Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-04-03


State. or some manufacturing interes; IN
some other State-how are you going to
regulate its charges when IT takes up L ear
of freight to be delivered thousand miles
away, part of which charge may be going
to another road which may have higher or
a lower rate? IL may have to be shipped
over dozen different roads before 1t gets to
it, destination. and the rates OF freight TO
be fixed by this commission over those roads
may not he alike on any two OF them. Then
how are You going 10 regulate rates on this
little road. suppOsing you have the power
This only shows one ui the difficulties when
il seems TO me must lead one to believe that
the power does not exist.
1 have here the fifth annual report ui the
railroad commissioners OF Massachusetts,
and ! call the attention oil members 10
the differences in the earnings and expenses
of those roads Mr.. Adams reports that
there are nineteen roads IN Massacinsells,
the average receipts OF which are ; 'op
per mile the amount varying from Ss,ooo
on the Duxbury and Cohasset road, 70 $50
600 on the Boston and Albany ROAD that
the cost of operation amounts 10 SiV'oVo
n mile on the average, the cost on some
roads being much greater than on o'n.r4
and the rate of freight varied from l.Ol
cents DER ton for long distances to one dol
lar per ton for short distances l. II not
annarent To any one who knows anything
ahout railroads. where 20 many elements
are TO be IA ken into account and such widely
different rates must be established, that
Won cannot fix these rates by any regula-
lions that NAV be in the least UNIFORM.
You must take every one OF the lour hum
dred and sixteen roads IN the United States
and fv the Freight on each one oil them,
and they will vary from one cent per ton to
one dollar per ton per mile, a. l. seen IN
hi. statement of the Massachusetts roads ;
and he who suppOses that any good 10 any
an. can come ont of any sIch attempted
rerplatinn must have q much greater faith
in the mower of legislation than ! have.
Most Of these roads have been built Tor
the purpose of developing the coun-
try In many casee-as in my Stately
taxation on towns 4 road has recently
heen nut in operation in Vermont TO
which the town in which ] reside gave
5000 600. and We are now charged more
than | per cent. a. a tax each year 10 pay
the interest on the bonds we issued TO raise
That money. The road does not now, and
will not for years, pay any dividends on
the stock Tor which we subscribed and ~
il pav- the interest on it, mortgage bonds,
II will do better than ] dare hope.
We should he glad Of any legislation
that will enable it to earn 4 fair interest
on it, cost but I do not understand that
the trainers OF this bill propose - make un-
r.roftahle roads profitable Instead Of that.
,bey propose TO make them les profitable
than now. and put farther away the day
when such roads a. this. helped hys my
town. can make any returns 70 the stock
holders whose hard-earned money has made
il possible TO build that public highway.
No money put INTO investments within
the last twenty YEAR in this country ha~
tsrned out - unpruttaby for the invest
ors a. the money put into railroads and
no money invested anywhere hR- been -
profitable TO the country u the money an
vested in railroads Ii has made the west
ern country rich. /; has filled it with
uopulaiiOn liimui, l. today where but
far railraad- 1t would not have been per
hans for twenty years 20 come. Railroads
have brought every farm 10 that State within
reach of a market. Thus the western coun-
try has been developed until il l. now not
only the Granary Of this country. but
almost the cranary OF the world
OF course, tins Is no excuse or Ju~iihca-
ton for ext0rtionate Charge hy the rail-
roads Ii j. no excuse or Justification for
the fraud and corruption that have exist
Cd in the management OF railroads. But lt
/, q reason why men who have honestly put
their money into railroads should ai least
have the same rights in legislation ae men
who have put their money into any other
euicpri-e.
