, 1874-06-03

~ alao d collection Of 10000 insects.
TEE RAILROAD QUESTION.
**GrnnKer LoKlstntion.s'
Fran The Se.s York Hnllttsn, Hay 20.
Tnk dad FAITH OF THE oRANaEns.
Aroug tue political lossons Of tho times ther&
III none moro significant than tue haste wttf
which Legislatures fall into conformity with pop.
ular agitationu which arc wholly subyorsive of
the fundamental rights OF citizenship md o!
rroporty. Tho latest illustration Of this politics!
danger ia afforded by tho ready RESPONSE OF tho
Western Legislature, aud alBo oftoo many mons
bora OF Congress. to tho unreasonable demands
Of tho Grauyera rclatyo to tho railroads.
Tho eeel M Ss tho lsTn srcey enacted IN cor
Of self-nanagonont; to sub1oct their earnings
to tho mill or a State Commission made up Of
politicians controlled by tho influences Of poltt!on
mid popular clatnor; to doioat those coutract3
betwoou connecting roads by which tho earning:
capacity Of tho roads ia augmcutcd aud ocoli-
omica Of transportation oUcotod aud, III . word,
to uoutralizo all those freieht-arrange BY
which tho roads mo onablol at tho aa,no tn,o to
earn fair profits. and yot benefit tho pablio by
attracting tho largest possible amount Of
traffic. In this 1ogalation. tho railroads. aro
treated as cnouios Of tho public, and tlle extrana-
ous control to which ,t1oy aso subjected ID
necessarily exercised without any regard to tue
ability OF tho colnpnuies to oarn interest upon
their capital. Ra1ruad capital ia therefore mntlo
Dubsorviout to State control, without btato ro-
spouaib!llty Tor tho adequacy Of its oarntnya or
power on tho part Of tic company to insl1rs die
remuneration for its Investment. In principle,
this Interference with tho righta of propurtY
amounts to leyalized robbery aud contiscation.
1t aelzes tho property OF aauociatca citisona and
uses it for common purposes upon torlnB Wl,iull
ronder tito property moro or loas valun-
less as IN Investment thereby doapol-
ing one class OF citizeus to benefit
nnothor. In point Of injustice, this principle
n fsr Than inr>iA ntr
theory which annlhiRtoa the rghta OF property;
for, in this case, thoto is no plea that tho owner
alip can be traced back to all unjust method Of
occurring possession, legal qaid PRO quo hav-
ing been III all caBes reuuero4 by tho 00rpora~
tion for whatoror property it holds.
This Is tho light in which Granger legialattou
presents ittcf to tho ownors and mo,sEaEeas Ut
Of property within the United States, amount
| to s3,25o, 600, thyec-fourtha Of which IN
! Owned By American citixons. In other words,
S2, 50U, ,000.00D Of securities held by onr ow,a
people antl $3.50, ,0oo, 900 owuod By European crel-
tors arc directly throateuc by tlio principle Of thu
rai!road agitation. It amounts to this, thero--
fore, that .,e agricultural population, 90 far aa
1t sympnthizos With this movement, atlirlns ita
readiness to rnndor this enormous iuyos tnont
unproductiyo, it nced DC, to 6ecuro transporsa-
ton upon their own terms. Giangoriam lnonaa
this and nothing less. 1t Ia, therefore, an at
tompt at ons Of the mont stupendoua acts Of
injustice over undertaken iu tho ntmo OF lav!
hcon flowing into railroads, under lawa and
t charterB Which guaranteed to the companies ttay
common rights Of property. Up to this tme5
tho earnings OF these innyestments, taking them|
! ns whole, hGYo fallen below the average return'
upon tho employment Of cspita!. Tie|
facilities Afforded by tho roads for roacl,4
ing tho markets have Increased the(
vall1e OF farms, upoa an average for tho unitod(
States, from Sl1.i4 per aero in 1850 to S22 per1
| aero in 1870; which necessarily inlplos CORES !
spending increaso III tho yaluo Of farm -product|
to tho producer. Tho capital thua advanced, With
sonparst'Sa loss Of interss:to the iH!ostot has
ynluo ot tarMs, while it haa rondorod farming
possible upon millions of acres OF virgin lanaa
| which must otherwise llayo remained uu+
productive. Theao enormous outlays for thu
! transportation OF fnrnl-producta 1ayo bccn nalt
in good faith tut tho investors would be permit
tod to doriYo b fair return for the aoryices rem
dorod, aud in confidence that tho class chioh1
benefited would SEQ to it that thc right
peusation would DO guarnttaod to thom. TheI
have noyor Ind the remoteBt idoa that tho aonsl
Of Justice presumably inherent in our people.
and the mutuality OF lntoroata between produceri
and carriers, could allow that guarautoo to bt
imported
1,u! what is tho fact? Whom tho farmors hayo
secured these immense benefits from tIe roads,
they mass themselves in "Granges," and by tho
torror OF the ballot boz compel ther representa-
tiyos to deprive roada Of se!f-1nanagcmeut, ind
adjust tfeight-chargag to Ks.it the producers. X
law can bo thus unjustly perverted, what necuri-
ty is thoro for corporate Investments? Oloarly
tool Of . majority for compelling ono claas to
appropriate ita property for lhe aoryico Of M
other without dua conlponsation.
It is q matter Of iuflnite regret that d large
md influential claus Of American citizclio Should
have boon found willing to commit tl1en1sclfoa
to an not Of such glaring injustice and bad faith.
Thoir agitntion reveals condition Of political
morals wlich is anything but louorable to tue
nation, and ANYTHING but conducive to conti-
denco in our Investments. II tiiera is fanda-
usental dishonesty iu the honrts Of largo tuassca
Of our people, tho basia Of our hopoB OF colnn1er-
ciul greatness is gone, and tho future of the
llcpubo is in,psrllod: Already tho effects OF
creates aro beginning to nnpoar. Among the
captalst-oiass Of thls city thcro il 4 yory
marked disposition to avoid all employmonts Of
caritsl in tbs West, aud especially in those
tiun, This foeling IL not anggoatau 80 much
by nuv apprehension that tho principle OF ths
Wisconsin law eau survive tho test OF tho Stl.
promo Court,-for on that point no doubt OK.
iste-but by tho consideration that people Tha
will deliberately commit themselves to such bal
faith as III involved in tho Granger railroad iana
arc not to bo Qafe!y trusted In any form. Wis.
cousin and Iowa will soon diacoyer that. In ttlc
in company Will Alisaiasippi, Alnaosota, una
other States which laYa dared to lightly os.cem
tho claims OF creditors and tho rlghts OF prop
crty. Their present course is suicidal. I!oy
have adopted lawa which cannot be sanctioned
by tho Supreme Court of tho nation, aud Which
nil, therefore, fail to accomplish. tho unjust
pnrpoHo contomplatod and all tloJ ga1n IL
permanent degradation Of character
Oar Forests.
Tho Committee on tho Public Lands in tho
House, in AliHWor to q memorial from tue Aunert-
eau Association for tho Advancement OF Sctonco,
hago prepared y bill! for the appointment OF :