as
other highways and other public agents,
but the real managers Of our railroads
were notthc officers who lived along the
line or at either end oil IL, but the jobbers
in the stocks Of these roads in Wall street,
who by their mRuipulations wrung from
the people extortionate prices for freight
and oppressed both producers and con-
sCmer, and as u remedy Tor this great
evil he would like TO SEQ law
passed repeating the laws now in
force which will make tho stocks
OF these roads personal property, and then
impose the same conditions upon the
transfer of these stocks as ere now i'm
posed on the transfer Of the roads them.
selves. IN conclusion he urged them to
be patient and persistent, and they would
be certain to secure their object at last.
A resolution condemning the action OF
tho Representatives Of this State in Con-
gress, for their action in voting for the
bill for increasing salaries, and tho Prcsi-
dent Of the United States for signing the
same was offered and adopted.
The report of tho Committee on Reso.
lutions was then received and read as
follows:
ResO!ued BY Tho farmers Of Illinois in mass
meeting assembled:
1. That all chartered monopolies not
regulated and controlled by law have
proven in that respect detrimental to the
public prosperity, corruptlng in their
management and dangerous to Republi.
can institutions. ~
2. The railways of the world, except in
those countries where they have been
held under strict regulation and super
visionof tho government, have proved
themselves Of arbitrary extortion and op'
posed to free institutions and free com.
merca between the States as the feudai
barons of the middle ages.
3. That we hold, declare and resolve
that this despotism which defes our laws,
plumbers our shippers, impoverishes our
people and corrupts our government,
shall be subdued and made TO subserve
the public interestiat whatever cost. ~
ResoIUd, That we believed the, State
did not and could not confer any of It's
sovereign power upon any corporation,
and that now is the most favorable time
to settle the question so that 1t may never
be hereafter misunderstood, that State
cannot create: q corporation 1t cannot
thereafter control.
RsSOlosd, That in view Of the present
extortions, we look with alarm upon the
future, Of an interest which can combine
in the hands OF a few men, a capital OF
nearly two hundred and fifty millions Of
dollars in our own State, and four thou
sand millions OF dollars In our Union; and
we believe 1t essential to the prosperity
OF all classes that tho contest continue
until these corporations acknowledge the
supremacy Of tho law.
RsSo!Ved, That we regard 1t as the un.
doubted power and tho imperative duty
of tho Legislature to pass laws fixiLg
reasonable, rates for freight and ppssen.
gers, without classification oil roagis, and
that we urge upon our General Assem-.
bly, tile passage Of such laws.
ReSolued, That the exj5ting statute pro.
viding for classification Of railroads
with view to adjusting tariff Of
charges according to the gross amount OF
earnings, Is : deluslOn and a snare, and is
.1NH Il ! l,In n a.