The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1873-05-16

lawsuit. For all these c0ntlngen'
! gies il is prudent to provide.
One of the most curious and in.
! teresting of the letters | have re.
/ ceiyed is from a former railroad
man, in the West, who gives me his
full name and address, and says, +"
wish TO express my thanks to you
for having benefited the country by
| your Victrov over q railroad, and by
the article just sent forth ; the state
BaentS OF sohich can testify ere true,
Hdcing been 3uitF0ad agent ia n
Westera State
From Albany prominent mer-
chant writes 10 congratulate me,
and 10 express his own feeling in
regard 10 the e arrogance, tyranny
and oftentimes brutality exhibited !,
by railroad officials and employees" /;
and from Washington a gentleman
distinguished in literature and socie-
ty, sends me his thanks. 81 have
for years. he adds, called the at
tention of the public TO the extor-
tons and illegaiIties OF our railroads.
But il is slow work, because, as you
have very well shown the compa-
MES bride indirectly, by Precipitation,
men who are, some of them at least
too honest TO be bribed directly.
But let us hope, some day or other,
those fellows may hustle or MAIN
a senator by mistake; or, let me
suggest, as even more to the pur-
pose, a judge of the courts,
A letter from well known firm
in Boston asserts that our mer-
chants are doing business under
worse despotism than exists under
any arbitrary government of the old
World. l need hardly say that my
correspondents, abound on the line
of the New York and New Haven
road, and that they one and all hail
my success with joy, and reiterate
those well-l.nown complaints of the
road.
may be excused, trust, for
copying finally letter from law
yer of Cambridge, Massachusetts,
which is remarkable for the practi-
cal turn of the writer's sympathy -
"Accept my sincere thanks for
your article in the December At
iantic. | have been intending to
write you a letter of thanks Tor two
weeks past, but am now specially
liOs GU W w 81, a. : I'm teNASA ~
own the high commentator of my
minister to-. who spent last
night at my house. 1t you will ac-
cept it, will send you fifty dollars
as an earnest of my thanks. and as
my contribution to your good |
work"
Naturally. could not accept my
correspondent offer, but / valued it
as movement in the right direction.
The impulse which prompted it has
already taken n practical shape in
tie West, where, as | learn, the far
mers and merchants have already be- :
gun TO form unions for their COM
mon defence against the railroads. .
The members contribute to fund
which is to be used in attacking the
illegalities of the roads IN the courts
and for defraying, at the COM
mon cost, the expenses OF
suits which private persons
would not dare to undertake
This is a Thoroughly practical
movement, aud altogether prefera-
BILE TO the secret political organiza-
ton against the roads which has al !
SO been set on foot. Such a party |
is pre-destined to be the prey of
politicians, who will betray it on the
first occasion; but a cooperative /
society seeking justice in the courts
must succeed, even though the /
Judges who make railroad law pre- I
side, with free passes in their peck
cts. There, with jurors who have
never been connected with railroads,
jurors chosen only half as carefully
In this view as jurors in murder
cases are -Chosen,-the victim of
railroad tyranny is sure of justice at
last. No compromises should ever
be accepted. A thousand suits at
law would do more to right the
public than any amount OF legisla-
tion.
The most encouraging aud salts
factory characteristic of my railroad
fight 0m of court is that IL js stiH 90
Jag on, and trust that it will con-
tinue TIL the insolence of those rail-
road corporations is curbed, and
they are taught their single and true
function of common carriers for the
sovereign people. They ale SER
wants who have usGrped the mastery.
Ii is time they relinquished it.
JoHN a. COLEMAN.