The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-09-15

accordance with legislation, judicial de- |
cisions and public policy. And the COM
panies can not say to the producers, nor
can these members OF congress say 10. lon
high Won can carry your own produce 10
market as you used to do" The pubic cor
poration must serve the pubic al reasonapie
charges. That Is the purpose OF It's exist
ence, and the advantage to the members Is
but an incident. Highways, whether ran or
gravel. might be made by the State directly,
and in every respect would be under state
control. The public corporation, created 10
Guild and maintain such highway, stahus,
i'm respect to its powers and lis duties, IN the
place OF the State. 1t Is a creature OF Ine
State. endowed with part OF its powers, TO
serve the public. And if such corporation
refuses to serve the public at reasonable
rates the State may compel such service.
/ suppose the rule in respect 10 private
corporasion would be different. In TINS
I do not refer to the case in which the State
NAV have expressly relinquisbed the con-
troll to the corporation ITSELF In this State
the mower is expressly reserved to amend
the general laws under which railroad COM
panies have been organized since 1888
If possible, the other remedy against ex-
Orbitant charges, suggested by the congress
sional address, is more Objectionable. III Is,
that the State shall buy the road from the
company or build another road by It's SIDE.
1t is not probable that the people OF Indiana
will ever again permit the State to enter
upon the hazardous work of constructing or
managing works of internal improvement.
The reliable remedy is to be found IN the
wise and prudent exercise OF the powers
which the State has over crown institutions.
Under the pretext of regulating commerce
among the States, the dangerous scheme
has been devised of congressional interven-
ton and control over State corporations.
The real purpose is to strengthen federal
authority, aud promote the concentration OF
power. Can you conceive q scneme OF
greater danger to the reserved rights OF the
States and of the people? These corpora
tions exist by State authority, and their
powers are defined by State laws, which
congress has no right to modify. Should
congress, by commissioners to be appointed
by the president, take the management Oh the
railroads and lines of telegraph, every per-
son in the employment of the companies
will, to some extent, bs made dependent
upon this new power, and made to do
its bidding. Give this new power
this enormous patronage to the president
and the problem of the nomination for the
third term is settled. Can you estimate the
corruption it would introduce? Senators
Norton and Pratt both advocate the appoint
ment of commissioners with power to fix
the fares and freights. They concede that
the same rates can not be adopted for all the
roads; that they must be adjusted according
TO cost of construction and repairs, and
commissioners with such powers to regulate
rates as between the companies themselves
and between them and the people? With
the presidents capacity for bringing into
Office men not known to the country, we
might expect a new SanbOrn, an unheard-
of Richardson, Tennessee Murphy, a Saw
yer, and Shepherd.
Their brilliant passage from road to road
in the palace ears of the companies, as they
inspect, and judge and adjust the rates, will
never be forgotten by the people. Tht
scenes will be gay and festive, for the Off.
GERS of the companies will know that mil
lions will depend upon the decisions. And
when they come to decide between the in
terests of the corporations on the one hand
and the modest rights of the farmers on tine
other, how do you think the case will go!
IL will be no case at all. The credit mODi
1ier was a modest and retiring cyprian com
pared with this brazen faced harlot. Il
was strange coincidence thai
the credit mobilier overcame meI
of only one class with but a single excep-
ton. They were good men, and to b'
trusted, and not like the democrats, bad
The people are nearly done with SUCH trasi
and deception.
To secure q fair management OF railroads
and just rate of transportation are tn,
farmers and mechanics not safer in tn,
hands of their immediate representatives il
the State legislature, than in the hands o
Congress or of such commissioners? Tn,
responsibility to the people is more direct
and the representatives are more in you
sympathy, and corrupting influences ar,
less powerful. The credit mobilier grew
out Of congressional enterprise. Within
the past three years the Pennsylvania rail
road was able in Congress to make its owl
selection of extensive and valuable ground
in the CITY of Washington over powerful
opposition. The Central Pacific railroad
came very near carrying through Congress
grant of an island of immense value in tn
hsrbor of San Francisco, although it was o
the highest importance to the government
for military purposes, and was so reported
by the army engineers. Home interests ar
safest uLder home management. The pro
ceeding to regulate the relations between tn
railroad corporations and the producers b,
Washington city commissioners, would pre-
sent the spectacle of the jury eating an,
drinking in the dining hall OF the rich defend
ant, whilst the poorer sutton, in his humbl
home, bewails his unequal fortune.
FINANCE.
The expression In favor of return to spe
Gle payments is very general. but the rea
question is when and how can that be &C
complished? So long as the supply of coil
is so small as compared with the pape
money IL is impossible. The effort nov
would probably result in commercial disas
ter. The people so believe. No sentimen
attributed to Mr.. Greeley in 1872 was NOR
hurtful to his political fortunes than the de
mand for immediate specie payments. IT
render it possible, without hurt to the coun
try, coin and paper must come nearer to
gether in quantity. They will then b.
nearer, if not uniform, In value. How shall
that be brought about? By reducing th
paper currency? With the present burthei
OF nationeii, State and local taxation
and tn, large volume of other indebtedness
Z" oe provided for, that can not be borne
1t would cramp business and paral7ze labor
No one desires a return to specie payment
more earnestly than myself, for beli,s ~
gold and silver are the real standard Of yaIue
universal and permanent, As / ha
occasion once before to say, tbs existence ,
commercial mediums OF different value
one description of money for one class an
purpose, and another for different ella.