The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-07-10
SPEECH OF EX-G0V. JOHN
M. PALMER, AT SPRING.
FIELD, ILL.,, ON THE
FOURTH.
The Dangers Of the Hour are
not the Fault Of the Struc-
ture Of our Government.
THEY ARE THE FAULT OF
THE PEOPLE IN NEG
LECTING THEIR
DUTIES.
THE OWNERSHIP OF RAILROADS SHOULD
BE SEPARATED FROM THE Busl-
NESS OF TRANSPORTATION.


ca duties required by tins scheme. nan
road rates must, In the nature OF things, |
vary according 10 the special circumstances
and no congress or legislature would under |
take or discharge the task OF watching the
varying demands of such duties. The at
tempt would only be 70 increase the num-
Der of commissions those anomalies IN
government which are neither legislative,
executive nor judicial in their nature or
functions, not chosen by, or responsible to,
the people and that would soon become a
mere appendage 10 the railroad system.
The most and the best that could be ex-
pected of them would be to confne them
selves TO the ardu0us though pleasant
duty Of signing the receipts for their com
pensation.
And the same may be said of legislative
tariffs. And there are two objections in
addition, which apply TO the whole theory
of direct legislative interference to fix the
rates to be allowed by the railroads and
these are, that the rights and inter
ests of both the people and the railroad
corporations would be endangered by such
a policy and the second is, that the peo-
pie cannot be compelled TO pay more, nor
the railroad companies 10 accept less for
their services than Just and reasonable
compensation | throw out Of view the in
cvitable corruptions which such policy
would endanger. We know the influence
which wealth exertS on our politics, and
there is danger that if the principle was once
conceded that railroad tariffs might be con
clusively settled by legislative action, the
people would have greater reason for APP
prehension than the corporatOrs.
Another one of the schemes of profess
ional reformers, is, that Congress should
at once engage in building railroads 10
compete with Existing lines. If this
scheme contemplates that the federal gov
eminent shall engage to afford Ia all nor
tons Of the country the adyantas.s Of
competition with existing railways, then
we may wei feel all the agonies Of fear at
the anticipated approach of the tax gather
er but if il means that one or two trunk
lines are to be constructed by all, for the
benefit of sOme one or more cities and dis
tricts, leaving all other districts to feed the
demands OF the corporations, and deprived
of part Of their profits, we should have
another illustration OF the folly of mere
empireism in politics
All these schemes are worse than folies
The only remedy for the abuses and CD.
pressions incident 10 railroad management
is to put into the hands of the people the
means of self-redress for every wrong they
may suffer, and any relief obtained in any
other way than by the voluntary action of
the people themselves, would be productive
of greater injury TO the institutions of the
country, and 10 the popular spirit, than a
hundred years of the severest exactions Il
which the railroad. Corporations can subject
the people.
God, in His providence, permits men t.
be slaves after they have lost the spirit Of
freemen, and government may destroy al
the institutions of liberty by incessant at
temps to interfere either with or for the
people.
We want only legal rules of evidenc,
which will throw upon the railway carriers
the burden Of vindicating their claims
whenever they are disputed. We need
only such changes in the remedies as will
enable us to ascertain the cost and the ac.
tual value of railroad property, ana v.
must have such euactments as will sepa
rate the ownership of railways from tn,
business OF common carriers prosecuted Of
their lines and the roads themselves mus
be thrown open to competition, upon term
that will protect the owners Of railwa,
property, and at the same time break VI
combinations and monopolies.
All the laws that fix the character o
the stocks Of railway companies as person
al property and fit them for the manipu
lations OF gamblers and stock jobbers. mus
be repealed. Aswell might the OWNERSHIP,
Of Lake Michigan or the Mississippi rive
be capitalized and its shares quoted in tn
stock market, as that the government o
the great artificial lines Of trade be settle,
by the bulls and bean" that toss an,
worry each other
We are informed that the organized de
termination Of the people of the western
States Is already attracting the attention
OF capitalists abroad, and it is said tina
they hesitate % engage in new enterprise
until they can understand the true mean
ing OF the movement and its probable re
suit IL must occur to every one that thi
prudence and caution is in every way com
mendable. The property Of the capitals
Is safe in Illinois 1t is protected BY JUS
and equal laws, and it will be entitled To
and will receive all the consideration w
bestow upon our own property. but NJ
more. II Is the determination of the peo
pie to continue the investigation of th,
railroad question until the rights and du
ties Of all the parties Interested are ascer
tanned aud adjusted We do not know
how long the dispute will continue. Tn,
people will no doubt make haste slowly
carefully watching the developments o
the subject They will carefully guard al
OF the admitted rights Of capital and vii
assail only its pretensions to a right TO Oh
press and wrong the people. The tim,
will never be again in Illinois when IN,
popular demand for Justice can be silence,
by quoting ancient preeedents or stupi,
concessions.
The corporators who control the rail
ways Of the State are mere citizens. an,
arc not different in respect to their right
or their duties from others. The,
have organized under the laws TO en-
gage. IN an Important and To them pro
titable, employment, and in aeceptin,
their privileges, bound themselves by new
engagements to obey the laws and 10 dis
charge the duties they undertook accordinl
10 the rules and principles Of justice an,
reason. They, relying upon perverte,
theories OF constitutional law, have AFRO
gated to themselves vested right 10 def,
the popular will, as declared in the con
stitution and laws. And even yet
is apparent that they are defiant
The last Legislature enacted law 70
the government Of railroads 10 this State
which is monument Of the reasonablenes
and patience Of the people. 1t merely de
clares that the railroads shall not charg
for their services more than a fair an,
reasonable rate that they shall make n
unjust discrimination in their charges 70
any kind Of service that to charge great
er sum for services rendered to one persol
than is charged 10 another for greater ser
vices, shall be presumptive evidence of ex
tortiOn and the whole law merely assume
that the relation Of the railroads and thei
customers shall hereafter exist and contin
ue upon the footing Of equality and justice
and that like services shall be presumed I
be worthy alike Compensation. regre
to be compelled to say that the railroa,
managers have as yet shown no dispositio
TO accept this law in the Just spirit in wbicj
II was enacted. On the contrary thew hay