, 1874-07-13
WISCONSIN, RAILWAYS.

Tho people Of Wisconsin. through thoir Loris-
laturo, havo. If tue officers Of the railway COM
pauies say true. inflicted on tlse stockholders
aud bondholders OF tho roads of tho stato .
grlovous wrong. There arc Bomo who question
whether tho Representations of tho railway COM
pantes aro correct, WHOA they allege that tho
Po1tes IL" 80 TeauceR ratos md fares that they
cen neither dooaro T.ny diytdoaaa nor pay tho in
tereHt on thoir 5,onded dabt. II Wa assume,
however, that tnoir representations arc true, it
IL evident that the people Of WISCONSIN
hnVo don'. d great wrong to tho COM
panles, a.ad, at tho samo time. IN act very
lh1urao' IL to themselves. They Aavo In eHoet
put aer bands into the ttlls Of the companies,
an i taken 30 much money out Of thDm. They
Fave compelled, and arc compelling, them to
carry freight and passengers gratis, or at loss.
They aro forcing them to do certain services for
tho public without compensation. Thoy arc
taking property from tho companies, and giving
nothing In return for what they are tak.ng. In
decd. il tho allegations OF the companies cap be
relied OH, and the people Of Wisconsin persist in
| their oourso towards them, it is only question
Of time when they will bo hopeloBsly bankrupt.
Now tharo is nothing 10 natural, when ono is
injured by another, Oh to reta1iate, and 1t need
surprise no Que II tho railway companies
should show q dispoBition to retaliato on tho
@,eople Of Wisconsin for their recent legislation.
trle.peoplo havo embarrassed tho railway compa-
l,ieB, why should not the railway companies en-
!sarraus tho poople7 1t is In the power Of tho
companies to do SO. 1t Is in tloir power to puta
lstop to all travel and traffic on railways in she
State; aud, II thoy should omit to do this because
stopping tho movement Of tboir traius might
bo construed as an abandonment OF their
.:latters, It is still in thoir power to put
I'm end to all comfortable, aud convenient,
slnd rapid transit oyor their respective roads. It
Ia rumorcl, with how much OF foundation We
1suow not, that the oompanios contemplate ro-
taliating in this way or in some other on tho pco-
lplo. Wo hope thore is no ground for tho report.
BY all means, lot passion, and feeling OF oyary
description, be kopt out OF the controversy.
Tho mora bad blood there Ia engendered, tho
longer will 1t tako for tho companies and tho
people to and d solution to tho question, aud
tho 1caa satisfactory will the solution DO
when found. Tho question is q business gues-
tion. It Ia question between the producers
aud tho carriors Of tho movable property
| Of tho Slate. Il should therefore bo set~
tled ~ q buHipess questiontn in 4 buHluesa
way. Tho Legislature Of Wisconsin, II tho
cou.panies' approximations arc true, has mado
s ,nlstake; aud, It it haa, Il muat, in the
interests Of the people themselves, rootify
| it, It tho co1upantea will abstain from all mood.
1css aggrayatlng measures, the day Of rectlaca-
| ton will not 10 postponed any tongor than tho
facts can bo made to appear. Tho pooplo OF
| Wisconsin cannot do without tho railways,
and it may 10 doubted whether they
eau afford to enforce tho Potter law In
the long run. The law haa already dono
much to divert capital from the State.
It will do muoh moro. It may oven pravout tho
building Of another milo Of ra!lroad In tho State.
Tint tue Potter law must 10 modified, then, ia
evident Tho railroads will not cause 1t to be
repealed any tho sooncr by agg1aYatlug tho poo
plo. Such moasuro as tho Potter laW will
eventually doatroy isaalf. It Ii to be hoped that
lin companies viii 800 this, and w1aaly anastlo