The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1873-02-01
THE PEOPLE AND THE RAIL.
ROADS.

Cne transportation question con-
tinues to attrsct attention In all
parts Of the country. The crops
last year we're good, and yet they
cannot be marketed. owing to the
extreme rates Of transportation.
The consequence lie, the West is
poor In the midst of plenty. The
farmers, unable to realize living
profit on their grain and hogs, can
not pay the storckeepers, to whom
they arc iE debt, and the latter can
not meet their obligations to the
city merchants. This makes hard
times oil around The railroads
are held to be largely responsible
for this 6eplorable state OF things.
The people justly complain Of the
want OF regularity and reasonable
ness In the rates of railroads, aud
demand legislative intervention;
and the railroads, to portect them
selves against hostile legislation.
have formed, and are forming. CON-
binations, which have already been
powerful enough to control the
legislation OF some States; and
they thus seem to be in . position
to dictate terms. What is demand
ed By the people Ut the railroads
arc: Greater economy in their
construction; more honesty, as
we'll % economy in their manage
rnent; . fixed maximum, and q fixed
minimum rate Of tariff, and the
fixing Of these upon the basis of
actual expense, and the charges
always to be commensurate with
such actual expense; no watering
OF stock or capitalizing Of earn
ings; and no construction of new
lines out Of the earnings of old
ones. But how to secure these
rights 10 the problem, apd it i'm
peratively demands solution. There
10 . prevalent opinion that Con-
gress has power to regulate freight
charges on railroads, and the sub
ject 10 now before Congress In
more shapes than one. One bill is
drawn for the purpose Of meeting
the complaints Of unjust discrimi-
nation by the railroad companies
against freight or passengers car
ried for short distance, snd which
while it is hardship to individuals
and communities, IL held to be In
conflict with those provisions Of
the Constitution meant to insure
commercial equality among the
States. In support Of this meas
ure, Mr.. Shellabarger, OF Ohio, has
recently made elaborate citations
of authorities, judicial and other
wise, and abundantly proved that
Congress has the same power to
regulate commerce among the
States - to regulate it upon the
ocean, and that railroads, though
chartered by States, hold Their
charters subject to the paramount
authority Of the national legisla-
ture.- But he did not make it clear
that the power Of c, ngress to reg.
ulate fares and freigbts follows
from these premises, in the case 81
railroads., any more than In the
case Of ships, In relation to which
It has never been exercised mol
claimed. It can readily be seer
what advantages might result from
. wise exercise of the power, if i
really existed, to compel just and
uniform scale Of railway charges
although it might be very din. ul
ct Arst to prescribe rules for tn
whole railway system .d he roun
try that would be al once lair t
the people and the railroad com
panies. What tue upshot Of th
deliberations Of Congress will be
remains to be seen, but We cal
hardly believe that our nations
law makers will be enabled to set
tie the pending question Of the pee
pie versus the railroads, exaep
possibly in regard to such nations
highways % the Pacific roads
which we're chartered directly b
Congress, and assisted by gran,
OF public land and loans OF publ
credit. Bot there pust be . va
20 bring about che6pev transports
ton, and the people are determine
that the railroad monopolies sha
mot much longer carry OF the sul
stance and leave them the shadov