, 1875-03-13
Some Extraordinary Afldavits with
Reference to tho Illinois Suits.
1t Nonld Seem TINT tho Commissioners
Arc lolsting IIog,ls Cases OH
tltc Courts.
A Batch Of "Aggrisved Persons" Who
Swear that They Wero Never
Injured
Another Interesting Letter from Tho
Tribune'B Decatur Corre-
spondeut.

70 thf Editor " TIE Cafearo 7',11uns;
DEca1un, H., March 10.-Tho Boal1l Of tlail-
road Commissioners Of this Stato l.avn RloWil
themselves grosaly incompetent to prepare tar"
irs for tho operation Of tho different A!linos
railroads. They have made Il bad law even mora
rernicious In its cfcc.s by thclr miserable l'otcf'-
ing. Their eciedulca OF ratos will mol BOAR Tho
slightest aualyzatson, Tho most cnrsor7 study
shows that, II enforced. they would dearoy conI-
pctition md tho Commissioners have, ackno"l-
edging thor ow,,incompctcncy, allowcdthoe oentlre
operntLns Of all tho railroads III this staio TO 10
carried on without regard to their own schedules
Of "faEr aud reasonable rates." lint, as inti-
n,nted III D previous lester, something, 'l'nS adj
u,itted was duo from them ''fur dcttac1a
sake" I Iavo a few faeta With regard to this
nav department Of lRlor entered upon by tho
Commissioners, which Il trust lllE 1EinoSR Will
find space to publish.
Tho Cotnminsion has cast tho State, Blncc Its
organization, $4,000 In Ralarios, and neatly
t25 o0o In otilcc and legal o11ensoR,-at tile ratio
u 4l,4s1.74 per month for the whole time. 1t
u believed to have contracted liabilities nmount
lug 1t tho loastt 10 S25, ,000 n,aluly In attornoys
toes.
WHAT HAS nEEy AccoMrIrGHED
ly this vast expenditure Of nonoy7 What hen.
clitg hayo accrued 10 tho State by reason Of the
existence OF sncti an expensive piece Of govcIn-
mental rnachncry7 What las the State 10 show,
in fuc, for ita fnvcatmant7 1t will not tako
long to tell. Tho board has 1ssuod tarifTa
which aro ridiculous, mud, for practical purposes,
aro not wnrtl, tho paper on which they arc pub
lihiod 1t rns juul,e:el around tho Stale Will,
no doilnito result except tho incurr1nG Of biila
for travelling oxpenses; It has published volun,i-
roua reports, ot no oArtli'y value except to tho
Public Printer; II has instituted anta "foE de-
cescy's ehkc," "xcnarknble only for tho in1ocancy
which La, characterized ttair connection. It.ts
chiefly with regard 10 Tho prosecution Of thcsa
auita tint tho Commissioners baso their appeal
to tue public Tor further support. How nt,orly
croandless arc their claims in this respect IL
capable Of demonstration.
THE RAILROAD sC1Ta.
Prosecutions havo been commenced against
tLa Illinois Central, the Northwestern, tho
CtIcago 4 Alton, tho Toledo, Wabasl, * Wchtorn,
and tho Chicago, Burlington l. Qnincy 1loada.
ssonc OF tl,cae HuisH havo taen decided. They
havo In every caso. baeu brought by tho Doard
in tho Of .lae People OF il,a State; and tho
parties aEgriesed hsvo, In almoBt syory case,
hccn discovered during epme oEn or other Of tho
Innkotiugs Of tho board about the 6tate. They
1re alt founded on similar alleged ssntc OF
fscts-e1cees Of chRrScs ur eAtortion by tho
ts'lway companies referred TO-. have iuforma-
slioNB how utterly farciesi the eutire l'1Boss Ia.
THE nAr1aoS cOUNTF rAsEs.
Take tho cases ncninEt tho Chicago l. Alton
Company wlcs, fairly Illustrative Of the whoie.
