, 1873-03-04
THE RAILROAD QUESTION.


From tho 1rcttertt Rural.
RAILROAD hoNoroIrEs AND THE FAnhfEng.
Tho trouble botwoon tho people a,ltl The rail-
roadn has culmtnatod Mt Champaign County, Ill.,,
In innocent Hchool-clillron trying to rido on tho
0-cent faro principle; In 1tulentB taking roBscp-
aon Of cars and being ai,nntod upon si.lo traclts
In tho arreat md ilning Of all 1!linoiu Central
Railroad conductor for putting n farmer OF tho
a san n1S wSh as ssp sppsdaG ao ss an q wss
WcBtorn Hat1roRd, wliorofr pistols and kniyoa mo
Htatcl to have boon shown.
This Is but natural soquonco to tho inf'ammn-
tory md foolish speech Of htr. W. 9. Fiagg, 1T
Champaign, In wlloll ho adviHod hia hearornp' to
tender tlor two md n half or threo centg por
mile with ton conts additional but not to break
tic lava + they could help ii. Mr.. Flagg inform
farmer, and TINT all ho Ind was bound up in
1ar1ning; but ho was wisely eilont NJ to how
much money llo llnd made II this profession.
Neither did ho say how we'll ho Ind filled tho
10 had hold, particularly that oi United statos
ABsosaor. And, indeed, 1t would Bcom that tho
profession Of farming cannot DO very lucrae
ffiy;S, fy;s,n If with aot II 70 cannot t7 qo out
present Offices of Secretary Of tho ILL.,
nois Industrial University, Superintendent Of
Experiments at tho same Institution, md sev-
miasionosa. Mr. Flngg Is not tho first cole-
brascd parsonage who Inns considered hin,solf
competent to take all parts Of tho play. Bottom,
tho woayor, thought good denl Of himself, aud,
portant particular.
Since tho gentleman took to politics, and
served his aolltary term in tho Senate Of ILL.,
nols, wo find him developed into tho champion
what tho rallroad companies would like tllon
to DO, --rusl. blsndly into n,ischtef II farnors
SGT tlior rights It will not bo BY taking tho nd
vice Of domngoguos who alyly iuHtigato them
to violence by clap.trap speeches. They cor
ta!n1y will not lnend mattors by tondoring 4 cor
thin amount Of faro to tllo agents Of the railroad
In twos or th1ocs, OF. by riding freo in. nloba;
and If they enforce thoir point with pistols and
bowie-hniycs, may not their adversaries do tho
/ samoa We ask, does Mr. Flagg himself con-
protn tho law, or docs lo ride without paying at
| MI? Wo think 1t would be unfortunate to havo
man who has failed both in his private aud
public business ,fofHtod upon tho people Of llli-
Commissioner, though If two such mon as l1r.
Reynolds, Of Cook ind bfr. Adams, Of Stephen
sou, as has been suggested, were plaood with
him, they might, porhaps, kecp him from doing
Tho rairoad question is not the only ono that
is troubling tho farnorn greater ono Ia that
tIoy trust too much to mon who are seeking
office. They are told what Shame it is that It
costs 90 much to get corn to the scaboard This,
though a fearful grievance, is neyerthelosu not
50 great one as TINT they should havo to Bond
| 1t tlicre at all.
Tho West, however low freighss may be in tho
future will never got rich exporting Indian corn.
With tho present enormous crop low freightg
would merely havo tho effect Of glutting tito
| market without he'ping tho farmers, and those
! who 30 love tho farmer, for office eako, as to
out in the cold, wo want an equita.
bio sea1o Of froighta,-must hnyo 1t, will
hayo it We. shnll not reach tho result
wishcd tor by tho exorciso Of rnob-law. But
diversified agriculture, tho Developments. Of
manufactured In our midst. We want to put
men in power who aro not profesaed politicians,
and uso their power for soff-aggrnntlizemout
VIC want Htrict honesty in tho administration OF
our, public Affairs wo want farmers to elect
| just proportion Of their own nombors to of1lceB
Of public trust md honor VIC want Offices to
Beck mon, nnd not men Offices. That man
happens to have tho gift Of gal,. rs it is called,
docs not necessarily imply business capacity or
TACT and vc hayo worry littlo fatll IN ono who 80
dearly logoB tho pooplo TINT ho adviaos mob-law,
| although ho tcmperA 1t w1th tho advice not to
hoped tho farmers Of other States will intrust
their interests to different class OF mon,
Tho Western R,,'at has alWay advised TOM
porato courao in tl,ta movement Of the farmers.
Tho Legislature aud tho courts must mako and
decide upon tho law, and farmers will inevitably
lose ground by netting upon tho adyico Of "tak-
ing tic law into their own hnnds." Tho law llas
boon ignored BY tho railroad companies upon tho
ground TINT it was unconstitutional, aud now wo
find that tho Supreme Court Of Illinois la8 de-
cidcd that it Is 80 by tho concurrent and unlni-
NOUS opinion of oil tho Judges. Thoro is no
way to Bottle tho question except by tile court
Of Inst resort, whether it he State or National.
The law boing dcc1ared unconstitutional, We do
not, Of courHe, now want tho Commissioners,
over whom SO much trouble has been Ind.
Tho Legislature must 50 TO work and do the
rur14 and 1,n&4n Nh hatSn ID
trouble botween tho railroads and Tho people
might bo settled in o satisfactory manner to all
particn concerned. We do not forget that with
out railroads many partH Of tho Wost would yot
be O. howling wilderness, md wo do not forgot
that tho rnilroad companies hayo made many
unjust and grioyous regulations, Which hayo
helped to cripple tho far1nor, without whom thoy
could not for Il moment oxist.
bcat ono, perhaps, which tho farmers might
llBo rs D last resort. 80 fur tho breach haa
boon widenod by tho HotBpurs who haze
clainod to be the doar friends of tho farmer.
| Willie NO agreo that railroads have boon Of i'll
calcu!ablo advantage to tho fnrn!ors Of tho
| West, in giving tllcm transportation md on
hnncing tho prco Of their laus, railronds at tho
Hame timo must remember that thoy hro do
pondont Upon tile farmer for their Bucceps. THO
! cloar understanding Of this mutual dependence
is tho truo means for tic solution Of this diff
Guilty, and not rushing blnay into mob-lnw. 1t
must come through Just representation Of the
| Immediately Interested in tho industries. Wo
hnye boforo stated how those STOOD and We
roitorato that, as u last resort, it may bo nc
compllshod through tho voting power Of tho
| pouplo.
From tho Morrison {Ill.) Independent
NEWSPAPERS AND COURTS.
| If, Buys THE TRIBUNE, We havo reached y point
| that wo cau no longer trust tho courts, then wo
have anarchy. Now, ono thing is certain, no
cannot trust tho courts, md if tllia condition bo
anarchy it Ia tho courts, aud not tho pooplo,
| who arc responBiblo. Read tho impeachment
| tho people arc to he bound by tho nero dctum
Of silcsl contenptiblo wrotches, who should hayo
been, years ayo, in tho ronitontary. Tho
Tribune insists that the lawu must be enforced
81 by aw nni n no OH oc ,sa~ @ Hsvi nE rnnmnE
Inns right to insist, but it has very l:tlo power
to change conditions. Wo understand what tlis
| kind Of conservatism I'll means, nltl 1t la e1-