The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1873-01-24
RAILWAYS AS HIGHWAYS.

Gov. Palmer, of Illinois, in his
recent message to the Legislature
of that State, proposes to dealwith
the railway question by treating
them as highways and allowing
any, who desires to do so, the priv
tilege of putting his cars on the
track. and doing business.
Like most men who live by politi-
cal agitation, Gov. Palmer steals an
idea from some advanced thinker,
and Te-casting it in n mould of his
own working, exhibits it as an
original invention.
The practical part of this idea
is at least ten years old, and was
advocated in these columns several
years ago. The idea was brought
first before Congress, in a memo
rial by a Mr.. Sherwood, of Texas,
as, in the proposition to build a
railroad from Kansas City to- Gal
weston, to be extended thereafter
to Chicago by adapting some Of
the existing roads between that
city aud this to the plan proposed.
That plan was this: To build a
double track railroad, with cash,
the, stock to be owned by those
contributing public aid to be on
par with private means-no bonds
ed debt to be. incurred.
The grades to be at the mini
mum FOR successful working. ST..
The stations to be- at given
distances, with atview to regnlari-
ty in the running of, trains-and
to be provided with the maximum
amount of side tracks for the lar
gest traffic contemplated. -
s. --4phe trains oFhe run at a uni
form speed OF MOTTO exceed twelve
miles an hour, and to stop only at
stations and on sidings.
p The rolling stock ito be fIrn-
-ished by individual enterprise
any man having the use OF
the road, tho same as steam
boats have of the rivers, and to
pay a certain fixed toll for its use.
The road was intended solely for
q freight road. Each train was
expected to be furnished with
caf. for the accommodation OF train
men, and also for the owner of the
freight on the train.
1t was contended that a speed
of twelve miles an hour would
reduce the risk of accidents TO
limit which would amount to prac-
tical exemption, and that no train
being allowed to exceed or come
short of it, and stopping only on
sidings, would keep the track per-
manentIy open for moving trains,
and being double track, trains on
each would move only in one di-
rection.
In regard to speed it was calcu-
lated that twelve miles an hour,
thus regulated was q higher rate
than the average of freigt trains
On the best managed roads of the
country, and being the property
of the individual running the train
the highest conditions of both
care and prompt transit would be
secured.
w G nave. not 1T nanQ nor IN
memory the saving in prices of
freight, which this plan claimed
over the present method, but it
was so vast as almost to defy be-
lief, and we believe was one Of the
reasons which led to its un favora
bio reception at the time.
But that something on this plan
WILDE adopted before many years,
we have no doubt, and that it will
be by treating railways as high
ways in this way, that the objects
sought by Gov Palmer and the
producers of the country will be
attained-rather than by the vio-
lent method which man bent on
riding popular hobbies for politi-
cal results, proposes, by violent
change of the law governing cor
porations since charters were
known. One such road as we
have sketched, between leading
commercia points, would speedi-
~ change the system of railway
manage ment in this country
Kansas City Journal