New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-09-06

law Of the latter description TO be unconstitutional
In the case of the Philadelphia and Reading Rail-
road ag the State of Pennsylvania the Court lays
down the rule as follows:
Merchandise is the subject OF commerce Transporta,
tion ia essential 10 commerce; and every burden laid
upon il Is pro fato restriction Whatever. therefore,
may he the true doctrine respecting tne
the power vested In Congress 10 regulate eomieiuo
among the States we regard u s established tnaS u"
state 90 state upon the transporter because oil suoh
transportation"
CONGRESSIONAL CONTROL PROBABLY ACCEPIABLh
TO THE RAILROADS.
And this brings me TO another of the knotty dues-
lions which the present agitation in the West VIII
soon force upon the country mean the proposition
TO delegate to Congress the exclusive power to regu
late the railroads have already heard many argu-
mepts advanced in faver of this new step TOWARD
Capitalization. The trouble that the Post-Ofice De
partnent has recently had with some railroad
companies in regard to the transportation
of postal cars; the refusal Of some OF
the railroad companies to take those cars at the
rates fixed by Congress the apprehension that the
railroads may sometime combine and refuse TO carry
the mails at all except at greatly increased rates;
the limited control which any State can hope to ex-
ercse over any railroad extending into any other
State-these and many other circumstances have
caused many TO inquire whether would not be Del
ter to give Congress complete control OF the subject
Of transportation. Opposed is the feeling OF alarm
with which many Of our best statesmen look upon
the centralizing tendencies of the Government the
fear that greater temptations to corruption would
be nut in the way of men who have already proved
themselves weak and the apprehension that with
the power of redress removed so much further from
the people, their rights would be still more over
looked than now. have no doubt that the railroad
compane s of this State would be glad to have all
control over them transferred to Congress. KEEP
resentatves from all parts of the country are not so
easily moved by local expressions nor so easily
reached by the people as a Legislature of a single
State is, while a single body sitting at Washington
can be more easily controlled by the power OF COM
bined capital than the LEGISLATURES OF thuty
States
BOTH SIDES MIsREPREsENTED IN THE EAST
Ineed not dwell here on the systematic misrepre-
sentation by which, l believe, both parties to the
present contest in this State and particularly the
railroad managers have endeavOred TO gain the SYM
pathy Of Western people The Railroad Commits
soners have not decided, seems to have been re-
ported in New-YOTk, that railroads doing business
partly within and partly without the State,
must charge the same rate along the whole
of their line, and the refusal of the New
York freight agents to give through rates to interior
points in this State is either the result of msun-
derstanding of the facts or an agreement with the
managers Of the Illinois roads TO enable the
latter to make the law more odious The
supposition found by a Western man re-
Gently 10 prevail among Boston capitalists that
railroad property in Illinois is in danger of destruc'
ton by the farmers, is, of course wholly without
foundation have heard Of but one proposition to
tear up tracks or burn depots and that was con-
tanned in resolution introduced inthe last Conyen-
ton the farmers held in this city, and which was
promptly voted down. The attempt that hear
has been made in New-York to depreciate the value
of the stock and securities of of the most pros
per0us roads in this State. on the ground that It's
dividends will be greatly reduced aud that the laws
of this state viii eventually ruin railroad property
here is only bear operation by which the ring
hope to secure additional stock of the road at less
than its real yaup,