Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1873-09-18

and the military class where money is the
most active principle it is toward aggregated
capltal-or, rather, to speak with exactness
toward those men who from disposition and
opportunity desire and are able to make the
operations of Government tributary to them
so that they shall have the control of ali
property, whether they claim the right of own
ership or not.
OPPORTUNITY OFFERED BY RAILROADS.
I'll e management of the railroad system of
the United States, the great method of inter
communication affecting all property aud every
value, affords an opportunity for this of which
history furnishes no parallel.
Do not understand me now to saw that the
owners or managers of railroads are different
from other men, or that they have met to-
gether IN a conspiracy to do particular thing
and are methodically proceeding upon fixed
plan. Great social or political changes are
seldom or never wrought i'll that way Fore
warned is forearmed. Even the great Napo-
leon declared that his life was not governed
by fixed idea, but that occasion furnished
opportunity, until he believed that his steps
we've controlled by fate, and that his foot
prints marked the path of destiny. Wherever
the opportunity of irresponsible power is pre-
sented, the man or men, or principle will not
be wanting. That is the one gap in human
affairs which is filled as soon as opened. We
may want heroes and poets, statesmen. ora
tors and inventors, but in the race of self
seekers the strongest always survive.
CHANGES IN METHODS AND PRINCIPLES OF
TRANSFORMATION CAUSED BY RAILROADS.
Before the introduction of railroads all pub
lie highways by land and water were free to
all upon the same conditions. The facilities
for travel and transportation were insufficient
the methods often crude and imperfect but
the means were free. Exchanges were diff
cult, but they were not controlled. With the
introduction of railroads all this has been
changed. The facilities and methods have
been improved-exchanges have been made
easy, but the freedom is gone. The means
are in the hands of a power, and that claims to
be. and seems to be, independent OF law and
public opinions power which is often able
to make law in defiance of public opinion. 1t
is as easy as it is brutal to say, If you do not
like - our railroads, you can go back to OK
carts and pacl.-muies. The old order of things
has been destroyed by the new. The railroad
was built over our highways, through public
domain, through private possessions. by
right of the highest prerogative of Govern
ment-the right to take private property for
public use it was built for public use for
just, equitable, and necessary public Use. and
with full consciousness that it was TO de-
stroy the old order of things these grants
and concessions were made TO it. and it was
armed with these prerogatives. 1t is as easy
as it is insulting 10 say, II YOU do not Ike the
yourselves. The answer is The men who
use railroads are not able to build them most
of them are poor, and those who are not have
their means IN other pursuits besides. the
probabilities are, you did not build with your
money the road you control-the road may
have made You rich; your riches did not make
the road. Overwhelming applause.
APPROVED PLAN OF BUILDING RAILROADS.
For many years it has not been the American
fashion for the owners of railroads TO put
their own money into their construction. If
1t had been, it would have insured more con-
sentative and business-like use of that species
of property. The favorite plan has been to
get grants of land, and loans of credit from
the General Government subscriptions and
donations from counties, cities and individ-
uals. and upon the credit of this issue all the
bonds that can be put upon the market make
a close estimate as to how much less the road
can be built for than the sum of these assets !:
form ring call it-say the Credit Mobilier
or Contract and Finance Company-for the
purpose of constructing the road, dividing the
bonds that are left, owning the lands, own
ng and operating the road until the first mort
gage becomes DUE and graciousy allowing
the Government to pay principal and interest
upon the loan of her credit. while every tie
in the road is the grave of small stockhold-
er. Under this plan, the only men in the
community who are absolutely certain not to
contribute any money III the construction of
the road are those who own and control it
when it is finished. This method requires a
certain kind of genius, political influence and
power of manipulation, and furnishes one
clue to the reason why railroads interfere in
politics.. The personal profit upon this en-
terprise is not profit upon capital invested,
but the result of n-work-adminstrativ
talent they call tin a particular direction.
When the road is built, capital will seek it ,
htrfu fl,a xrho .,,.Ia ,hci1
abolished it will not seek TO build it, 1t is
easier. more delightful and more profitable to
build with other peoples money than with our
own.
Again, do not wish to say that railroad
men are more selfish than other men, but that
opportunities are offered-of which only the
strong can avail themselves-that mi ,sht make
Caesars of the best. and that no men are mod
crate enough to be trusted with arbitrary
power. When Lord Give was before 2 COM
mittee of the House OF Commons on Z charge
of having enriched himself by the plumber OF
India, according to Macauley he justified his
acts, = described in vivid language the situa-
ton in which his victory had placed him-a
great prince dependent on his pleasure. an
opuleut city afraid of being given up to plum
der, wealthy bankers bidding against each
other for his smiles, vaults piled with gold
and jewels thrown open to him alone-aDd ey-
manned, in conclusion, BY, Mr.. Chair
man. at this moment l stand astonished at
ely own moderation.
MAGNIFIcENcE OF THE PRIZE.
To form some idea of the magnificence of
the whole prize at stake, let us suppose that
the whole railroad system of the United States
is under the control of one company, nor is
this violent presumption. When we consider
the colossal strides of the New York Central
and the Pennsylvania Central toward this
result-the latter now owning or operating
more than four Thousand miles, making thou
sand-year leases and guaranteeing dividends
for thirty generations, and reflect that the
owners of the trunk lines control their feeders
as though they owned them, it will not seem
improbable that the whole system may pass
under one general management. Imagine
this accomplished, and that the principle that
the law cannot nix rates and compel uniformity
is established-one company would then have
a monopoly of all inland transportation. A.
b, c, and d own the coal mines which supply
the city of New York. The mines of are
most valuable and nearest to market. He
finds to his establishment that his rivals can
undersell him. and the value of his property is
destroyed. He learns upon inquiry that,
while he pays freight according to the pub
lished tariff, d, c. and ID have special rates.
He complains, and is told that he can haul his