Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1873-07-16
Speech Of Governor Palmer

The speech of ex-governor Paine
to the farmers of Illinois, dc'ivcrc.
at Springfield on the fourth of July
is incomparably the ablest and clear
est presentation of the railroad ques,
ton which VIC have yet seen. Gov.
ernor Palmeris q strong and original
thinker, and acquired for himself, as
executive of his state, a repntatio,
for manly independence and cxecu-
tive talent which entities him IT,
rank with the first aud foremost Of
the leaders of public opinion in the
country. He. seems to possess tho
rare faculty of grasping the whole OF
! question at once, and the ability to
divest it of its incidental entargle-
ments and to present ii in its intrinsic
character. This remark at least ap.
plies to his presentations of the rail.
road question in his fourth of July
speech. The magnitude of the in,
terests involved and the gravity OF
the questions growing out of then,
is fully presented. The relations be-
tween producers, consumers, and the
transportation companies, AND tl,ci,
mutual dependence, is dwell upoa.
The cxtortions and tie abuses prac-
ticed by the companies are completely
exposed, and he then proceeds to a
consideration. of the remedies. lie
does not approve of temporizin.
legislation, which he thinks adapted
only to the creation of greater COM
plications and cmbarrassments. The
difficulty he believes to reside prom
lnently in the unsouudncss ofthe prin-
ciple OH which the roads are operated,
and in q radical change of that prin-
ciple is the only hope for a thorough
and durablc' remedy of the evils COM
planned of, and for a cordial under
standing a,Hi cooperation between
the parties to the present controversy.
In Ills own language, Eve need sucl
changes in the remedies as will enable
us to ascertain the cost snd actual
value of railroad property, and We
must have such enactments as will
separate the ownership of railways
from the business of common carriers
prosecuted on their lines, and til.
roads themselves must DO thrown
open 10 competition upon terms that
will protect the owners of railway
property, and at the same time break
up combination and monopolies."
This remedial plan has been a favorite
ofthe Governors for some time, and
was presented by him in his last
annual message to the Legislature OF
Illinois, much less in detail, however,
than in his speech. AS we under
stand it, it is n proposition to operate
the railways substantially as canals
aud rivers are now used by common
carriers. The roads arc to be thrown
open to the use of all persons who
desire to enter into the business OF
common carriers, subject only to sucl,
restrictions as may be necessary to
secure the safety Of passengers and
merchandise. The advantages of tho
plan are obvious, for every depot and
station on a single line of railroad
will thcn possess all the advantages
of competition, which are now en-
joyed by the few favored localities
which have two or more competing
lines. Thore are difficulties, .ofcourse.
in the way of lite successful execution,
but nothing is impossible, and we
believe they can be overcome. When
overcome, all will agree that the great
railroad problem will have been
solved. Gov. Palmer is a staunch
friend Of the farmers, aud has such all
abiding faith in the eternal princi-
pies of state rights and equal and
just laws, that ten years ~servitudc in
tho Republican party could not work
1t out Of him. We congratulate the
laboring people Of Illinois on the
possession, of q champion so able, SO
earnest, and as We believe, SO honest,
ne istheir worthy Ex-Governor.
Gov. Silas Noodson is to deliver the