Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-01-17
nAr.v.y xEGrs.,YIoy.


The New York Tribune, a journal
whose independence is real, not infect
ed, and which is certainly not an old
school Democrat, seriously questions
the expediency or right Of Congress to
legislate on the railway question. Re
viewing the more prominent bills now
before that body, it disinisses Mr.. Hurl-
butts S2OO,OO0,OO0 air line double
freight project as unlikely to get any
hearing from Congress that is con-
fronted with an insolvent Federal
Treasury. The bills of Messrs. Nc
Crary and Kasson are more likely 20
reach the stage of serious discus
sion. Both propose to reduce
railroad rates by the direct
exercise of Federal powe-. Kasson's
bill proposes an immediate reduction
of twenty-five per cent on all existing
rates, whether they happen to be just
or unjust, reasonable or e1tortionate;
and after this is done 1t establishes a
board of seven Commissioners to ascer-
tain whether such reduction is proper.
This would certainly be swift, "
whether it was ''justice" or not. Nc
Crary's bill proposes more deliberate
action, first establishing Commission
Of nine to investigate alleged abuses
and fix the schedules according to the
developments. Both bills rest on the
constitutional clause authorizing Con-
gress to regulate commerce between
the States. In order to make this
clause cover all railroads, Kasson's
bill expressly includes all which
are used for the general transporta-
ton Of articles of commerce destined
from q station IN any State or Terri
tory Of the United States to place in
any other State or Territory, or in any
foreign country" That is TO say,
road may be wholly within the State,
bnt if it receives freight from another
State, or transports merchandise whose
ultimate destination Is another State
or a foreign country, it is to be brought
within the. scope Of the bill. By this
logic the tolls of every turnpike and
the rates of drayage through our streets
on cotton going to New York and
Liverpool, would be subject to Federal
legislation. Mr McCrary's bill evades
this point by treating as one railway
any continuous line of rails
from State to State, whether
belonging to one or dozen
different companies, SO long as the rails
actually connect and freighted cars can
pass from one to the other. This Is the
weak point of the bill, as railway mag.
mates could readily evade such a law
and abolish their Interstate feature,
by tearing up brace Of rails and CON-
pelling the break OF bulk al the increas-
ed expense Of shippers. The kasson
bill provides that the Board Of Com
missioners shallreport to Congress what
in their Judgment, considering the sit
uation and extent of business of each
railway and the country tributary to it,
viii be a reasonable and just maximum
tariff upon the principal articles of
interstate and foreign commerce, and
for passengers passing over such rail
way, and particularly upon articles
of food" Commenting On this, the
Tribune exclaims:
What a field for special legislation,
biack-I;qil, bribery, election frauds,
and other lnisaities is thus thrown
open, Under this law there would be
such railroad lobby at Washington
as the world never saw before. Mr..
Jaw Gould's transactions at Albany;
Mr.. Cakes Ames' operations with the
Credit MoblEer Congressman, would
fade into insignifcanCe when every
road in the United States kept its Off
GERS and agents haunting the national
capitol with bills authorizing an III
crease of tolls, or hush-mOney to pre-
vent nnfriendly legislation, or stock to
be placed where it would do most good"