, 1873-09-18

taneo Of 1877 miles. waa 6s eonts ror 100 pounds,
moro than -
ELEVEN r1mEs GREATER otAnaE. r.,
Tue merchants Of Chicago may well complain
OF such excoBtve difference III rates. an tontr,c-
Two to their business hut it is not tho recent
law that has produced t1H injury to Chicago, as
has boon stated. TniH vicious condition Of ratos
haB existed anl,Btantialiy for many yeara,-tl
price, for transporting merchandise from tho aoa.
board oitioH toing frequently ehs than tho prlco
charged for tlo snmo freight from Chicago to tho
satno points.
One Of two things must DO true; eithor that
tho through ratcB from tho scabonrd cities TO
tho interior of Illinois and adjacent country
greatly too low to DO remunerativet or TINT tho
local rates from Chicago to tile eamo points aro
oppressive and oxtortionato.
II tho former bo true, then tho loss upon tho
transportation Of through goods must DO mado
up BY excessive charges upon local tranBporta-
tion and the latter Ia therefore charged, not
only, with its reasonable cost, but also with tho
burden Of tho loss occaHionod by au unjust dis
crimination against Chicago in favor OF Its rival
soaboard citieg.
Although primarily tho Injury thus produced
SS sa oe to Ts be bSS % % ey 9isso rs sas ana of 5
upon tile consumers Of tho goods, and upoa
THE PRODUCERS OF TIE BrArE,
whone products arc oharged with excessive rates
ing market, to n,nkc good tho ioasos accustomed
BY such, ,lD they arc, unroasonsbly low ratos.
The geographical pouition of Chicago ordina-
rily guaranteos choap rates for transportation to
It ,s q groat commercial centro by reason OF
thoae advantages tho influence Of which, In d
great dogroo, controls the rates charged by
the railroads. which controo.. thoro. but, il
low rates equal to Chicago. and, to mako good
tho losses on such low raoa, extortionato
charsos arc mado on local trolghts, s,-produots
going to aud mcrchnndlBe shipped from Chicn-
tho serious results upon Chicago md this State
Of the vicious freight systom during tho past
ten yoars can bo quite oloarly, appreLendcd by
any Intelligent person who will take tho timo to
The local rates within this State for trans
porting articles OF prime necessity, such US
fuel, lumber, stone. agricultural products and
implements arc from throo to ten, and oven
ratca on higher classoH Of freight to and from
tho HeAbonrd Statos.
It 10 quito clcar that all kinds Of articlca
manufactured at the East aro brought hero by
shipped to tho Eastern stn.es by rail at n loss,
disc tho local charges on Tho roads in illinois,
aud nl tho States, arc
oUTnAaEousLY WRONGFUL AND Ex7oR11oNArE.
vastly injurious discrimination against Chicago.
and Bt. Louis, and tho whole Northwest in favor
Of the manufacturing States at the East, sus-
tAlned by extorttonate local rateH.
II tho ratos Of freight charged by tho railroads
wore reasonable and jnst,-a equal charge for
the HRu1o Bervice, as rule, based OH just and
equitable acale.-and such rs would, Il proper.
iii tho aggregate produce to tho railtoad-compa-
earnings as they now receive, tho offoet OF tho
change and equalization would DO to roliovo tho
poopo Of this and other 8tatos from tho burdens
imposed by oxtortionato local charges, and from
~ MA +nfj
by rates which arc nov In Tho interest Of that
section Of tho country.
II would, in short period Of time: develop
tho various interests and manufactures now 90
completely reprosBed by theae determinations.
Such condition would at once ncrease, and
Hoon greatly add to, the population and wealth
OF this 9tato,-eucllnuco the Value OF lands and
products through tho influence Of home markets..
The producer and consumer would stand face to
face. and Chicago would have
THE nENEFIT OF lTH NATURAL ADVANTAGES,
now greatly impaired BY The wrongful conditions
existing
Illinois poescasca many great facilities for car
rying GU manufacturing sl1ccessfully, and no
Houid reason be giyeu why they should be
reproasod by continuing the vicious froight-ratca
whsh havo in th past
justify us in tamely submitting th6t those ad-
vAntagos should remain dormant, to satisfy either
tho folly or cupidity Of the railroad aud othar
monopoliHtB,
We caunot DO satisfied to havo our State thus
confined almost exclusively to ooru-rAising and
only othoz agricultural pursuits
dreator bonef1ts nro properly duo to us, and
NO muat not lack tie manlnesB to demand, So
cure, and preserve them. The Importance Of
Chicago to tho whole people OF this State and
tho Northwest, under an accurate commercial
equilibrium,
CANNOT DE oyFnEsr1MGrEp.
It's prosperity is, IN great measure. the pros-
pority OF tho State at large. Whonit suffers tho
Stnto suffers and any system OF management by
the great transportation-ngenoes which discrin~
mates against Chicago aud checks its prosperity,
is injnrionsly felt throughout lilo whole State
and Northwest.
Another evil, moro widely difrusod than thnt
just mentioned reativo to Chicago, grows out of
q system Of uujust determinations. almust'uut-
vorRal OIL tho railroads, prior to tho recont lcgis
lhttou, botwoen tho Bmall towns and villages
along tho railroad. lines. Places situated ut
railroad-crosyings whore competition existed
paid much lower rateH than were paid In. plRcos
having the advantage only Of single limo.
This OWL hnB, to aome o1tont, boen rolnodied
BY tho recent legislation on that subject, and
tho decision OF tho Supreme Court in tho quo
warranto caso in Mclean County againBt tho
Chicago L Alton Railroad Company. Although
this evil has been partially relieved; yet it still
exists In somo degreo.
The people OF tho stato Of Illinois, by their
Constitution Of 1870, aftor soyeral years Of pa
md, to the same ond, making most lboral con-
tributons for Tho purpose Of constructing COM
t peting lineh OF railroad, which wero no sooner
completed than consolidated, were fnaly .orced
to tako tho initiatory Rtep to secure the
JUST CONTROL or THE STATE
over the railroads. ,e
It WAS by that Constitution declared that all
railroads were public highways, aud it WIS mado
tho duty OF tho Legislature to provide by law
againat all o1tortions and unjust discrimination
III tho transportation Of persons and property.
Tho Legislature in 1871 passed lawB in obc-
dience to those constitutional provisions, and
I'D ard f,f Rat3 nr1 "nrA
Commissioners to supervise their execution.
|. From HE beginning, tho raiirosd-companies
hayo deliberately disr6gardcd and sot - doll
anoo the authority OF tho State, and refused
obedience to tho laws. In 1873 the Legislature
again passed. laws OH this subject, amending und
modifying tho laws OF 1871. Thoso laws havo as
yet boon only oboycd colorably-no. at all In
lettar aud api1it; and, uudor prcsext OF coll