, 1874-01-08
THE RAILROAD LAW,

Pocnltnritics OF Popular Sentiments
A National nnd n stnte Enactment.
To The Editor a Tho Chicago Tribune:
Bin: There Is ono singular foature among
our American people tint 1 presume OK
1ata under no other form Of government aud
that Is their great oxcitability touching aomo
Specific or Official acts OF their servants, and
Btea1 apathy as to tho affeots Of othorB. And,
although tho mcaBurc condomuod NAV bo OF lit
tlo moment, yet, under advorao criticism tho
public, In ita demands. become unreasonable aud
exactIng, and those delegated to onact the laws
Of our country, whom, uudor certain con-
dittons, tho public elevate on their
| shoulders In the full tide of
approval and succoss IRE again sunk under a
loud Of oblivion, even though in both instances
acting equally' couscicnsiously. 80 tint, as
| tho politics OF our country now c1et, 1t is not
tho importance or benefit to be derived from
measure TINT in a1l cases giyo8 credit to ts prin-
| cpnl auth ora.
Take tho sa1nry-grab act, as It il tormoa.
Since ita paasage, popular critios N has heaped
| upon its authors tho vlost opithots, and no 10
has been deemed too severe; and yot woro thoy
following 1l1 f in tho - stops M i''i OF us5 thcis
predecessors. they passed law that,
| taxation fraction Of por cent por hoad; and
| Btraightway it's authors nro condemned. Right
| here the question might be nsked rs q matter
| OF economy would it not 10 bottor tint those to
whom, III an official capacity, tho welfare and
interest of our Milton aro delegated, should ro-
| coive compensation commentaries with the
| Importance OF their position; and, wore this
| dono would thore bo need Of as many inyosti-
| eating comnlittccs
pet1ed our last Legislature, without due invossi-
| tigatlon, to pass an net callod tho Railroad law.
Under it's PROVISIONS 1t was supposed, thoBo tor
| riblo and oppressive monopolies as thoy were
| termed, might DO controlled and rendered sub
saerviont to the power tint created tbom.
| Through tho authority conferred by thie act,
| Doard Of Commissioners was appointed, who,
| 1ndcr manifesto, undertook to enforce its ar-
| bitrary moasuros. What was tho result? Why,
q complete paralysis Of the .outire commorcial
intorcsts Of our Slate. And although some
notifications llavo boon mado, yet tho restric-
tions creatcd by this act are such that tho loss
to the business iutcrestB OF our State, every hour
ofroct Of tho condemned salary-grab in voar.
| Are those by whose votes this measure becamo
| d law denounced or traduced2
| Now, here are two nets in force. Ono tho
| public have set seal OF condemnation upon !;
tho other it creates. The ono, Of little practical
| account to tho nationi the other, Of tito most
vitn1 Importance to Stato. Ths one, most Buro
to bo repealed; tho other, those forming thcn,r
] solyoH Anti-Monopolists dosiro to have retained,
although knowing, rs they must, TINT tho strict
| application and enforcement OF the Inv to tho
| commercial intereBta Of our State would utterly
cripple and destroy its energies. It would be
SUPPRESSED that such great intereste % this arbi,
tho hands Of tho public such attention as tho I'M
| portance Of tho subject demands but hero
again this singular foaturo exhibits itself, and
can only aec9ans n Tor this groat apathy BY ho
with monopolios." boing constantly rung in
tho eats Of the masses from Tho press an1 Tho
stump, has become popular. Az soon as reason
! eau ASSERT it's Bway aud right be heard tho non
ular tide will turn and bc as lost md persist
cut In its demand for tho repoul OF this
arbitrary measure as 1t Is now clamorous for
,,ndor ;ta onnross,ona ,,,st ,ahar n e;t
| Canning hnck to nur auhioct aunin. fin na;1.
road law says that s.Pro-rata rates" must prevail
Commerce replies that 1t must llavo free and u1l-
restricted compotltion, ahu that longitudinal
narn Ill., ea11aps Wa,.a ~ An2"n. r,o . Ala. ,n.
c,orpoa for nv i3stance viii, tIns Stoto ,nuaf
not be- the eamo or greater than tho charges for
q greater distance" Manufacturers rop1y TINT
enforcing these restrictions means certain bank
faR!cy. ..,,, ..
was naas" now % cIa % that 1pr in ,n
must not bo confined to railroads alouo. but
must embrace almost every enterprise requi,ing
an association OF capital to conduct IT,. DO they,
yi, oy .o.r a. aus. uos'ao ~ nonous 5aG wooo com
inr liz powor thew can 90 1erialnta M to cr;nn1o
aud routor sccondary other Interests, where is
the benefit to bo derived? belioYo, wc1o
| this accomplished, tho Anti-MonopolistH-
those now clamoring against tho
opprcssiona Of cnpitas-wonld soon learn o los
| son In political economy Of which they arc now
ignorant.
! iaroAds in this State from wilderness hare
| developed garden; from poverty to the lnassea
have they brought wealth; and from tho SUCCESS
OF these enterprises communities havo developed
INTO clies aud the whole structure has become
go ultimately associated anu asllod that no specific
interest can DO permanently Or even temporarily
deranged, without it's effect being speedily folt
Ny au' U. q. MEan1cK
NV, r,,,...
os a.. r,,.. I'M: css Wo eme.s. mc,
Sin; 1u readlng your paror Of the 4th inst.
two facts met my attention which seemed to mo a
Whole commentary of argument in condemnation
of Tho tbcorv Of lin 1jl;nois no,lrool 1ow