, 1874-06-29
RAILROAD NEWS.
Meeting In Janesyillo to Advocate Tho
Necessity Of thu Potter Law.
Iowa Changers Demand the Enforce
meut Of the Iowa Law.
Effect Of the Supreme Court Decision
upon Raitroad-Aid Bonds.
THE POTTER LAW.
o1rlzENB' MEETING IN JANEsviLLE, Wis.
SpketuI Utdpalch to 1nt EhtcaaQ Tribune.

Spee,ul D,apatct to The CHICAGO Tribune.
JANEsy1LLE, Wis, juno 27.-Accordlng to
previous notice, . meeting was hold at tho Court
uouso this afternoon to consult as to the bnst
colrao to pursue looking to Tho enforcement Of
tho Potter Rnltond Law. Tho mooting NUS
calcd to order by q. Sexton, and A. Henderson,
Of Boloit, was elootod Chairman Ed. r. Car
pentor, Of Janosyille, Secretary. J. NJ. Burgess,
g. Soxton. md atlsaell Palmer woro appointed
Coun.ttoo on Resolutions. Pending tho report
Of tho Committee OIL Resolutions,
J. n. oAssApAY,
Of Janesville, said lie was citz Oh Of Wisconsin,
aud 81 such wished to aoe Tho laws Of tho State
enforced that no corporation or body Of moa
should bo allowed to get above tho law.
Ho had no Doubt but tho law was con-
sututional. Tho Legislature had the power to
control rail- loads aud other corporations to
whom 1t had granted charters Tho Supromo
Court OF Wis cons'n has decided all around tho
question. uo "nntod justlco dune both the peo-
pIo and corr osatlons,, aud il tho lazy 'sas wrong
It would DO modified by tho uoxt Legislature,
hut. until it WIS 50 modified, should be enforced
to the letter. Ihe question wau, Shall we allow
those companies to iuterprst our lnwB To Huit
themselves. and obey only what suits them
to oil law7 There WIS but QUO an-
ewor to ths question. and that
WIS: Our lawe must bc obeyod BY
tho corporation III vol I'D by tho individual. Tho
they did tho railroad companies could surrey du-
foat thom aud elect their toola to tic next LogiH-
1aLuro.
4. HYATT SMITH
boipg called, Rnye long history OF railroad
building III the Northwest. ho having built tho
first lUU miles Of tho Chicago Il Northwestern
Railroad, aud was ProBldent of the Hame. ue
told how he had been tefralldcd Of Lis property
by the railroad companies, having at ono time
owncd thrce-e1gtths OF tue Larbor privileges Of
Chicago, a,ld WAS boat out Ut it by tho railroads.
IIo said tho raiway-paid attorneys tell uR
when tho Legislature dttompts to reguute
tariffs for thelr COMPANIES they we're oonils-
eating its property. This WAS nu moro the case
than it wns for tho Legislature to regulate taxes,
etc. lie thought 1t the duty Of tho next Legls-
1ature 10 repeal tho charters Of these roads who
were daily violating tho laws Of the BtRie,
thereby rendering themselves liable to the for.
teiture Of .heir cGa1tors, aud lei their property
revert to tito originhl owoors, or bo glvon to
honest men, who would run the roads honestly.
ue Haid 10 know as much or moro OF the railroad
history Of Wisconsin than any other QUO man,
md. II hia health allowed, he proposed to tell
some Of Its secrets to tho poopae Ut Wisconsin
tho coming fall from tho stump. No one must
DO elected to Office hereafter who IL unsound
Oh tho tallroad question.
JOHN II. BURGESS
said Alexander Mitchell, in letter to Gov. Tay-
lor, aad tho st. Paul Road had cost over S3B, QUO
per mile. Every one who knew anything Ut tho
history Of tho road kuew 1t WAS n bal alefaced lie.
Taking into consideration tho county bonds,
tsp sspons so'd' @ sy nssSsse ssnss pfTsssa aa a ss
grants given to, that Company, tue
total ooat Of tho read was not ovur S10,000
por mile He had been beaten out OF some
Sso9o -, subscribed ~ ,ss to tnia oompapy and
same boat, and knew whereof they spoko.
These Companies want us to pay 10 per ocllt tu