New-York tribune., 1873-06-12
TILE RESTERN CONFLICT

The recent election in Illinois seems not to
have called out vuy large vote, ana the
complete success of the Farmers party was
owing not 80 much to its actual strength as
to the fact that neither of the political organ
izations yentured to take the field against 1t.
The opposition in most cases was by lnde-
pendent candidates, and even in the Flfth
District Judge Lawrence was supported rather
by his personal friends, by the bar, and by the
advocates of an independent judiciary gener-
ally, than by the Republican party organization.
II seems TO be taken for granted, however,
that the Farmers will not rest upon this single
victory. There are indications of their lntcn-
ton to put their own candidates into local
Offices at the next election, and to send their
own candidates to the Legislature; and as
they are in a position to command either
Republican or Democratic assistance, provided
they are moderately adrOit, we can hardly
doubt that they will be successful. And then
the warfare with the railroads will be fairly
begun.
What are the prospects of such conflict
On the 1st of July a new railway law goes
into operation in Illinois, providing that the
Railroad Commissioners shall prepare
schedule of reasonable maximum rates OF
freight and fare on all the lines doing busi-
ness in the State. Any rate in excess OF this
maximum is to be considered extortionate,
and the penalty for extOrtion or unjust dis
elimination is to be from $1,000 to S25OOO.
Now we may assume from the start that no
railway will do business in Illinois at loss.
Either the maximum will be placed high
enough to satisfy the roads, or they will
evade or defy the law, or they must stop
operations; and we believe it would not be
difficult to show that the average rates under
the new law cannot be much lower than they
are nOw,-are more likely, indeed, 4 to
be somewhat higher. Certain nOn-cOmpeting
points will doubtless be relieved, but COM
peting points will lose the benefit of compe-
tition, and will have to pay much more than
they pay now. Heavy shippers will have to
sacrifice all the advantage of special rates,
and the commission dealer who dispatches
hundred thousand bushels Of grain week
from his elevator will be charged just as
much per bushel as the small farmer who
carries two or three wagon-lOads in season
to the nearest way-station. The attempt to
enforce such O system as this shows an amaz-
ing ignorance of the laws of trade, and
threatens the State with serious commercial
troubles.
Let us suppose, however, that low rates are
fixed by law in Illinois; what will be the re-
sult7 The local railway business of the State
will be crippled, but the farmers will not get
cheap access to market. Their market is not
in Illinois; it is in New-York and Boston.
The moment carload of grain crosses the
Illinois boundary it is beyond the reach of
Illinois transportation laws, and the companies
will put whatever tax upon it they please.
Any reduction they may have been compelled
to make at one end of the line will be coun-
terbalanced at the other. In fact, there is no
device possible by which the Legislature of
Illinois can regulate the price for which
bushel of grain shall be laid down at point
outside its jurisdiction. Until the farmers
recognize this fact all their tampering with
the transportation problem will be useless and
even mischievous. They are fighting dan
gerous and powerful enemy, and in common
with all their true friends we are deeply con-
cerned to find them betrayed into mistakes.