, 1875-11-26
a Dispute Concerning tho Wis.
cOnsin Potter Law.
A Correspondent Shows Its Bad Eject
upon the Credit Of tho State.
Wisconsin Rates Compared with Those in
Other States and other Countries,
The Argument Supported by Some Interest
ing Statistics.

aoooea VI tAH ~ NEuIlefH ThUGUAu iUElolai'ul Ut
1874, known rs Tho Potter law, baa heon found
who IL bold enough 10 como to The front aud
crittcae my communication that was printed In
TnE Infnuss on tho 18th Of November. In
which commented upon the legal aspects Of
caHe an II was presented to tlo Unilcd Rsatoa
Hnprome Court. That tho reader may know
exactly to what am leplying, aak yo. to
REPRINT n1a LETTER
Of last Saturday ontiro, in order 10 aroid sepotl
ton. This ia it:
wxsrknr nAsLpoApa AND TAsrEns oArtrAi1aT..
ro!h. :st,S a r. @ r. Gafta3e a,. 1st.rst
;ponaent nds considerable fault vith .he rater .w,
ca!t...s beg iesvc to inform hin, th.t hs conpii.
nenu. TO great extent, are uncalled for. and .n4-
o5y 2, Pin M ,,e s % 70 ,ss hs
10 accners who build railroads bonds, and pocket
with Little or no expense 10 themselves lot of stock
hr another ca.s. @ho flasn wktcre'I stock auu b,nR
r. sch M extent that II II mpo:a,ulc, with j,'ace 10
those who hare occasion 10 use the roads, 10 l,-
aenttd. beg leave to inform your correspondent
that Eastern csrt.l !, atsll ready to build railroads.
& sfg s5s N s ~ .. Il az 90 not
hs aea.i * cars md bssso .na 's T.tes ss
handfome interest on MI actns1 eash nreAted all
the roais either WRIT rant Of Chicago. and, 1t prea
sns cost Of building sufficient for any shsleck Yours
Macautay aAya Of PITT, that "Ilo chose his sde
like fanAtic, and defended It like phtloBo-
phor !" and suspect that :" Capital" resembles
Pitt only in tho Gtst sct,-thRr Of selecting Ills
aide In the CONTROVERSY
L1KE A FANATIC,
~ there Is no evidence Of biz being nb!o to de-
fsnd 1t like philosopher, OF oven like a well-
informed newspaper-corrcBponde Having
boen born and brod In tho West, / havo no occa-
sion 10 "write in favor of Eastern capitalists"
aud nothing that said In tue communication 10
which he alludes can properly be construed into
= compliment to TINT ciass of pcraonB. said
that the auit just argued In the Supreme Court
Taa brought by tho non-residont stockholders
OF tho Chicago l. Northwestern Railway
Company, principally IIollautlors. to ro-
strain our Railroad Commissioner and
the Attorney General from enforcing
tho Potter law. These stockho!dera have in-
vested f29, 000 900 Ia Tho limos Of TINT corpora
tion that lie in Wisconsin; aud. II " Capital" WAS
In the samo boat with thsm. he would wrlto Ia
quite another strain hbout tho legislation re-
forrcd 10; and. II he has money to invest in
railroads, a. be intimates, theso uolla1dcra will
bo glad to sell him all tho STOCK aud bonds no
Wishes to obtain, At heavy discount, ID order
that ha may enjoy ua the blcastugs TINT h1e to
be derived from the Granger lcgielasion With
vhiol, be seems TO be In ioyo, Now, II your cor
respondent Is really New York capitalist, Al he
protonds to bo (kud not fraud. as auspcc. he
is) he s either grossly ignorant Of the practical
Workings Of the Potter law. aud it's influence up
the credit Of all exlhting railroad corporations
in this State, or else hs IL writing for purpose,
aRalnst knowledge Of the true condition Of af-
fairs. But assume that he is a capitalist who
y t.a of t,fo A.;
subject, and am, therefore, bound to cnlghteu
him to tho extent OF my ability, In the small
space allotted by Tie TntDUSE for this discus
sion.
