Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1873-10-02

| WOulu estaDllsn system III iIS OW
interest, and these discordaut rels
tions would be likely TO do NOR
harm thad good. We need com
prehensive system which shall b
uniform in its operation Throughout
the nation and Congress alone ha
the power to devise, declare and en-
force such a system.
The vast Importance of our inter
nal commerce,the extortion practice
by those engaged in the carrying
business, and the general awaken
ing of public attention to the sub
ject Will very sUon compel Congress
to enter upon this wide, and as ye
unoccupied field of Federal power
to rescue commerce among th,
States from the excessive exactionl
of railroad companies.
There are two extremes to BIZ
avoided one would give everything
to corporations, the other woulc
strip them of what legitimately be.
longs to them. These corporations
have performed a most important
and beneficial part in the settlement
and rapid development of our coun-
try. Capital has been invested in
railroads and other internal i'm.
provements, from which the people
and the country have derived almost
unreasonable advantages. As these
roads have penetrated our western
wilds, Indian wars have ceased, and
a stream of population has filled up
and reclaimed our vast waste terrific.
ry, adding to the wealth and swelI.
ing the greatness Of the nation,
Capital thus invested is entitled TO
full protection, and it is the duty OF
Congress to see-and it's interposi-
ton may ere long be invoked by the
corporations themselves to protect
them against storm of popular
th,-that every just right of
these corporations is fully protected.
But while it is the duty of Congress
faithfully to guard all the just rights
OF these corporations, thus securing
to the capital invested legitimate
return, it is not less the duty of Con-
gress TO protect the people from op.
preston at the hand of consolidated
capital. 1t is the duty of the Gov
eminent to sit as arbiter over these
conflicting interests, and holding the
scales of justice firmly, to secure to
each what is due, end TO prevent
each from encroaching upon the
other.
The absence of any regulation by
Congress permits binations
amoug the carriers which amount to
a regulation of commerce, not in the
interest of commerce or % the peo>
pie, but in the interests OF the
carriers themselves, and in hostility
TO the interests Of commerce.
This fact may be demonstrated by
reference to the trade il wheat and
flour, which constitute the principal
export Of several of the Western
States. The price of produce IN the
Eastern markets is regulated by the
prices of produce in the European
markets, so that the increase or dim
iHution of freights for transportation
does not affect it, unless carried to
such an extrsvagant extent as to
stop shipments from the West, and
thus cause scarcity in the East.
The increase to-day of FIVE cents per
bushel in the price for transporta-
ton would nos Increase the price OF
wheat in New York. The transpor.
tstion of wheat during the season of
the year when navigation is open is
performed by sailing vessels, which
are not suited to, and do not engage
in the carrying of flour. Flour is
carried by railroads and by propell.
ors on the lakes, which are owned
by the railroad companies. There
fore, the railroad companies put up
the prices for transportating -four
from ten to thirty cents per barrel
above the price for transporting the
corresponding amount of wheat
thus creating a discrimination
against the manufacture of -four in
the Western States which has al.
ready proved very detrimental to
the milling interests of those States;
and producing the very results which
was intended to,be prevented by con.
ferring upon Congress the power 10
regulate commerce.
The actual cost to the carrier OF
transporting produce Is very nearly
the same from year TO year. But
the position occupied by State cor
porations engaged in the carrying
business enables them to profit BY
all the fluctuations of the mark ct
During the season when navigation
was open, in 1869, the prices o
wheat being very low, railroad com
panies carried -four from Milwaukee,
TO New York for from rs cents to s.
per barrel; but as soon as naviga
ton closed, the freights were ad
vanced to S120 per barrel in all cas-
es. This change producing no sp
preciable increase of the price o
wheat in New York, of course tn
difference was extracted from tn
farmers in the West, who had to SCI
for that much less. And Will
wheat in New York was worth SIS
to 1915 per bushel, the railroads, al
ter the close of navigation, put u
the rates from s175 TO 276 per bush
Ell or about 81 per barrel more thai
they charge when wheat is very low
In other words, the railroad corport
tons keep keen watch upon tn
state of the Eastern market, anC
with every advance, they iucreas
the prices for transportation, so tbs
they, and not the farmers, profit b
such advance; taking care at a
times to levy just as high a rate 6
they can without checking shipment
Thus the producers of the We:
are given over to the tender mel
cies Of railroad corporations. Wher'
as q regulation of this trade by Cor
gress, fixing the rates of compens.