The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1874-03-12

yerons to the ives Of their patrons
aud powerle>s to transport the produc
tions Of the country, and in short, &C
euascuIate them that they will become
intolerable nuisance. The wounds to
be Inflicted iced not "be as deep as q
we'll, nor as wide as barn door" to d.
the business. A few Doctor Sandgra
dos appointed by the State, with in.
structious to administer large doses OF
warm water with copious bleeding, will
tell the story There won't be a pa.
tient left within thei, circuit, and thus
will the people ''live long and prosper
When considering the possibl.
growth and prosperity of our State, l
have said to myself how the treeless
prairies would fIl up with a thriving
population, and how our towns aud
cities would TEEN with manufactures.
if but the Two railroads running to the
south aud south. western boundaries OF
our State, could command the capital
TO extend branches to the coal fields OF
Iowa, which lie so near to Us. To
build and equip such branches for
this traffic. so as to furnish coal at the
cheapest rates, requires a deal of mon.
ey. This cannot be had now. Can it
be under the legislative regime contem-
plated by this bill?
l believe that the interests of the
companies and Of the people are recip
rocal; that the people should pay such
rates as will enable the companies to
obtain fair returns upon the capital in.
vested ; and that the companies should
make their rates so low that no greater
than fair return should be received
and thus they would stimulate and en-
courage productions to the full extent
OF their carrying capacity and Of the
producing capacity of the country.
That the management Of the roads
in many Instances has been bad aud
short sighted, 1 have no doubt, and 1
am glad to see agitation by the people
and a resort to the courts to correct
such abuses as exist /; but I doubt the
.xpedien"y of an arbitrary and iuflexi.
ble tariff Of rates fixed by the Legisla.
,ure to apply to any road. and more
especially to all roads alike. In my
opinion, such a law would create grea,
er evils than those it would seek to
remedy What would be justice, it
you please sir. to one, would be great
Injustice to another; anu what would
be proper and just one year, or Que
season Of the Year, would be unjust at
another.
If the Legislature has jurisdiction
over the subject, and deems it wise to
exercise it, aud think it is. let it con,
>titute a commission with equitable aud
ju'iicial powers as an inferior court
With the right OF its off ;ia's to be com
posed in part of experts, with power
20 fix rates, aid to revise and read US,
them when, aud as often as occasiu,,
may require. The Legislature eau
create courts and commissions to d.
acts which itself cannot do. 1t may
au' 'horize courts to adjudicate upo"
crimes, and to hear and determine civil
actions, but it cannot try them itself
aud thus it may aushoriz. a commission
10 fix aud determine what are rea
sonable. aud what are unreasonable
rates, and be without power to so fix
and determine them itself. II may
authorize this commission to adjus dis
putes between the shipper and the
company, but it cannot itself adjust
them.
To my mind now, as ever heretofore
10 company, whatever powers my be
given in its charter, can, either BY
s,s,ue or the common law, legally
charge unjust or unreasonable rates OF
make unjust Determinations, aud that
there is now and ever has been a com.
pIete aud perfect remedy in our cours'
the sams as for any other wrong II
individuals cannot aff,rd to prosecute
in the courts for redress, let the State
do it.
But if the legislature has the powe.
to tx rates, it is not body of experts
and the exercise Of the power is uu.
wise and unexplained. You need no.
be told that the attempt has proved a
failure everywhere; nor Of the dificul.
ty Of comprising the whole subject
Our Railroad Commissioner nigh,
have told you this if he he had quoted
as literally in his report from that
side Of the matter as he did upon the
other.
The questson is not . new one i,
is as old as the railways themselves
and as yet has been too intricate to be
settled satisfactorily in this country as
ia Europe. The English authorities
have labored upon it for many yeats,
aud notably SO have those Of Massa.
chusetts.
But If we can enact law that will
through commission more effsctualIy
and more cheaply secure fairer aud
more just rates, and prevent extortions
aud unjust determinations, | am ia
favor OF it. There is no harm ia
spreading it at length upon the statue
books.
l will 60 As far as any one to protect
the masses, for what is just to them
tends to the .ruest aud highest inter.
rs,s Of all; but I will not knowingly
fatter them | will not attempt T.
make them believe they are worse Of
than they really are that they are
wronged when they are not that "
can enrich them when We cannot; MOI
that al their happiness aud prosperity
depends upon the mere passage o.
laws. Laws will not execute them
selves, nor can they be made effective
unless founded io justice and reason.
To HULL CORN. Take one quar-
Of strong lye, prepared by pourios
warm water upon a peck or more o
ashes; add two quarts Of boiling wAte1
to it, aud put in the corn; let it boi