The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-03-09
= For the Grange Advance.
Amendment to the Potter Law.

MIR. ED1TOR:-Wlthy your PERMISSION
we would like the privilege of expressing
our views to some extent upon the new
move by the r. r. Commissioners to
modify the Potter Law; always hold
ing ourself amenable to the criticism of
the reading public, for what may be
deemed an ignorant or unqualified ex-
preston of sentiment upon questions of
public Importance, thus exonorating
the press from implication in its endeav-
or to give fair expression to individual
opinion; and as the columns of the
ADVANCE are open to all questions OF
Importance to the interests of the mass
es, and more especially to proper and
harmonious settlement Of differences
between capital and labor, makes it to
the producer an auxiliary of help to him
of more value thar most of the other
channels of communications.
We dcn't suppose that we are quail
fed to ente" into a legal criticism Of
what is termedthe Amendment to the
Potter Law neither do We suppose
that we are in possession of sufficient
wisdom touching financial matters to
warrant an undertaking upon our part
to determine the amount Of capita! nee
essary to construct and equip q railroad
for business; nor we don't know that
we are particularly ambitious in that
direction. But we do think that we are
capable of understanding to some OK.
tent the relation Of corporations TO in
dividuals, and of individuals to them.
Some of the relations are from a per
sonal experience as 4 producer, others
from observation and business contact,
and so far as they have contributed to
our knowledge, we have found that cor
porations have ever monopolized the
rights of individuals as to the rates de-
manded, and that upon {; careful and
economical expenditure Of time and
means, with minimum rate Of inter-
est upon capital invested, the producer
has ever found his margin for profit
consumed by transportation and the
business incident to it. The enact
ment Of the Potter Law is one of the
few instances where legislation was con-
sumated for the protection of the masses.
1t survived the legal contest Of the rail
road war, and showed to corporations
that there was power latent within the
jurisdiction of tbe people for self protec-
ton: it showed to them that legislative
bodies can be made to understand that
a constituency had rights as we'll as
capital and to the courts that they were
amenable for partial ruling and anaIy-
sis of the law; and the final acquiesence
of the Rail Roads to the demands Of the
people through theirlegi:imate functions
were commendatory of good sense upon
their part, and if they should fail to &C.
complish through the passage of this
bill partial discovery Of the power lost
by them, to pocket by extortionate tar
riffs the substance Of the producer, we
hope they will still show their good
sense by rendering obedience to the
law. We know that it is hard to cir
cumscribe the desires strengthened in
to what has come to be considered al
most law by long established usages by
which a few have been enabled to
turn to individual profit the industry
of millions. Those millions are begin
ming ITO awaken to the fact that
If capital establishes superiority
OF right in one direction it will very
soon attempt it in other directions aud
the people will soon find themselves in
thralldom to landed aristocracy.
This contest between the railroads and
the people is merely an experiment up
on the part of capital and if it succeeds
in usbjugating interests, in this direction,
it will soon show it's front elsewhere.
The action of the Legislature in regard
to this bill remains to be seen, we
think it should remember the basis up
on which it was elected and stand by
the law until the railroads have proven
that they can't maintain their corpora
tions under the provisions of that law
by actual demonstration. They claim
that it has already hurt their credit in
foreirn markets. We annrehend If