, 1874-04-29

70 the Editor or The Chraao Tribune:
Sin: The item In regard to railroad-ticket-
scalporB, which appoared in your issue Of tho
29d Inst, and which Is substantially repetition
Of what has often heretofore appeared in your
columns during tho past. yoar, is 30 manifestly
incorrect and unjust that it Is but proper that
your attention should be called TO tho error, aud
that tho facts should bo stated rs they actually
oxiet.
am not sca1por and neither buy nor aoll
tickets, except AZ may hayo occasion to uso
them whom travelling. But mono Of the articles
that have thus fur appeared have shown, or at
tempted to show. ns question OF ethics, why it
Ia not just as legitimate and as honorable to
buy, soll and speculate In ttcl1ota. as in grim,
pork. or real estate, or even to edit newspaper.
Tho railroads. establish rates Of faro to COM
poting poiats at such figures ag suit their ill.,
clinatinnao or intorosts. md which may certalnly
DO presumed to DO remunorative, md put thon
upon the market for salo. II we wish to rido be-
twoon 'son-con1petng points, tho pricoH for trans
portation arc Increased out of ali proportion to
tho distance to bo travelled md II I, recogniz-
ing tho fact, choose to avail myself OF tho lower
ratios by purchasing ticket to competing
point beyond, and then, aftor arrviug at my dos
tination, sell tho balauce OF my tiokot Ia It any
offense against good morals or correct business
principleB : Or Is it any at the bunincss Of tho
railroads, tho public, or tho press
II can save from rs to 80 per cent, and
ao,netimes eyon more by the judicious purchase
and sale Of ticlset, is it not Legitimate aud
proper, and hayo not perfect right to do it7
And, If the traveller who purchases tho balance
Of tho eke; gos on to hs journeys end at
ticket to tho same point for, hive not benefited
him, and prevented tho railroad from Bwindlng
linn to just that extent? II a railroad company
can carry mo as through passenger for q cer-
thoy not, or could thoy not, carry local pas
songor over tho Bnme distance at tho Hame rato2
Reduction Of local ratos of fare iB thing 1,n-
known to our railroad management, except Won
driven thoreto by circumstances over which thoy
have no control.
Tho reduction on tho Chicago l. Alton 11oad,
Which constitutes tho subject OF your article was
ueceBattatod and brought about BY the Bcalriers,
md, to that oxtont certainly, they have bonotit-
ted the entire community.
purchased OF them ut saving Of from 50 to 81,
OF which tho management OF tho road hayo long
boon cognizant. And any man who profors pay
ing high local ratos rs charged by thom, rather
tllan avail himself Of competing tariffs, is othoy
IN ignoranus or something worso
A fow months SINCE when I wished to ex-
change IN Illinois Central conpon to st. Louis
for ticket over the Alton Road, having Just ar-
rived from Now York, and having occasion to
travel tho lattor route the Company refused to
So III the mattor OF tho exchange Of tickots,-
often matter Of necessity to the trayolor,-
tho Bcalpera moot want Of tho community
which the railroads do not attempt to supply,
but aGainst Which thoy fight with all their COM
6inod forces. a resolution OF tho General
Ticket Agents. Convention. prohibits such OK
changes to their agents and employees.
Another error IN your article III, that tho
acalpers here purchase Now York tickets in St.
Louis for 927, aud sell TINT part Of tho anmo
reyorao the coupon from st. Louis to Chicago,
aud sell it for s11.
4 moments rotloction will convince you TINT
this statement il incorrect, for tho coupon from
IT, nos %a to Chicago is o good who agesd
forfeited. oven from st. Louis. hero, unloHa tho
ross Of tho ticket was produced, It certainly
would be impossible to dotach it from the con
tract and sell 1t to party to travel from Chi
cago to Ut. Louis.
Tho modnA. .oporantli 1a simply this A paHAon-
ser In st. Louis doAirous of coming to Chicago,
Instead OF paying $40 local faro for Journey Of
26o miles, at contH por mile, merely purchases
527, or about ~ centa por milo, which he cor Or
tainly has perfect right to do,--and rides to
Chicago upon 1t, md thon sells tho balance Of
lis ticket 70 scalpor. Or anybody elso wl.o will
purchase i. for from s2o to s22-whlch ho also
gor saves about u, and the New York passenger
from 81 to 81; and tho whole transaction is
based upon perfectly fair aud honorable COM
morcal principles.
A purity travelling from Chicago to Wnshing-
ton, Baltimore, Phitade!phia, or New York, can
save from s5 to $40 ", purchasing boston or
Portland tickets; and, In like lnanl,er, perHonB
coming West to Chicago from any Of tlloao
points can do the Same BY purchasing st. Louis,
st. Paul, Kansas City, Omaha, Momphis, or
Now Orleans ticlietn.
persons going to st. Louis can purchase
Lincoln City t'ckes for s20.50, and Hel! tho
balauco in st. Louis Oh sight, for about SIG to
SIT, making tho expense to st. Louis $500 to
s5.60, inAtoad of $l1, tho usual faro. Similar
Hro tile advantages Of purchasing Evansville,
KaEsaa City, orSt. Joseph tickets.
Tho pounsylyan!a law to which you rofer Ia
practically n load letter, aud notouriously IN
connut with tho fifth amendment to the Consti-
tuition Of tic United btutos, AZ aIao with tho
Constitution Of Tho State OF Pennsylvania. Scalp
i!ng aourishen thcso, aH vol as u tho moro esl-
lightoneu COMMONWEALTH Of Illinois. Tho law
in qnoHtion III the offspring OF that notorious
railroad yirtuoao, Thomas a. Scott, mud WAS
enacted whom he owned that State,
That Bapient legislator ut 6psingiield, last
WluteE, who attempted to procure the enactment