NV. >ir. il v, have been taught any
lesson IN these tm - il j. the lesson that
local ~eli-Coyernmoa is the be-; govern
mcut llr any people " d. not want any
more measures of legislation hroucnt here
Khan are absolutely reg red % administer
the government a. the ca -tltuti0n has de-
fined il, and thus - preserve the rights oi
the whole people as much by what We re-
fruin tom doing a. hy what We DO. u the
liberties and the equal rights Olthi- country
are 10 De preserved, tAcv are g. bee
presented hy STATE and ocal self
Government " hat does Ma SlcAusett~
know about the government tlli oucht o.
exist in California W hat doc >taliiDrnia
know about how the school system 0t Ma
-achu~etts should be administers { Neither
Of them ought - intermeddle wiki tic
rights and duties of the other. Zach OF
them should be at liberty % determine
what it, own method Of government should
be- how IT. own people should be ruled in
their domestic affair how IT, own >ly-
reirutv should he carried on. The gentle
man from Connecticut Mr. Hawley ~
front Of me said. when some discussion wl~
had in the last Congress on the educational
hul. that ID wa Wiser T. have thIrty-~eycn
States 10 settle these questions thai. ~ have
one body Ike th.~ - settle them. and. al
though be always speak wisely. be never
said O WISER thing than that. II you are
going 70 bring the local affair OF all parts
Of the country, IN al the thlriy-~even States
which We now have. with the vast territory
they cover. u be settled mere mainly By
men who know little of and care les for tbs
effect of legislation upon remote loca.Itle-,
what chance l. there that 10 nine ca-e~ out
OF ten injustice and wrong viii net be- done
What possible expectation can there be tina;
the people of California can he aided II
controlling the railroads Of that State hy
the Congress of the I nited States Incy
have the power 10 do It themselves. AMI
they have last shown that they know how
o. Use that power. and there j. no state 10
the Mon les bold. less reS0lute. les ahle
g. solve this railroad problem for itself than
California and Illinois and Iowa have shown
themselves = be. In every aspect OF the
proposition. | helieve that the c0ntro. %
these railroads should be left " here 30 Aa~
always been. with the State
But. sir. / cannot iorbear saying. !n pass
ing. that do not suppose the reat ran
ruGd--thO~e operated by Vanderbilt. o.
Jaw Gould. or Tom Scott-will object 70
Congressional control certainly these rail
road kings have given no sign OF hostility
t. this measure. and they are not usually
quiet when they consider themselves IN
danger Controlling a. they d. to-day.
lines OF railroad reaching into every State
lon the Mon. they would be glad 10 be nd
Of State control and have but one legislative
body 10 look after But can any one who
has seen what the power OF money and the
greed uf money has accomplished m nation
al legislation look without the most serious
concern upon a proposition which makes II
for the interest OF the managers of the
seventy thousand miles Of railroad IN tins
country to control the national administra-
tom The railroads OF the United State
represent capital of nearly 81 900 600 900.
and hy the Use OF money WELD
a tremendous power. Who wants 10
turn that power upon the Con
rre-S Of the United States. and make II for
the direct interest OF the railroads 10 nom
mate Presidents, and name Cabinet officers
and Judges. and select members of Congress
and accomplish politically whatever the
power OF money will buy. or the fear OF hos
tility wili compel? Let him who would in
yte such future for our national politics
vote Tor this bill, and he Will have taken
long step toward that result, result more
debauching and demOralIzIng 10 our politics
than any invited or accomplished by any
previous legislation in our history
One word more, and have done, II We
inaugurate this species of legislation other
measures become inevitable. We are at
tempting to fix prices. We are attempting
to make contracts between parties abun-
dainty able 10 make contracts for them
selves. We are attempting to say what
shall receive from b for his services. and
" hat b shall pay. l. IT not plain to what |
this must lead? The railroad whose freight
charges are fixed by law may rishtiully 1
demand that the price of what 1t ha- to buy /
shall be fixed by law. 1t will want cheaper /
iron. 1t will demand cheaper engines and I
cheaper cars 1t will ask to be protected I
lgainst strikes of engineers and employees.
md for the aid Of United States authorities