The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1875-07-16
NEW S.
FRIDAY, JULY l6, 1875.
OUR RAILROAns.

ought to be respected, and the peo- |
pie have rights which the railroads |
must respect. Our people helped |
all they were asked for to build two
roads through this section. A great |
many fair promises were made to |
the people by the road authorities.
OF course some who were best post. |
ed knew many of the promises
would never be fulfilled. They had |
a right, however, to expect much
from the roads. The road was built
for the franchises. The franchises
came from the people. The land
grants came through Congress. Con-
gress but carried out the voice OF
the people. When the franchises
were granted the people were in IA
vor OF that policy. Now the people
are opposed to giving large tracts of
the public domain TO railroads, and
they can't get an acre. So after all
1t is the people who built the roads,
and it is the people who support
them after they are built. No road
can run q month without the aid of
the people. The roads should work
in harmony with the people. When
they fail to do this they become
public nuisances.
So far as the two roads which run
to this place are concerned, they
have generally been tolerably de-
cent in their transactions with the
public. Some people expect more
than is fair from them. In many in
stances the roads have acted out
rageously mean. For instance, In
charges on freights west and south
west OF here, after competition is
eneed, Americas, on the NJ, X. &
T., and points west on the Santa Fe,
have been treated unfairly aud dis
honestly in the matter of freights,
simply because the roads had the
people in their power. Do the roads
suppose the people will not remem-
Der this treatment, and take "sweet
revenge" the first opportunity The
companies may think the people
will stand it. In this they are mis-
taken. 1t is q 'flOng lane that has no
turning" and when this railroad
lane does turn woe be to the compa-
mics who have acted the hog.
Freights to this place from the
east, and outgoing, are now outrage
ously high. Tie roads show no dis
position to work in harmony with
the people. They don't seem to care
for mutual interests. They only
consult the selfish interests of the
men who control them. We can
tell them this 'front.' pay! 1t is open
Iy stated on the streets here that the
removal of the ticket case of the M
X. Il T. road from this place was
the result of q "bargain aud sale"
between the two companies to rob
the people of the benefits of fair and
honest eompetitiOn-that is, that for
a monied consideration the NJ, X.
& Il. has virtually Withdrawn from
the contest here for it's share of the
ticket and freight business. Wheth-
err this is true or not we do not
know; we know the facts exist in
accordance with the report; we
know that freights are exOrbitantly.
high; we know that the general
agent of the NJ, X. & Il. was taken
away. We know the NJ, h. IL 7.
ticket case was taken out of town,
and that those who want to travel
over that road have to buy them out
at the depot half mile distant from
the business part of the city; we
know that the healthy competition
for the sale of tickets which we had
all last season does not now exist
we know that the circumstantial ev-
idence would seem to stamp the re-
port as true. If it be true the
change was made in the interests of
the company, those of the
people who gave the franchises
which built the road being utterly
ignored. IL is a regular "geuge
game" and unworthy of any decent
business man, or company OF men.
We have frequently heard our
merchants complain that an unjust
discrimination was made against
this town in the shipment of goods
to the west and southwest. 1t has
been frequently stated to US that
freights were lower from Atchison,
for instance, to any given point in
the Arkansas valley, than from En-
poria 10 the same point. Perhaps
the printed tariff sheets did not so
show, but that the Atchison mer-
chants received some sort of COM
pensation in the shape of rebates"
If this is true it should be stopped
by law. 1t is time the railroads
should qe taught thsy cannot ride
rough-shOd over the people.
We have always asked that rail-
road companies should be treated,
in all respects, just as we treat other
people. They should have no es-
pecial privileges, and should be
made to obey the law just as others
do. So far as this section and this
community are concerned, we will
help ourselves. We can build q
road that would literally destroy
the business of the two roads
now running, il such outrages
as those named above are con-
tinued to be practiced upon us. So
far a. business lie concerned. We
don't ask any faYors of them, we
demand our rights, aud II we can't
get them one way we can another.
This is business, and our people are
not the kind to walk up and stick
their necks in the yoke year after
year. This wsuld be the last reme-
dy we should want to see adopted,
but IL lie much better than TO be rob.
bed.
The Council Grove Democrat
AGAIN mAkea ita annAarance. having