The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-12-02

l.
but give mighty impulse to all Of the great
interests involved. fENas
The following s. :
! COMMITTEE on CREDENTIALS T .-
was then appointed: John F. Henry, OF. New
York; c. s. Darlington, of Virginia; j, NJ.
Pearson, Of Illinois; William Maxwell, OF
Tennessee; r. N. Litter, of Iowa; and Mr.
Rucker, of Georgia. ,.s: rssl ..G ~iss
On motion, the Convention then adjourned
until z. NJ. s.rn.4T ;ssg2.3 II. 81 Il /
I ~ ~ :Afsernoon Session. s,
! The Convention was called to order by the
Chair at the appointed hour, the attendance
being much larger than at the morning ses-
/! sion. - "Hi'i"1 i-..<.@.f ,<a7.: = I
Mr.. Henry, of New York, presented the
report of the Committee on Credentials. w..
| The committee reported all the names that
had been certified as appointed, and recon-.
mended that on all questions where the issue
was raised the vote should be taken by States
on the scale of representation in the House
of Representatives. 1. " &.'.t.'-i ~
| After some discussion by Colonel Caring.
ton, of Virginia, and Mr.. j. M. Pearson, OF
Illinois, the report was adopted as whole.
| The report indicates the appointment Of q
very large number of delegates, but there
were probably not over one hundred pres
ent. n.s'.. a..-E - ~ 4~,
Mr.. f. B. Thurber, of New York city,
from the Committee on Railroad Transpor-
tation, then read report showing great
ability and research. A.E..-' '-'
The report proposed to discuss the follow
| ing propositions -
Ia brief history of our railroad system.
2. Its relations to the public. .@.. -.
3. It's defects, ......-..
| 4. Remedies. r,
SKETCH OF RAILROAD PROGRESS IN THE UNITED
| t,-E,.... STATES. st
| The report sketches the history Of rail-
roads from the origin of the first tramroad
to the granite quarries in Quincy, Mass, in
| 1926. The Baltimore and Ohio was begun
| in 1880, extended to Frederick in 1881, and
to Point of Rocks in 1882, being operated
by horsepower up to 1881. The first rail-
road in New York was begun in 1880, the
first in New Jersey in 1881, and the road
from Philadelphia to Trenton was completed
in 1888; butit was not until 1889 that there
was continuous line from New York to
Philadelphia. In Massachusetts, three lines
were begun about 1881. These early rail-
roads were very rude in their construction
and very inefficient in their operation. IA,
The report gives table showing the
number of miles Of railroad in operation at
different periods since 1880, when there
were only twenty-three miles, until We have
now over 10000 miles of railroad in opera
ton in the United States. .s3'... 80
| RELATIONS TO THE PUBLIC. b.
The report takes the ground that in the
original joy Of the people at what was looked
on as great blessing they made concessions
and granted special privileges and preroga-
tives to the railroads until they now rule
| the country. ,~. a
"The latest statistics show that we have
| in the United States about seventy thousand
miles of railway, with nominal capital of
about three thousand two hundred millions
of dollars; their gross receipts aggregate
nearly five hundred millions-sums greatly
| in excess Of the Government debt and reye-
nue.. All this sum is capable OF being
controlled and directed by very few
men. On all questions where railroad in-
terests conflict with the interest Of the
public the influence of this wealth is
| q unit against the people. 1t EN-!
pieys great armies Of men in operating The
various lines of road it is the best customer
of the press it controls the telegraph lines,
has the readest access to the public ear, and is
| the all-powerful abettor or terrible foe to po-
litical aspirations. Many of our laws are made
in lis interest, and along every line Of railway
it keeps in its employ the best legal talent.
These men become our judges, and, having
been educated to view laws relating to rail-
Way matters from railway standpoint,
naturally interpret difficult points in its
| favor. Members of the legal profession are
often in the lobby TO serve this interest, and
instances are not wanting where representa-
lives of the people while holding official
positions accept retainers to advocate claims
adverse to the interest Of the people,. q
railroad corporation is souleSs, and yet
immortal Wiser than philosophy, it
has found in perpetual charter the
elixir of life. When our fathers abolished
the law of primogeniture they supposed the
country was secured against the evils of vast
individual wealth accumulating from gene
ration to generation, because the certainty
of death would bring certainty Of destruc-
| tion: but perpetual charter, granted With
out consideration, has become a'splndle TO
Twist the gossamer-thread across the chasm
of death. All this vast and constantly in
creasing wealth is under irresponsible con-
| troll. a corporation. can neither oe hung
nor sent TO the penitentiary-that Is TO say,
there is an entire absence of individual re-
sponsibillty. Vigorous, alert, all.powerful,
and perpetual, it only needs unscrupulous
managers to become worse tyrant than
Nero-a more dangerous master than Robes
pierre
In support of these views the report quotes
from the report of the United States Senate
Committee on Transportation Routes, ana
Ifrom the american Railroad Guide, which
speaks of the railroads as destined TO De
the dominant interest OF the United states"
! The committee disclaims any insinuation
that the railroad managers are worse than
other .peogle, but speaks of these results as
natural. They insist that the steam.englne,
and not railroads, as they hace been man
4 aged, has produced the mighty progress 10
the country. -,.... 4.,s ,..., ..... s.. .}. z a..
i DEFECTS OF THE PRESENT SYSTEM. ii. ..,
The report yiyidly sketches the abuses and
frauds in the origin of the charters, the ob.
tanning of the stock, the construction, and
the ma naeement of the railroads. By way
of illustration of the evils of stoek-watering
If draws. comparison between the Z" New
York Central and Hudson River railroad y
and the Baltimore and Ohio railroad in their
4 management, and concludes that the latter is
atbe only trunk line in the United States to
hold up as an example Of honest railroad
management" -
! The report cites as other, evils fast freight
lines, palace and sleeping.car companies, and
says:
!" Many railroad managers, superintend'
ents. and other officers, are interested incoal'
mines, saw.mills, farms, and manufacturing
establishments, and give themselves lower
rates when other people are paying higher
rates for the same accommodation. These
gentlemen and the master mechanics are fire.