Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1875-03-06
FREIGHT CHARGES.
The Patrons of Husbandry and the
Railroads.

| DRUTHE RS AT tine last regular meet
ing of Davidson County Council, Pa
irons of Husbandry, held in the city OF
Nashville on the Bird inst, the under
signed were appointed a committee to
present for your consideration some
facts that can be substantiated by
abundant proof relative to the discrim-
nations in the freight tariffs of some
of the railroads running into and
through our te-discriminations at
once prejudicial TO the growth of our
cities and towns through which they
run, and ruinous to the mercantile,
mechanical and agricultural interests
of the whole country contiguous to
their locality. The facts are these:
l. Some merchants of Goodletts-
vile, village in this county, thirteen
miles north of Nashville, on the line of
the St. Louis and Southeastern Rail
way, have been endeavoring to ship
corn from Mt Vernon, Indiana, per
this road, to supply the farmers of the
vicinity of GoodIettsville, who are en-
tirely destitute of provisions, owing to
the severe drought of last summer.
While the freight charges on this rail-
road from Mt Vernon, Indiana, to
Nashville, Tennessee, are only fifteen
cents per hundred pounds, these mer-
chants were charged twenty eight cents
per hundred pounds from Mt. Vernon
to Goodlettsville, an Intervening point,
thirteen miles nearer to Mt Vernon
a difference of thirteen cents against
the destitute farmer. Again, said rail-
road charges on what it terms double
first-class freight" thirty four cents per
hundred pounds from Nashville to
Goodlettsville, a distance Of thirteen
miles, or more than double the entire
charge from Mt Vernon, Indiana, to
Nashville.
2. Instance the tariff rates on corn
on the Nashville, Chattanooga and st.
Louis railroad Corn from the State
of Illinois can be shipped from john
sonville, on the Tennessee river,
through Nashville, to Atlanta, Georgia,
for z cents per hundred pounds less
than the Tennessee farmers corn can
be shipped from Nashville to Atlanta,
Notwithstanding that Nashville is
sixty miles nearer Atlanta than john
sonvil!e. This is not all. Corn raised
by the Tennessee farmer in the neigh
borhoOd of Jacksonville is charged 20
cents per hundred pounds more than
it costs the Illinois farmer to re-ship
his corn from the same point and over
identically the Same railway dis
elimination of 20 cents against the in
terests of Tennessee.
3. Take the case Of corn from Ohm
sonville to Montgomery. Ala, over the
last named road from Johnsonville to
Nashville, and then to Montgomery
over the Louisville, Nashville and
Great Southern route. Foreign corn
can be shipped from Jacksonville to
Montgomery for cents per hundred
pounds less than Tennessee corn can
be shipped from Nashville to Mont
gomery, Though sixty miles nearer.)
The Tennessee farmer pays 43c per
hundred pounds on his corn from John
sonYille to Montgomery, while the H.
lilois farmer re=ships from Johnson
vile to Montgomery, over the same line,
for DC per hundred pounds discrim-
ination of zoe against the Tennessee
farmer. Again: The Illinois farmer
can ship his corn from the banks of
the Ohio by boat and re-Ship at John
sonville to Montgomery for Zoe per
hundred pounds less than the Tennes-
see farmer can ship from Jacksonville
to the same point.
For a more f0rcible and more expli-
cit exhibit OF these facts, ge refEr you
to the able speech of Gen. w. H. Jack
son, delivered at Bell Buckle last sum
mer. There are three rail routes run
ming into aud through the State of Ten
nessee built by the credit of the State
and OF the counties through which they
run, by the individual means of the
very parties thus so invidiously dis
GriInllaied against: bat. nog owned
by private corporations who have so
manipulated the stock in said roads as
to obtain controlling power in their
management, and who are now using
that power, obtained by questionable
means. 10 the great detriment of the
agricultural population Of Tennessee
And when questioned as to their right
il The prs G.isss. aehdgtiy p0qi lp our
faces piece Of plrchmett called a
charter. From this charter they claim
there is no appeal Neither Legisla
lures nor constitutions can go behind
IL. BY virtue Of it they claim perfect
and complete immunity from all nca-
sures ofredress sought by the aggrieved
parties.
But charters have their restrictions
as well as franchises. We claim that
these restrictions have been broken
through in the Determinations above
cited aud that failure to observe a
contract by one Of the parties thereto
should absolye the other. If our con-
illusions are correct, the logical infer
ence is that these corporations have
fOrisited their rights under their char
ter and should be brought within the
paryieT of statutory laws. 7
our petitioners, through their COM |
mlttee, do most respectfully submit !
these facts to you as the representative
h)dy OF the Patrons of Tennessee, pray
ing that you will direct tue attention I
OF our Legislature to them, with such |
suggestions as you, in your collective |
wisdom, may see proper to make. Fra
terpally,
a ii. shAss,
j. 3. RAYsE.
n u nrfrs.-unrN-rt