The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-10-20
CURRENT TOPICS AT THE CaPr
Toll.
Railroads and the People.

Editor Of GloJe In this mornings
GLOBE you discuss the question of the re-
lation of railroads to the people, in which
you justly say there are important ques-
tons to be carefully studied and treated by
our legislators and your suggestion, that,
instead of the present system of one rail-
road commissioner, competent board of
commissioners, PAID by the state, like the
board in Massachusetts,, should be appointed
in our state, deserves to be taken up and
acted upon at once.
There is no question of public concern
so vital to the business and material in
terests of the people as this, and il is n
question which must from the nature of
the case, be more thoroughly attended to.
If, on the one hand, there are the rights
and interests of private capital affected, on
the other are the greater rights and in
tercsts of the people.
We may say that the people have no
right to take and control the private prop
erty of the railroad capitalist. Yet society
does take control of private property in
certain cases, and even destroys the proper
tY of individuals when such property en-
dangers the existence of other and more
valuable property, or stands in the way of
needed improvement. The right of society
is supreme to protect itself and enhance the
greater good.
The right of society over railroad prop
erty cannot be disputed. 1t is not unquali-
fiedly personal or private. 1t belongs in a
large degree to the public, as every sub
scriber to railroad stock is well aware. 1t
is subject to legislative regulation, as all
railroad corporations have indirectly allow
ed. Now let us suppose that two or three
individuals in Philadelphia or New York,
having the capital TO invest and wishing to
engage in railroad enterprise, form a cor
poration, come to Vermont and ask char
ter for the right to do the transportation
business of Rutland county with other
parts OF the country; our people, through
their legislators, endow them with the
privilege or right. In the use of this priv
ilege or the exercise of this right, so spe-
cially conferred, it proves that these two or
three individuals in Philadelphia OF New
York, may create and determine the value
OF all the labor and local private property
in Rutland county.
On the principle of freedom, we might
say that this would regulate itself, that the
interests of corporations and people are
mutual, and what is for the interest of one
the other will be interested to subserye or
do; but is it so in fact? Men are selfish
and make gain by acquiring from others
Corporations show small regard for indi-
vidual rights or interests. Individuals suf-
fer positive injustice at their hands. and
can get no redress because the cost of
prosecution in the courts Is greater than
the single loss. AS restrictive and pro-
tective tariffs are needful TO regulate the
trade OF nations, on account of the imper-
feet and unequally developed state of the
various peoples, so, in the nations internal
commerce, police rules and forces are re.
quired to restrain the over powerful and
avaricious, and to assist in developing the
consciousness Of justice and right.
Railroad owners, like other men, seek
the largest immediate gains for their CAPT
tai, and as it proves that their arbitrary
authority and power over-burden and tax
the labor and local property of Rutland
county to excess, may not the people of
this county through their legislators, say
that the capitalists in Philadelphia or New
York, who sought a charter at their hands
shall no longer abuse the privilege con-
ferred upon them Is not the voice of
the people the first right in the case ?