Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-09-04

l. gay lAiC
interests of the Western and Southern
t States may look with confidence to the
: Republican party for protection, and
for the redress of wrongs under which
they may be suffering. 1t is the party
J; which has accomplished great reform,
|, and is now in condition to take hold
with unimpaired vigOr of the new
Questions that are being presented.
And l think l may safely promise that
it will, at the next session of Congress,
address itself to all questions connected
:. with the oppression or depression of the
j agricultural interests of the West and
South. Without undertaking TO indi-
cate the character of any legislation
that ought to be adopted by Congress,
it any, it may not be improper here to
say a word i'll reference 10 the power of
| Congress.
POWER OF CONGRESS OVER RAILROADS.
Under the constitutional provision
giving Congress ''power to regulate
commerce among The several States"
! Congress has power to regulate the
great through lines OF railroads en-
gagged in conducting Interstate COM
merce. Under this power Congress
may establish rules and regulations for
| this class of railroads as will contribute
to the safety of passengers, and the
speedy, certain, and equitable trans
portatiOn of freights, and to insure the
more complete adaptation of the rail-
road system TO the wants and interests
/ Of the people in every part of the coun-
/ try. The exercise of this power by
Congress would not interfere with the
State in the regulation oftheir domestic
commerce or in the control of railroad
| lcorpoTations so far as such control may
be necessary for their own protection
an interest.
! DUTIES OF RAILROADS.
That railroads are public highways
| has been recently decided by the Su-
preme Court of the United States, and
is no longer an open question. That
railroad companies are common car
riers. as the Office of common carriers
is defined by the common law is so
well settled that the statement need
not be reinforced by authorities. The
rights and liabilities of 4 common car
rier are we'll settled by the common
law. The common carrier must carry
for all persons, without distinction
upon the same terms. He must pro-
vide sufficient and convenient methods
of transportation. He must not make
unjust Determinations in the exercise
of his Office, and must carry passengers
and freight for Il reasonable compensa-
tiun.
For the breach of any OF these duties
the common law has always provided
remedies, and if the breech mplained
of is fXtortioD, the question is to be
settled bya court and jury rs to what
would be Il reasonable rdte under all
the circumstances in that particular
case. There are great difficulties in
the way OF private persons asserting
their rights at common law against
these great corporations, and Congress
in the one case, or the Slate Legisla-
lures in the other, may be able to pro-
vide additional facilities for enabling
private persons to ascertain and en-
force their rights against railroad COM
panieS as common carriers, and may
also provide punishments against Off
GERS of corporations who have been
guilty of extortion.
[ have thrown out these suggestions,
but as | have before said, shall now, in
advance of the report of the committee
attempt to suggest specific remedies
for evils that are undergoing inVesti-
cation.
WHY DEMOCRATS CAPTURE THE
ORANGES.
| In the New York World, the leading
Democratic paper, of the 18th instant,
is an elaborate editorial declaring that
the Farmers movement can never
grow to the dimensions of national
party, but must necessarily fall into one
of the other parties, and suggesting
methods by which the Democratic
party can capture it. l quote the con-
Guiding paragraph:
''The chief value of the Farmers
movement consists in its efficiency as
disintegrating force in the Republi-
can party. In State like Iowa,
where the Republicans have Inajori,
| ty of nearly $4,000, or two to one, it
would be a long time before the Demo-
cratic party could rise to ascendancy.-
But if, in the years when the Presi-
dental election is yet at distance, a
Wig sOrouS new party arises on State is
sues, q split will have been accomplish
ed without shocking old prejudices;
and when national questions come into
the foreground, the people will be free
to follow their affinities."
| Here is the bold avowal that the
farmers movement is good for nothing
except to divide and destroy the Re
publican party; that for this purpose
il is to be encouraged; that it can be
used as /. wedge to split the Republi-
can party open, and when that is done
the part split Off can be turned over for
the benefit of free trade and Democrat
ic uses generally. The expressions
complained of by the farmers and the
object they propose to attain are treat
ed with the utmost contempt, but the
Democracy in the West are advised to
use these 10 divide the Republican
party.
| Nothing could be more frank, nor
yet more insulting, than the proclama-
tion of the World. Having Vainly en-
deavored to obtain power last year by
using the Liberals and protesting to
adopt their principles, they this year
spat in their faces and kicked them out
and have kindly notified the farmers
that they will serve them in the same
way. The farmers will, I have no
doubt, take notice.
THE FUTURE-ITS DUTIES.
have before compared the Demo-
cratic party to man riding backward
in the cars, who never sees an object
until he has passed it. 1t now stands
with It's back to the future and its face
to the past.
While the Republican party will con-
tinue to reply to the fire in the rear, its
face is turned to the future full of hope
and promise. There must be no ccssa-
ton in its labors, and it must not pre-
sumo to live upon the glories and MEM
ories of the past. Its first and ever
present duty is introspection, self-ex-
animation, the correction of errors, the
introduction of reforms. 1t must look
to the execution of the laws and the
enforcement of the Constitution in ev-
/ -. - L. L.. l.