Company, in Madison County. Thoso Wero nlno
counts in tho declaration. Tao tllBt, third,
fourla, fifth, ana -. sixth counts charged
tho Company NTH haring charged tho
firm Of l.. Policy i Co.. Rhirpc1y, Of Auburn. cx-
tortionato rates for shipping GRAIN, and With
having beon guilty Of unjust discrimination
tho eeconi count alleges that tho Company
charged axsortlonato rates far moving certain
rlEhth, and niuth counta charge tho Company
with e1torlion III collecting MI excess Of legal
passcnger-saro from Matthew O'Connor, Joseph
I'rohly, and Il. Il. slurcs. while ruling OIL tho
Chicago Il Alton Rosd. In Madison County: 1he
Commissioners have inyoicd thu sid Of tho
courts to punish the railroad BY mucting 1t
in henry fines on tho Euncral compliant.
Will II bo believed that not single ona OF these
persons, for whose grievances the ConsTniesoH-
era are so yaliautly ueokug redress BY an OK
penltnro Of the peoples money, Las my cont
llaint or gliovance whatever nganst tho Railroad
Company; and that tho wholn auit ID simply MI
indecent exhibition ol activity Oil tho part OF
sha Commissioners, simply, I supposo, for
llcceney's eake." And yet. that auvh ii tho lact
ia capable OF proof to demonstration. will
qnoto from some alidayits whicl, hnye seen.
RoNE EXTRAORDINARY AYE1pAv11s.
2. Policy. Of tho firm Of ~ =. 1'n!sy Il Co.."
Euafy, l875:
Neither be, nor the hrm Of +. Foley h c., Of which
lie w!s Irmler a tho time The said GonnlitAtoners
betore tail lailroaa mud Warehouse COMMISSIONER,
or to aty o'ss rerson tf aiy sSerion. ovefchasset
charged tho sA,pme,tn Of gta a..st forth III tho
declaration afnft&ad Sor fsA liz, tho 1ir1n OF l..
hrF3 ttp Il lrt1I 1nnrH
:ni', aso"plataius Ntnss. sssias! ai II h.,Irasl
Company. ss he doea not complain Of any e1ortseu OF
Tho ailidavit IL signed by T.. Policy md 5. j.
Policy. Of the aru, u "E. loity " Co." Ar
other Of tho alleged "asgslevei pariioa" in tho
caso Is
s1Arrixw o'coSxoN.
Tho following Is ali extract from AL H4dayit
insde by tho tamo Matthnu O'Conuor, at Euu!co,
cn tho llth Of February, Ibis,
And hta attlant further statro that hc WIS ruk 70
catsiel Ia alleged III The seventh count Of thv ttc
!sraonl by the sa!a lta!roau Company ftlcx Chicago
non ihas Is hss no paid saia Hsroad Company t.le
rutu therein natnc1l r1tottion or excess over
Tho rates sstslli.hed by A., nv hs. 10 r.i;
In ssid declaration. Anil this slAsnt {uznr states
upon oath that 10 has never sosnpaincd 10 tbs a!l
person whatsoever, ot any czortou, NOR auy gllry-
ance. or auy cause Ut complaint sganst aad Hsflro.d
was 1ToughI Without hia iuoxisdas, nd by rarr* 10
him unknown, and agatust his w.h nn mol ior lie
purpose Of fsdtessng Ruy OF his grievances.
7osErN TnnHLy,
Of venlce also awoEo to al affidavit IN tho 10Th
Of February, 1875, In which, after stating that
no had navcr ridden % alleged III the declutl.
uon, he declares,
Nor has ho made any complaint before tho l:ulroaa
peksou whoutoeser OF .uy griesacs, nur sMy e1tor-
;!oa @ gt.e!!fed WIN hIm II aid Aas.Eoal ceursny
ltao Chcago AllDnj: hor n3k be Any eAtlsu OF COM
1Ii4ut AR4tpht said Railroad