, 1873-02-08
RAILROAD AND WAREHOUSE C0MMI8-
SI0NEHH

Tho pothor at Springfield concerning tho
ncyVly-appointcd natlroad and Warehouse Com
miesionora Ia palpablo attempt to "cornor"
tho Governor, and coerco him to do something
Which hlB judgment tolls him not to do. It Is
irnpudout in tho last dcgroo, and wo l1opo tho
Governor viii resist It to the bitter enl. The
Constitution md tho lava vost the appointing
power in him, and not in tho town meetings Of
Treoport or Bloomington. There Is no respon-
eibility upon tlloso town meetings. II tho Gov
ernor slall abdicato his own functions In order
to follow their advice, and ahall afterwards dis
coyor that ho has lnade mistake, whero will
these town meetings bo thon 2 Whom tho re-
sponsbity is sought to bo shared with them,
thoy will DO as hard to find as last ycar's jack
o'lantorn, aud tho mon who aro now aoo1sing to
usurp tho Governors prerogatiyo will
DO tho worry last to render him
assistance or support In such an emergency.
Executive responsibility cannot be shirkod or
divided in this way. That tho Senate has tho
sa,no right to reject as tho Governor has to ap-
point, no frooly admit If Afoasre. McOroa,
stillwoll, and Robinson, Or any Of then,, aro re-
joctod, tho 1awful md orderly why to proceed is
for tho Governor to send In now namos. Thero
is no objection to that; to back out now, or to
soud In tho namoa Of tho town-neeting nomi-
nooH supposing that thoao kaleidoscope leaders
could agrco upon candidates, would he to sur-
rendcr tho powers confdod to him by two hum
tlrol Thousand voters to a nero handful of un-
known buBybolics. After auch surrender ho
could not hopo to retain The respect aud conf
dcnce of other pooplo, oven Of those who aro
striving to browbeat him. Still loas could le re-
tain ha solf-rospoot.
The roasons which the Governor deignod to
assign for his action to crowd Of malcontonta
Oh Thursday eyening, wcro perfectly Bntisfac-
tory to any fair-mindel man. Desiring to COM
ply with tho general continent of the State,
which demanded tho appointment Of ut least one
nun identified with the farming interest, ard ut
tho aamo time to secure high range of intelli~
gonce md some familiarity with tho grain-ship-
ping interest, ho had appointed Nr. Stillwoll,
who carriea OH farm Of 1000 acres, aud who
1lns shipped moro than 100000 bushels Of grain
byrai, and III, thoroforo, already acquainted with
the business he Is called upon to administer in
iii official capacity, both as relates to railroads
md to warehouses;. Flo had also appointed
Mr.. Robinson, who, thongh lawyer
by profession, carrios or farm
in Southern Illinois. Against these two appoint-
monts certain bodies, calling themseEyes FARM
ors' Clubs, rieo up and demand the appointment
Of Civil Engineorl At the eamo time they
berate tho Governor for not appointing farmer
as momber OF tho Board. Two years ago, a
similar outcry was raiged against Governor
Palmer for overlooking the agricultural interest,
although ho had appointed D. 8. Hammond, who
had been y farmer and nothing bnt a far1ner for
moro than thirty years in this State, and whose
farm was thou and IL now widely known as q
pattern of thrift, cleanliness, economy, and ill.,
genuity The outcry against Mr. 6tillwen is
Just as sonHo1ess and disingenuous as TINT
| against Mr.. Hammond, and It will die out as
suddenly for 1t has nothing to rost upon.
h1r. McUrea, the third appointed, was elected
| President Of tho Board Of Trade Of this city,
two or three yoars ago, in tho midst Of On anti
| warehouse excitemont. Flo was elected over
Julian s. Rumsoy, whom VIC considered ut tho
time tho moro fitting candidate. MIR. A1cCrea's
administration was in all respects honorable and
| useful, anl wo prcsumo tloro cannot bo found
in that body mombor upon whom his follow
members would moro generally unite to RECON-
mend for the position to which the Governor
hae nominated him. Haying onco elected him
as their own presiding oillcor oyor go eminent o
| o;4iynp hfr 1}ur7uov rrou,,n,nt;nna ur far
rs tho Board of Tralo arc concerned, arc all
In his favor. And who arc tho Board
OF Trade? They aro tho chosen agents
and representatives OF tho country shippers Of
| grain, who are Interested in getting tho lowest
ratos Of freight and warehouse charges and tho
highest prices for gram for their clients. Is not
tlis fact iu tho interest Of farmers7 But
NIcCroa is grainshippor himself, it il said, and
ho might get tho advantage Of other grain
shippers by virtuo Of bis position. If he is Il
grain-ahppor, hin private interests aro in tho di-
rcction Of low freights; and, as for getting tho
advantage Of other shippors, 1t is simply impos-
slblc that he could escape dotoetion with tho
sharp eyes of four or five hundred rivals in busf-
uoaa constantly upon him This theory, of
course, prosuppoHcs that ho Ia dishonest and
base man, which is all undoubtel slander, and
which we hopo tho Governor will not gyo coun-
tonance to by withdrawing lis name.
Ifit is thought best to repeal tho Railroad law
altogether, ne lavo no objection to that. Wo
opposed it's enactment In tho first instance, be-
loving that it would be impossible to regulate
fro1ght charges by statute. II has been found
so in practice, not only here, but olaowhero. It
docs not follow, however, that Board Of Rail-
roal Commissioners would not DO useful. Tho
Massachusetts Board, though not charged with
such extraordinary anl impossible duties us o,z
Board arc expected to perform, ia nevertheless q
moat useful adjunct to the leglalatiyo power,
by virtue Of tho diligence and intolli.