Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1874-08-19
GOVERNMENT AS A RUNNEL
or RAILROADS


or RAILROADS.
We clip the following excellent arti-
Gle, relating to an important public
question, from the Pittsburgh Post and
ask our readers to give il IN attentive
perusal
'1fthc Government builds railroad
for Government purposes, it is pre-
sumable that the Government has the
right and knows how to run it. The
Government then appoints the men 10
conduct it, and establishes, through
these officers tho rules for its govern
ance. All right. The question is,
does the mere authorization (by the
national legislature) Of individuals, ms
n corporation, to construct railroad
entitle the Government to run the
road after il is finished, unless il is so
specifically stated in the act Of incor-
poration The Government is, in
other words, the whole body of the
people the corporation is II small por-
ton of the same people, deputed or
authorized to build the railroad and
transport freight and passengers there
on. When the Government (or the
people, grant the right to these indi-
viduals, it is understood between the
parties that the individuals are TO fur
nish the money needed to build equip
and run the road. The Government
requires these individuals TO pay the
owners of private property when they
take it for railroad purposes, even in
cases when il is quite Obvious that very
soon the residue Of the same proper
ties may be largely enhanced in value
in consequence of the construction OF
the road-not with Government money,
not with the money Of these property
owners but with the money Of the in
dividuals who build the road on the
strength of the grant they have re
ceived from the people parcntless (or
the Government. II is bargain. II
may be good one for the stockholders,
| it may be bad one but il is sure "a
give additional facilities to the Govern
ment 90 the people Whether ,ne
bargain be a good one or pad one 10,
neither party has a just right to break
1t or 70 infringe upon lls lerihs1-wi,h' J, i
out proper consluerauoh' anu Aueq""''
compensation,
sGoverment m our country, Is bat
an enlarged society phe rights OF all
belong to all but society, and Govern
ment, equally, must be invested with
power to delegate duties which must
be performed by elected individuals
who become social or Governmental
officials; who must be respected accord
ingly These are not selected IN a
chance way, but in accordance with q
Constitution, under which all i've. Men
90 on and acquire property, lawfully
under this Constitution. They become
capitalists, lawfully. They farm, they
build, they manufacture, they trade,
they ship, &c, lawfully They build
railroads, lawfully. Government 1.-THE
body of the whole people, does not say
TO the farmer you shall charge only
fifty cents a bushel for your wheat
does not say to the house or shlp-buiild,
or you shall charge only five hundred
dollars for your house or your ship
does not say to the iron manufacturer
you shall charge only ten dollars Ton
for your product; does not say TO the
tradesman you shall charge only two
per cent. for your work as middle
man; does not say TO the shipper
whether on the ocean, lake, or rver)
you shall charge only one mill per ton
per mile for transporting freight, OF
one mill per mile for carrying passen.
gers. Government has never yet said
any thing whatever to any oil our peo.
pie thus engaged. How then could
the Government say any 'nlils IN ,no i,
premises, without destroying l'scn
we should theh po Wl,hou. uoso'n,
ment' NO one uispu'vs .ns lish. =, :,
Government una, u o' 'i'o w',o,o " pouy
otthe people 70 'aN lne Pcople. io' 'os'u, ,,.,
mate ehus, NO phy WIZ 19yles' = ~ e,a,'' 'ns
proper governmental lrsgula.lonoi a,.a. 81 cY'l', ~
merce between ,he ulnSre'N .. ou''es 'i u
The Union put the regula'lo'' e o', Z, com ! !,
perce mas never nerc.o'ole prpay poYl, 'a 20: "
pied by lhc noysrnpenv'v Wy hnNpi
oi rates that ihu'viuu"ls or po'',es i.SU % %
ndiyiduals,in the shape oi corpora,lons,
should charge ior carrying re,gn, vi VI
passengeis from one ola'e 70 wlP,ncr
State, or from any poiht 70 any 'o'ner
point, whether IN our coastwlse ., , com
mere ol' our internal iake ana fiVsr
commerce, the Government mas @ no.
taken i IN hand TO say or 40 ahy'nlhg
whatever IN connection WIN ,hat par.
OF the business OF the people thss
been left where in u nee country u
naturally belongs-with the peop'e
themselves
"For example the Ohio and Misslssip-
pi river navigation embraces 10000
miles of navigable waters, upon which
all craft navigate and carry passengers
and freight, the prices OF which service
have always been and are now wholly
regulated by individual competition
and NOT NJ all by the Government, not