Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-01-31
TIE RAILROAD sPHYNx.

THE RAILROAD Sfft1NAs |
1t may be that the rates Of transpor-
tation Will find their own level, without
extraordinary aid or interferenceon the
part OF the Government, and possibly
quite as quick, if left to itself as if SUBJ
jectedto the proposed interference
Chattanooga Commercial
The safest and most natural remedy
for extortion Of any kind, is free COM
petition. In the matter of railroads
there unfortunately exist various circ-
c-umstances. some natural and others ar
tiicial, which preclude competition and
make them ~monopolies. To build a
rival line is a costly enterprise. There
may be enough traffic for n line, but
not enough for two; therefore no
rival line is likely to bebuilt. Again,
the system of subsidies practically pre-
cludes competition. The first road
built absorbs all the virgin subscr1p-
lions of the counties andtowns through
which it passes. The credit of the re-
gion traversed, is strained, and a sec
ond road cannot obtain the same SUBJ
scriptions. The first road has been
made a monopoly in virtue OF
heavy donations, which nc second
rord a obtain. If all had been
placed on the same footing,
there would be no monopoly IN this
matter, and a better chance for compe-
tition. As it is, capitalists, instead of
building secondary roads out of their
own pockets where they are really
needed, seek out new regions where
they can get subsidies from the people.
Thus the evil propagates itself, and
fresh monopolies r built up in new
regions with the peoples money. Cap
ital thus seeking virgin fields where
the people are still unburdened with
railroad taxes, is the reason why
we see on the one hand the building Of
premature and impracticable roads, in
distant regions, while, ON the other
hand, the multiplying of roads where
they are badly needed is neglected. Most
of existing roads having had the ben
eft of public subsidies, capital is slow
to build fresh ones without similar sub
sides, while the people where addition:
al roads are needed, are already burth-
ened beyond endurance with past sub
scriptions. Existing roads are priv
ileged monopoles, because no new COM
panles are given the same terms on
which to build. 1t is the peoples
money thus invested, which gives the
people an equitable right to some voice
in the management Of the roads. Be-
cause the peoples money has made
them monopolies, they become amena-
bic to State action. Nearly all the
State Constitutions declare, ike
! Tennessee's, that "perpetuities
and monopolies are contrary to
the genius of a free State, and
should not be allowed" We prefer
State action to Congressional, on
grounds of expediency as well as prin-
ciple. Most of the railroads have been
built under State charters, with the aid
of State moneys. The right of the
| State to regulate them is questioned by
no one. In point of fact, some twenty
Legislatures now in session are hand
linz the subject. The Louisville road
runs under a Kentucky charter to our
State line, and thence to Nashville I'M
( der a Tennessee charter. 1t has lately
leased other roads, bringing it also IN
| der the jurisdiction Of Alabama. 1t is
a big monopoly. There is nothing to
prevent the three States from taking
such action, severally and simultane-
ously, as may be deemed necessary. 1t
is very likely that each Legislature
knows the grievances Of its own people
better than Congress can. The delega-
tons Of the three States in Congress,
acting as a unit, could easily be defeat
! ed by bribed members from California
OF Massachusetts who have no interest
in the matter. For Congress to regu-
late the rates from Louisville to Mont
gomery on the plea Of Interstate, com
merce, seems about as reasonable as
that Congress, under the plea of foreign
commerce, should regulate the freights
Of cotton to Liverpool by a Direct
transportation Company, such as was
mooted at Memphis a short time since.
Besides, the main grievance with rail-
roads is their exorbitant local tariffs, for
short distances within a single State,
and Congress claims no power over this
matter. 1t must be left to the States.
We think it a misfortune that any
legislation is necessary. Competition
would be the natural remedy, but we
have unfortunately stiied that by the
donation Of subscriptions which cannot
be repeated. Another trouble is the
lack OF water competition. New
England politics, consulting New
England's interests in railways, have
virtually blockaded the Mississippi,
and in doing so have rendered all its
tributaries useless for foreign exports.
The God-given outlets of the largest
valley in the world, the nayigable
streams that drain the whole country
from the Alleghenies to the Rocky
Mountains, are sealed hermeti-
cally by Massachusetts politics,
that railroads may extortion on
the people of the West and South.
The South has longperceived this spirit
OF s~ectionalism; the West begins to
open its eyes, and the day of deliver
ance is not distant. Open the Missis-
sippi river, and the railroad problem
viii be surprisingly simplifed. AS a
,,r-,e ~, nod Int OTTO tho Foot +bo+