The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-06-29

r;vbt If the State to supervise and control !
asso ooo ono of property owned By Cit |
Sa,s of Chr States for nearly all the
Itl;no;a ,siIroads are owned outside the
S.a.oS' and, in still another sense, it is an |
.s~Sytion of the right of the State TO fix
ltTe rates on all the rans-c0ntinental traf-
I fc passing over it between the Atlantic
and Pacific oceans, and of the right of
dozen other States to do the same thing
and this claim seems neither reasonable
nor just The contest between the peo-
pie Of Illinois and the railroads is one be-
tween the people and the non resident
owners of those roads, and it is not easy
to see how the claim that the dispute
shall be decided by Illinois courts can be
maintained. The railroadswill prefer to
have the causes against them tried in the
United States courts, and they will man
age, in one way or smother, to have them
transfer ed 70 these tribunals, whose d.
cisi0ns would be almost invariably
against the State A ew days ago case
against the St. Louis, Alton and Chicago
railroad, brought under the Illinois rail
road law, was decided in the Sangamon
I Circuit Court against the road; but on ap-
plication to the Supreme Court of the
State, the court granted writ Of super
] sedeas to prevent execution till hearing
can lie had next December. lion hear
A ing, the Supreme Court decides that the
company has a right to transfer the case
to the United States Court, that will be
the end of the States authority over it
the road will be beyond its reach, for the
United States judiciary will stand between
it and the people of Illinois to protect it
from the latter. This is the final legal at
titude which the railroad contest, not only
in Illinois, but in Wisconsin and Iowa also,
will probably assume. We are not sure
that the railroad companies have acted
wisely in appealing to the United States
Courts; but whether wisely OF unwisely
they have done this, and the United States
courts are bound TO give them whatever
protection the constitution and the acts OF
i Congress afford 1t will come to ques-
ton of State rights, therefore, at last. 1T
the people of Illinois insist on supervising
and controlling the railroads owned by
resident persons and subjecting these
roads to law which the United States
Courts decide to be unconstitutional 1T will
provoke a disagreeable relation between
the State and the national government
1t is man fest that this railroad question
is developing sharp and strong state
rights feeling IL the Northwest. and a
stronger admiration for the federal an
thority in the Northeast In the North
west the people are demanding protection
against the exactions of monopolies owned
at the East; in the East the corporations
are seeking the protection Of the general
government against the violent legislation
} of the States and thus it comes out
that the issue between the East aud West
is one between the federal authority and
} State rights. Lomis Republican,.
Since the Republican took the above po-
sition the U. 5. Court has refused to have
; anything to do with these cases, and thus
. it comes about that tine State courts in II
linois will decide these cases.-"s they
ought to do. .... .. ..-. .....