Tho Potter law VA.
Nor DEMANDED NJ TIE rRoPLE.
It was not advocated by tho newspapers Of either
party. before ita passage; nor docs tho journal
OF other branch OF the Legislature, of the SEES
sion At which It was passed, show tho receipt Of
petitions from the people praying for iss onact-
annual mesaago, that d Commiehlou bo appointed
10 collect statistics in regard to railroad con-
struclon md operating In all It's branches, ~ tho
foundation fer some reasonable legislation In tue
.nture but no enc ever for tSe pcs
has proved 10 be. That was the act Of extreme
partisana and demhgoGucs Ia IN eTenly-lalanced
Senate, a. regards political parties, in tho race
Tor . now lease Of power md place. Now look
against the law as II row htands; It haa checked
all railroad building fn tho Etste OF Wisconsin
ainco the day OF IT. paaenRo; and Gov. Thylor's
a!goRlurs to It YVES the BlgnAl for every pick and
shovel to drop from The hands of tho lAborats,
aud thoy hare been russing in tdleness to this
day. Hear whnt the Portage City Kegister aaid
upon this subject last summer:
1t Ia dlssgeeeab!s fact to contemplate that today
Ing s.ead saa e tho
present year. Width large proportion Of tho Static
grnnta lying idis powelIess to aid tho building Of tho
roads tor *heh ths grants m.do; With plenty q
That such condition Of Affairs should exist Yet the
fact stafts us In tho fscc.
Tho GAINESVILLE Daily Gazette. printed In Rock
County, whsre tho Grange iatlucnce is aa strong
u in any portion Of tho Stats. makes
TriA CANDID STATEMENT
In regard to tho operations Of the Law in quch-
ton:
t.ation On e e4ps.'. il he I'D aonntres Where "
have been accustomed 10 borrow money to carry for
ward our railroad enterprises. Ia very great, They
Iy 1slrosI sulhosliss. tho rsope syines di.poat-
II ss saaent MI ID; oa
tbo central and northern portions Of tho Stair, where
iss ss ..sa.a sstF h:ss 0ss e os. &c SE
ssnt.sss:sd to es,a @ !ss.s ,,sss; IN :;
ing severely. CounrnciDR At Milwaukee aud running
northward via Mcuasha towards Lake Hupcrlnr, 27t
miles, and II Usyleld and running uesriy aouth !As
road i completed. s1espt gap Of ahous Us !lss. It
runs through Of tho zchsas PORTIONS of tho 6sa.o
LII iron ore lumber and wealth of SOIL Doatuu c4t-
teli.t. have pus 81 POO loo ta'o IT, uai II L. sonpetsa
holders rolled uuu obtaining tho money wllerrw1h 10
build this connecting link IN EaEops: but naw that
grant, And millions of capital have besn slsea4y
s1psnIed Oh III: hut, natrithstanding all ther re-
kQuroAk kpu thA fact that 10 Availability and the value
of tho l.nd-glAnt depend largely upon tic conTls-
ton Of Tho road .he Directors no utterly unable 70
built. And The noston men ssy, ~ W had cur
MONEY oat Of that enterprise wa would again
siak napnsy 10 Wtaoonaln.' A competent suthoHsy
aays tia. Il, ,Qloooo would not ray tue damaxes sbat
ths snsetmeut of tue Potter Law as dune tho Niacou-
atn Central tu tbs depteeltion Of s property. Othcr
enterprises tn that section Of the State rarsyzed
and the people who holding to he!r lluds shut
on from communication wiih ths outer world, aud
have TOT 5sAt1 bcsn living In hope that projected
railroad woulo ta BULL and place them Ia eoRmuuica
t1on VIII 1nstlst. y: naturally sn1loas that such
will tenSauFc cA4tkts md sgain tresthe tho breath