The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-01-16

LEGISLATION In AID, amt encourage Of sucl
3 organizations.
The Adutant General report records Tho
: names uI the brave men ut Illinois buried al
20 AudcrSouvillc, Georgia, in 1868 and 1863 and
} Of the gallant officers in the last war with
+ Great Britain, and OF The war with the Re
Z publc Of NJ yico. The value Of the records
| Of the Adjutant Generals Office to Illinois
/ soldiers, their widows and heirs is apparent
4 from this report. Constant applications are
'Imadc to said Office for information 10 and IN
securing back pay, unpaid bounty, pensions
land hOmcsrads under the act o! Congress
I The pericclng the military records and pre-
serving the flags and mcmCnto"s of var, Is
worthy of the serious consideration OF a
! patriotic Legislature.
; RAILROAD AND WAREHOUSE COMMissGoS.
The inspection and registration depart
ments of the Railroad and Warehouse Com
mission have given general satisfaction rnd
renewed confidence
! Warehouse receipts are accepted 10y BANK
! ers and capitalists AS colla'crals, with teeE
ing of security that said receipts are genuine,
and that the grain represented by them, IN
quantity and quality, is in store, The system
: Of state inspection is growing IL favor with
! the trade ard with the people, and is fast ac'
curing a national reputation. To give UNI
| tolmity, 1t has been advised to extend the
system to other cities and grain Centcrs OF
the State and | submit this proposition TO
: the careful consideration of the Legislature.
The law to prevent eNtortion and unjust dis
elimination in tn" rates charged for the trans
portation of passengers and treights on the
railroads in this state, has been in force about
eighteen months, and the schedules prepared
bv the Railroad and Warehouse Commission.
arc IN a Spi1 luu hqyp lppn n
force little less than one year.
The policy of Il state interfering with pri-
vate enterprise, or undertaking to manage the
affairs of citizens, is c5nlroverted The law
makes no such interference, and undertakes
ne such management. II only seeks to cor
rect abuses by preventing m unjust dlscrim-
nation. Framed in accordance with the dc.
cision Of the Supreme Court, it follows the
principles of the common law 1t does not
declare any particular act TO be an Unjust
discrimination, but il declares certain acts TO
be prima facie evidence Of unjust discrimin-
alton. 1t does not prescribe any rate to be
charged, or declare any rate unreasonable or
eXtOrtiOnate, but makes the schedules pre-
pared by the Commissioners prma tace evil
dence of what is a reasonable maximum rate
of charges. 1t does not controvert single
principle Of the common law, except to
burden of proof upon the defendant, and the
question whether such an act is an unjust dis
elimination, or such a charge is eXtOrtiOnate,
is TO be determined by court and jury upon
the facts proven under the law.
Repeal this act, and every principle of the
law remains, save that the burden Of proof
would be upon the plaintiff, AID there would
be no statutory penalties for eXtOrtiOn or I'M
Just discrimination.
In Difference to the law and public opinion,
the railroad COrpOrtions of the state have, in
the main, ceased their unjust Determinations;
at least but few complaints have been heard,
and few have teen made to the Commission
ers; and on some lines the rates OF charges
conform nearly to the schedules prepared and
published by the Commissioners, and on other
lines the rates have baen materially lesScned.
Greater courtesy and better spirit of accom-
mediation, on the part of railroad officials and
employees, have tended to create a kindlieI
feeling between the producing classes and the
lines.
Railroads have developed the resources of
the State, have increased our population, have
added TO our wealth, have brought sections of
distant from markets into close prOX.
unity with the markets of the world, and they
arc Indispensable to the welfare OF our com.
manufacturing and farming interests.
No legislation should be had to embarrass
railroad companies in operating their roads,
to impose upon them unnecessary burdens, to
cripple their energies, to prevent them from
and collecting reasonable rates, and
receiving tull re nuneration for proper re
pairs and cost of economical operation, and
a reasonable compensation upon a fair valu-
tation of their properly and for the risk run.
On the other hand, they should be subject
10 legislative control, so far as TO submit to
proper police regulations to pay their pro-
portion of taxes To afford safe and reasoIa-
Die facilities to the transportation OF per.
sons and property, to secure economy in ad-
ministratioD, 10 prohibit wasteiul eXpendi-
lures and corrupt management and to prevent
unjust determinations and unreasonable or
eXtOrtiOnate rates OF charges
Entertaining these views, / approve OF the
railroad legislation Of the state, and of the
continuance of the Board of Railroad and
Warehouse Commissioners, representing the
state, and standing between the people and
these mammoth corporations.
The duties imposed upon the Commission
cannot well bC performed by any executive
or ether office" of the state, nor can the citl-
zen Afford TO carry on a contest with any one
OF these corporations. The questions involv.
ed are of the highest importance to all
classes and interests, and must eventually be
determined by the courts, and no one can so
well and 81 properly bring them to final
adjudication as the state, represented by the
Railroad and Warehouse Commissioners.
Under their supervision various suits have
been commenced. Every legal obstacle has
been thrown in the way of their prosecution.
Several decisions have been obtained, and all
in favor of the people, and sustaining the
nTpNput l4uiS l.FtnD ('us4S nnpIlnN
IN the Supreme Court of the State-one Is
pending in the Sapreme Court of the United
state, to determine the question whether
under an act OF Congress passed To protect
freedmen, known aS the 'ku-KluX law Il rail
road corporation can transfer case from a
state court 10 a United States court
iac suits instituted should be pushed 10 an
early termination, and ether suits should be
instituted, 10 raise every possible question
under the law, and have the same settled by
the highest Judicial authority in the land.