Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-01-21


whose duty, among other things, it
shall be to collect and lay before the
General Assembly at each regular
session such information in regard to
the railro DIS of the State as will en-
able future General Assemblies to act
in reference to them with knowl-
edge of many particulars that cannot
be otherwise obtained. l think it
important that the question of the
power of the States to limit the
charges of railro; d companies within
their respective boundaries, and the
power of Congress to limit such
charges on Interstate trade, shall be
settled by the Supreme Court of the
United States, SO thai, in case this
power shall. be held to reside in the
State and national authorities respec-
lively, we may go on and perfect
such legis lation as may be found nee
essary and proper for ourselves, and
the Federal Congress be urged to ex-
ercise its authority to tn, prevention
of abuses IN the great carrying trade
of the country.
Various modes have been suggest
ed by which the public interest can
be protected in this regard, if it shall
be found We cannot do so by statu-
tory enactment. Among these, the
opening up, by the general govern
ment, OF lines of water communities
ton through the country, and the
building of one or more trunk lines
of freight railroads, the use Of which
shall be open to all, have been advo-
Gated. Either of these plans would
involve the expenditure Of more
money than our government is now
prepared to spend. But if in no
other way the end can he gained, this
difficulty will be overcome.
Let us examine this question in all
its parts, calmly and carefully, with
out passion and without prejudice
Our people are not hostile to rail
roads or railroad companies. On
the contrary, we appreciate fully and
concede freely the great benefits our
State has gained from these works,
and we have always contributed free
ly of our means to their prosecution.
We know, too, that our future pros
perity depends largely upon their
maintainance and success. But, to
the claim of their managers that they,
like other business m@n, must be al
lowed to manage their business affairs
in their own way, without interior
ence and dictation by the States, we
answer: First, their business so di-
rectly and vitality affects the interest
Of every citizen, thai it is the duty Of
the State to see it that the privileges
granted to them are for the public
good, and that the power they claim
to have, is not abused to the public
injury; and, second, that they do not
manage their business affairs in the
same way rs other business men do.
| think that am safe in saying that
if the managers of these roads will,
in fact and in good faith abandon
the system of combination. if the
companies will depend for success, rs
other business enterprises do, upon
the skill and courtesy of their agents,
upon the facilities they offer for the
transaction of their business, and up
on the cheapness with which they can
do it, they will find active and earn
est friendship instead Of jealousy and
hostility, and that i'll their case, as in
all others, the right way to do any
thing is the best way to do it.
When, twelve years ago, | retired
from this Office the duties of which I
am about to assume, our country was
conyuIsed by civil war, brought on
by the most cause!ess rebellion the
world has ever known. The strug-
gle has happily ended, and the diff
Guilty and delicate task Of restoring
to their proper places the States and
the people who sought the overthrow
of our government has been accom-
plisheI. The bitterness and angry
feeling caused by that conflict have
in great measure subsidized, and it is
the part OF wisdom not t. re.ive
them. But we must not forget that
in that terrible contest there was IA
right side and a wrong side; that
either we who fought tor the preser
walton of the Union We're right and
they who fought for its destruction
were wrong; or that they were right
and we were wrong; and that we
should see to 1t that when we have
passed away those who will follow
us in the care and control of the gov
eminent which at so great cost we
have saved and bequeathed to them,
shall have from us at least correct
teaching on that point. We should
SO shape our course and conduct rs
to show them Enthusiastically that we
know and recognize the distinction
between loyalty and treason, that we
loved the one and hated the other,
that one brough. honor, the other
disgrace, We should make sure, SO
far as we can make sure, that their
reverence and love shall be given to
Lincoln and Grant, and Sherman and
Thomas and Sheridan, and not to
Davis and Lee and johnson and
Beauregard and Forrest. 70 do this
we must show them that ourlOve and
honor are given to the men who, in
council and in action, labor for the
preservation OF the Union, and not
for those who plotted and fought for
It's destruction. | have sometimes fear
ed that in our extreme desire for
peace and cancellation we have failed
to keep this consider ton properly
in view.
The political situation at the seat
of our national government is at this
time interesting and peculiar. The
political party which administered
the government during the rebellion
and succeeded in surpressing the re-
belion sill control ono branch of
the national legislature. The other,
the popular branch, the House of
Representatives, is controlled by y
party of which men who were actu-