The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1873-12-29
Monday. december 30. 1878.
Lo9en's Railroad Bill.


track railroad from the great producing Mest 10
the Atlantic seaboard. II asks no land grant, no
pryiiese to build double track, Independent rail-
road on the shortest line from chicago 70 NeW
York with branch to o%sa ;Sp fre ips and
travel and in every particular secures to the people
the true purposes Of carrying corporation-HocE
Island Union.
The bill alluded to was concocted tor
the benefit Of a ring of public swindlers,
aud not for the benefit of the people.
Johnny Logan, in the Senate, and Charley
Farwell, in the House. are its sponsors.
1t names twenty persons as corporators OF
the New York and Chicago Postal Rail
way and Telegraph Company" who are
authorized to build an airline railroad with
two or more tracks from one point to the |
other, and branches in every direction; to
raise hundred million of dollars, or as much
more as may be necessary, on stock; TO
hold, condemn, and cross any land neces-
sary, any streams or highways &C. 10 oe
free from any State restrictions or regula-
tons as to speed or anything else; TO es-
tablish telegraph lines of its own, and OPP |
crate them in It's own way. These twenty
persons are authorized also to import
anv material necessary for the construc-
.ion and equipment of the road free Of
duty. Is this no subsidy? Why take off
these duties for one road and not for all ?
The bill fixes the rate for passengers,
not to exceed cents a mile The fare is
less than cents now FROM Chicago TO New
-u.M
the year in and out. Why give Johnny
Logan 4 Co, iron free Of duty and give his
gang of public swindlers so per cent. more
than is now charged by existing roads
Johnny Logan is always lacking his ship
to get the weather. gage of contemporary
politciaus-,just as Hawley is doing with
his canal bills, free banking bills, and ma
tional regulatory legislation" bills, both
fondly hoping to take the wind out of the
sails of the Farmers Anti Monopoly party.
As fair sample of the sort of tools our
demagogues do not scruple to play with we
think this bill of Logan's-l''to provide
permanent aud cheap transportation for
persons and freight between New York
and Chicago cannot be surpassed. In
effect it proposes to combat the monopolies
which the Farmers complain Of by creating
another and more gigantic monopoly
than the country has yet seen, to give i
invidious privileges such as will tempt cap
italists to take part in it, and to confe
upon it powers f T oppression and tyranny
such as no free people could live under
Should this road and its branches cos
S2OO,0OO,0O0 and the equipment and ma
terial account consume One-half of thi
sum, Mr.. Logan's bill would PRACTICAL.
give $40, O0O,0 900 out of the Treasury of tn
United States, that is to say, $2,O00,00
to each Of these twenty gentlemen, for tn
privilege OF having them build this road
The abatement of duties would excee,
that sum. This is not land grant, Blu
the people of this State will be likely t
ask lift be not money grant of the mos
stupenduOus sort
Again, suppose it should be decided +
take this road through the heart of tn
cities of Toledo and Cleveland, or any 9th
er cities in its possible route No act o
the Legislature Of Ohio could prevent tn,
express trains from dashing through tn
streets of these cities at a speed of sixt
miles an hour. To interfere with the roa
is to make yourself amenable to the Fed
eral courts, to which alone its authorize
are responsible. Congress regulates tn
tariffs Of the road, and, as it gives to tn
hnr
the revenues of the people, 1t might requir
in return that the road should repay thi
bonus by conveying passengers and freigh
for less than cost. This act, which is easi
conceivable of Congress made up of sucl
demagogues as johnny Logan, would EN-
in nothing else than the destruction of al
competing roads and the erection of Logan
Farwell, * Co'sroad into the one controlling
monopoly of the country. The Pennsyl
vania Railroad is bad enough, but thi
road, if built. would make that Oss
like waIt
The Farmers Anti Monopoly State Con
vention, 1f this State, the friends of fire.
trade and farmers rights, and of tn
rights Of the States, held at Decatur. q
the 10th, put their stamp of disapprobatio
upon all these schemes of Logan, Farwel
Hawley Il Co, in the following resolutions
L. Resoired That the existing raj
road legislation of this State shout
be- sustained and enforced until thor
oughy tested before the Courts
that we oppose any legislation b
Congress, under the plea OF regulatiu
commerce. between the States. which shal
deprive the people Of their present con
Trolling influence through State legislation
10. Resoired That the right of tn
Legislature 10 regulate and cuntrC
the railroads of the State must b
indicated, established. and main
tanned as an essential attribute O
state Government and thatthose holdin
the doctrine that railroad charters ar
contracts, in the sense that they are No
subject to legislative supervision and cor
troll, have NJ just appreciation of the nce
essary powers and rights Of free Gov
ernment and we will agree To no truc,
submit To no compromise short Of complet
Undlcation and the reestablishment of m
supremacy OF the State Government in i
right through its Legislature 10 supervi.
and control the railroads of the State
such manner Us the public interest sha
demand.
--~----
Bogus Debates