Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1874-07-16

But of course we name TINS only 10
show The unlimited nature of the pow
err, and not because we suppose it
would ever be resorted to; this IS adj
mitted by all in regard to the leglsla-
tive power of the British Parliament,
and we have never been able to lind
any one who could assign any sensl-
Bile reason why the legislative power
of the American legislatures, both
state and national, in the absence of
constitutional restrictions, should be
less than that of the British Parlia
ment."
Again, they tell us that they should
be held only to the common law rule,
which requires them to transport per-
sons and property over their roads at
! reasonable rates, and that any pass
eneer or shipper dissatisfied with the
rates imposed by the railway COM
pany, should appeal to the courts to
determine what is reasonable. What
the people want and demand is, not
only cheaper transportation, but uni
form rates over the railroads of this
country. They never have been able,
and cannot now, obtain this from the
courts. The variety of rates would
equal the number of suits in court,
and uniformity would be sacrificed to
wild and expensive litigation. Under
any other theory than that of absolute
| legislative control, the railroad com
panies possess an extraordinary pow
err of taxation upon the surplus prod
ucts of the people, and by the exercise
thereof to depreciate the value of ag-
ricultural lands. The power to in
crease the rates of transportation up
on a bushel of wheat from the Missis
sippi river to Milwaukee or Chicago,
six cents over ordinary rates, is tax
alton upon wheat growing lands to
the extent of ninety cents per acre.
The exercise of this power, limited
only by the cupidity of Wall Street,
upon the agricultural products of the
west, which feed the world, has alb
sorbed beyond all reason the surplus
profit of the farmers toll, and filed
yearly the Golfers of the eastern cap
| italist.
Year after year has this taxing
power been exercised upon the rich
harvests of the northwest As the
directors of the East India company
were wont to send to Warren Has
tings from their rich palace in Leaden
hall Street, govern leniently, and
send more money" so the railroad
directors in Wall Street have sent
forth their orders to the west 'put
up the rates of transportation and
send more money"
If you will make the business Of
the farmer reliable and profita ole-if
you will give stability to the value
of his lards, you Gust put railroad
| monopoiies under the control of the
people and give uniformity to their
rates of transportation. Can they
operate their roads under the re
strictions imposed by the people?-
Can they pay the interest on the &C
tual capital invested? Can they pay
the interest on their bonded indebt-
edness? Have they the right to ask
the people TO pay the interest on
one hundred millions of fictitious
stock? Is it right and just tor them
4 to create credit mobelier construction
companies, to build roads at cost of
fifteen thousand dollars per mile and
issue bonds upon an assumed basis of
thirty. five thousand dollars per mile?
Does il come with good grace from
railroad rings who organizs cred
Star" lines, "White Star" lines, IN err
chants Dispatch" lines, to carry first
class freight over roads at first class
prices for their own benefit instead
Of the stock holders, to tell the people
that they cannot declare dividends;
that they cannot operate their roads
and keep up their rolling stock under
rates fixed by the people?
Let them come to the next legisla-
ture and meot the representative OF
the people in fair spirit, and they
shall be met in the same. Let them
show that their roads are managed
economically, that the salaries of
their officers are not eXorbitant, that
| their revenues are carefully gathered
up and set apart for the benefit of
the stock holders, and if, after all this,
the present rates fixed by the people
should be found oppressive, the peo-
pie will hasten TO correct the error
and do justice. And whom the golden
mean between the people and the
railroad companies Is reached and
established, and the justice of the
people vindicated, capital will still
seek Investment in new roads wher-
ever feasible, as it has done in EGG
land, where railroad corporations
have ever been under the strict con-
troll of parliament. The expectation
that parallel lines of railroad would
furnish the competition desired by
the people has not been realized.
Thus far competition means con-
solidation, and whore this does not
exist non-competing points must
compensate for the losses sustained
at competing points. Real competi-
ton lies in the development of water
ways Dy the government we see
a practical illustration of their bene-
fit from the fact that wheat is trans
ported to-day from points on the
Mississippi above Prairie du Chion to
Chicago, over line part water and
part rail, for six cents per busheI,
while we pay fifteen cents per bushel
for transportation from here to Mil |
waukee. Open up the contemplated
water way along the valley of the
Wisconsin, connecting the great lakes
with the Mississippi river, and you
have solved the great problem of
cheap transportation for the states of
Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa.
am reminded to-day that when |
| addressed my fellow~citizens here