The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-04-04
The Peoples Movement
REMARKABLE UPRISING OF THE
FARMERS TO ASSERT THEIR
RIGHTS!

RIaHTsl
IoNoPoLIEs MUST BE SUB
sERvIENT TO THEIR
CREATORS.
The State Cannot Create a Corporation
it cannot thereafter Control
NO VESTED RIGHTS AS AGAINST THE
PUBLIC GOOD CAN BE ACQUIRED.
Free Trade and Farmers Rights the Motto |
The most wonderful movement ever
known in this country is now taking place
in the West. All political parties are dead
knocked on the head by the tremendous
uprising Of the farmers 10 bring the gov
crnmeut back 10 its original principles
In this movement Illinois takes the lead
and the people are now giving their ser'-
ants nt the legislature some specimens Oh
their sovereign viii and power which It
will not be- prudent for the Legislature TO
disregard The first State organization OF
farmers took place at Bloomington last
January. Since then the farmers have
been quietly perfectinr their organization
in counties and townships They did not
intend To have another State meeting this
spring But the late meeting of railroad
managers ut Springfield aroused them to
"a sense Of the danger 10 which their leg
i.Iature was exposed, and they immedi
ateIy called State convention 10 assert
their will aud rights Seventy two coun-
,ics we're represented aud the proceed
ingg we're such as 10 command the atten-
liou of all. The meeting commenced on
Wednesday holding three days and thu
proceedings were characterized with grca
emphasis aud earnestness The spirit %
the body is represented in the following
resolutions adopted
RESOLUTIONS.
Rsso,rsd BY the farmers Of Illinois, in
mass meeting assembled,
Fir,,-That che chartered monopoic,
not regulated and controlled by law have
proved in that respect detrimental o. the
public prosperity, cDrruptlng IN their man
agement, and dangerous 70 Republican IN
situations
.Sgcaad-The railways of the world. OK
cent in those countries where they have
been held under the strict regulation ana
supervision of the Government, have
proved themselves rs arbitrary. eXtor.
Tomato and opposed to free institutions and
free commerce between the State, as the
leudal Barnus of the Middle Ages
7lrd-That we hold, declare aud re
solve. that this despotism which debes oU
laws. plumbers our shippers impoyershc
our people and corrupts our government
shall be- uhdued and made o. >uh-erV'
the public interest, ut whatever cost
Es.Dlrrt. That We believe the State die
mot and could not confer any ut IT, >oyer
ciu power upon any corporation. and tha
now Is the most favorable time 90 Settl'
the question -0 that IL may never be here
after misunderstood that State canuo
create o. corporation 1t cannot thcroatte
control
Raolssd That iu yicw OF the proscu
uyturfiru- We look with alarm upon th
future OF au interest which can cOmhIU
In the hands OF few men capita, q
nearly two hundred and fifty millions d
dollars in our own State. and four thOu'
and millions Of dollars IN our | mon, am
we believe 10 essential On the prosperity q
al' classes that this contest continue unr
these corporations acknowledge the pa
uremacy Of the law
R.,Hr,f. That vr regard IL a- the uu
doubted power aud the imperative duty .
the Legislature 10 pass laws fixing reason
able maximum rates for freight and pg'
spnrcrs, without cas-iHcltilns of road
and that We urge uI0u our General \.
.nmbIg the passage Or such laws
EtwI.tf, That the existing statute pr.
yilnF for o classification of railroads wit
% view b. adjusting tariff Of charges 90
.JrdiuI CO. gross amount OI earnings. il
drIu..Hu aud "a snare. aud is -1 frame
that the railroad, are able 90 classify then
SELVES and that IT. ought tu be- CAREFUL
modified 0r repealed
RstalrfH That ina-murh %. the Su
prcmu Court has plearl, pointed out th
way tl reach the unjust discrimination
mad, hy the railroads U' this State. "
can zee co. reason for delay uu the part
the Legislature IN cn1ctinr the uorcssar
laws ON the subject and We urge Immcl
ate action thereon
Es,a'rsd That we urge the passage of
bill enforcing the principle that railroad
are public highways, and requiring raj
r1at7 Nv make actual connections with q
road whose tracks meet and cross the
own, and tu receive and transmit all ca,
and trains offered over their roads at ri
s1nabIc maximum rates whether offere
"a such crossing nr at station. along tho
roads and empowering the making Of col
uoatipu- hy municipal c0ru0ratiangfn thl
purpose aud tor the public use.
h.,|ud That we heartily iudlr-c tL
action of the General Assembly. looking
the enforcement Of the performance
their duties boy the monopolists a. comm1
carriers. and that in addition thereto, v
believe that the railroads should be r
Uulrrd fn carry all the ircights and pa
-aU1nr- offered from the country throu-
which they pass. and not permitted 20 In
IL the amount of their business aud destri
r. natural increase
Rss0'red, That the Constitution and lay
of Illinois are a. binding upon rairoi
corporations as upon the citizens, and tn
the State must require obedience a. I
law from all alike whether the same
deemed constitutional or not by the p;
ties affected until repealed or declared L
constitutional
Rs.oir,d That we indorse most fully t
action Of those who tender legal rates
fare upon railroads and refuse to p
more, aud that it is the duty of the LC
stature "a provide by law for the defer
by the State Of all suits commenced,
that hereafter may be- commenced, by t
railroad companies against individuals wi
IN good faith, have insisted, or hereail
maylnslst, upon the right To ride on "a
roads at legal rates.
Resoired That the presentation and
ceptation Of railroad passes To our Legis
tors, whatever may be the spirit and
tent with which they are accepted, are
moraliziug in their influence, and we ID
10 our Legislature, now in session to r
above all personal considerations of PEE
mary interest or convenience, and to pj
q law making il q misdemeanor for a
Senator or Representative or other Sta
or County officers, 10 accept any railro
pass, knowing. as we do, that the peOI
look upon the acceptance Of these pass
with decided and almost universal disa
probation. The legislature IL reauest,