The Rutland weekly globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-05-23
NIONOPOLIES.

the pseudonym of Commerce. wrote us
a strong article on ''monopolfes, but there
in assumed positions, some of which we
regard as indefensible. The assertion that
exclusive privileges and human rights are
ut natural enmity with each other, and
where the first obtain the last are liable to
suffer" is to be taken with more grains of
allowance than appear on the face of the
statement, whatever may have been the in
tention of the author. A patent to the in
ventor of a mechanical improvement is an
exclusive privilege" yet il is so far from
being at enmity with human rights, that
the best interests of the public are served
by holding out monopoly as the reward
to the inventor for cudgeling his brains and
often reducing himself to povcrty-talling
heavy risks because the inducements are
strong. The author of book must have
monopoly in its profits or an inducement
to severe mental labor is lost. Many riv-
ers require ferries where but one can be
supported. The public convenience demands
that monopoly shall be given to some
person who will establish ferry. If
man builds mill on a stream of water, and
needs it all to run his machinery the law
gives him with his right to mill site
monopoly in the water flowing from above
his dam.
The cases supposed by Commerce, in
which a monopoly is imagined to be given
to dealers in meat, shoes, cotton cloth and
groceries would be Illustrations of cases in
which monopolies would conflict with the
public good, and in such case, by the test
we apply, they would be inadmissible. We
want proper things in proper places. A
slaughter-house is useful but we don't
want it in the public square. A church is
good in its place, but we are not prepared
to see that the public interests would be
subscrvcd at present by placing one on the
summit of Bald Mountain.
The high tariffs on railroads between the
east and west result from monopolies but
the monopolies are not so much the crca-
lures of law as of the concentrations of
capital, and the inadequacy of railroads to
serve the commercial needs of so broad an
extent OF country. That railroads exert
too much power, that they interfere too
much in legislation, that they carry legisla-
tors, Judges lawyers and newspapers too
numerously in their breeches pockets, and
garrote them if they attempt to speak, are
notable and shameful facts, but the remedy
is not clear until it be ascertained where
| the power and the means lie to control all
these invasions of the peoples rights The
power of railroads looms up till it casts a
shadow over the whole land We do not
know where, in our blindness, to place our
hands to right ourselves. If we turn to
congress, the spectre of Cakes Ames is
seen forbdding us to enter there and hope
to find justice. If we turn to state legisa-
lures, we find in Illinois, where the only
vigorous popular stand against railroad ex-
tortions has been taken, that the judges are
said to find the state powers have been
unduly stretched against the railroads.
Our correspondent is entirely correct in
assuming that Vermont and Rutland county
| HttN tlOup liNlSHlo ioi Nii 1HiS away ilhi
BILE and slate and bringing in food, fuel and
other necessaries; that we should have
more railroads in the state, and particularly
more to our quaIries'; that there is the
same necessity here as in the west for com
peting lines and cheaper frcights and that
we must look to intelligent legislative SUI
peryison of freight and passenger rates.
In short, we must make common cause
with the oranges of the west The farmers
and business men of the country must
arouse. Some way will be found to con-
troll railroads If we keep digging for it. 1t
will be found either in congress or the in
dividual states. There may be many mis-
takes, but triumph will come at last, for
truthand the people are mighty and will
prevail.
In all we have said, there is no word
rightfully to be construed against railroads.
On the contrary we, like our correspond
ent, Commerce" want more of them, and
desire that they be controlled so as to in
crease their usefulness TO the people.