The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-08-30

ieH sAuu seIJ unbCC0nOunttnR, ana Wnlle
they might do great deal toward reme-
dying thcse OWLS, they are afraid to speak
lest they lose their position. NeF does
these evils only exist In South Carolina,
1t extends all over the United Statsu,
everywhere ell over the United States
We hear the voices of the lawyer, doctor,
merchant, mechanic and farmer, saying
oppression, and yet until recently have
any Of the States through It's Legislature
passedaay act regulating railway manage
ment:: The Legislature Of Illinois was
the first to move off in this line. Tom
Scott, (the Railroad king,) said it should
not be so, aud appealed to the highest
Supreme Supreme Court sustained the decision Of
the courts Of Illinois, and for the first
time In the history of railroads in this
country has there ever been single road
placed under legal restrictions. Hence
the railroad managers have gone ON from
time to time, taking one liberty and then
another, until recently in some instances
they have controlled the politics of differ
ent States, but, by dishonest measures,
they have managed to elect TO Office men
of either political party, (so they have
railroad men, and in this way get appro-
priations of large Bums Of money only to
be s4uandered. Our State has suffered
from some of these large appropriations,
and to-day our Legislature is looking
around to see if some plan can be devised
to eyade payment. The railroad man.
ayers are shrowd set of men, end you
will always find them lurking around the
Legislatures while in session, watching
every movement, ready to improve any
and all opportunities that may offer.
They proceed in this way. First, they
distribute to all the members of the Gem
eral Assembly, that will accept them, free
passes over their roads. Yea, they don't
even stop there, the Governors and all
the judiciary from thehighest to the low.
est. The editors Of all newspapers and
their agents are numbered among the
"deadheads," and some instances it even
extends to county officials. While all of
this is q right they have no one pretends
to deny, yet it is done for purpose, and
has its effect too. We don't pretend to
say for n moment, that any person.
whether State official or otherwise are
particularly influenced by these passes.
Yet, we all know that under such circum-
stances, any of US would feel somewhat
under obligations to parties favoring us
in that line, nnd therefore, would not hes
itate to take decided action, only in ex-
treme measures. This is one of the chief
causes among many, why railways have
never been subjected to legal restric-
tions.
LOCAL AND THROUGH FREIGHTs.
In the list of wrongs under this hea9
may be mentioned the uncertainty of
the time of delivery. When reshipments
are to be made, small lots Of goods are
often switched off at way stations and de-
layed without justification. There is no
redress unless at an expense greater than
the cost of goods. To illustrate, one of
my friends ordered small package from
q stone manufectory, the money accom-
panied the order, and he held in his pos
session biii OF iading which was correct.
The goods did not come for some time.
After weeks of delay, it was found
switched off at back station. Another
instance @. o. D. package to myself
cost $40: charges 81 80: and hold
here in my hand bill of goods trans
ported from Louisville &c Greenville, 700
miles, at q cost of $22.15; from Green
vile to Anderson, thirty miles, the cost
is 1880. But to illustrate this point
fully and show the inequality between
i0ea! aud through rstes, ! &ill give you
an instance of oppression and wrong,
which happened in the State Of New
York q year Or two since. Several far
mers, living in the Chenney Valley, near
Elmira, were engaged in feeding steers
for the New York market. They bought
Western steers at the stock yards, in
Buffalo, l40 miles distant. After feed
ing them six months, they were fitted for
sale in New York, 260 miles further on.
This valley being GH the direct route
from New York to Buffalo. The freight
rates were raised from time to time on
the local shipments, so that it actually
cost them as much to bring the steers
from Buffalo to Elmira, 40 miles, as it
WU% would to transport them to New York,
26O further. To obtain transportation
with less risk of robbery, these farmers
learned the trick of shipping to New
York, with permission to take the cattle
off at Elmira to recruit, but paying clear
through to New York. Of course, when
they took off these cattle, they did not
put them on again. When the railway
managers found ou. the fact, (these per-
sons actually paid through raets merely
TO get cheaper local rates they refused
to allow the cattle to be taken OF at Ell.
mira, although they were paid clear
through. Al Inc result, these farmers
were forced to abandon their special bus
iness and devote their land to grain,
dairying or sheep husbandry. This is
not all. These same steers, when trans.
ported from Elmira to New York, were
subjected to additional charges, more
than it would cost to carry them from
Chicago TO New York, 900 miles. With
such burdens imposed it is easy to see
tnat these farmers could not compete suc-
cessfnlly with others two or three times
as far from market.
Similar burdens are placed upon man.
ufacturing industries. Not far from
Elmira is a glass factory, which distrib-
utea its goods chiefly in Chicago, diBtant
little over 900 miles, by direct line
1t is compelled to ship its brittle warea
to New York, paying local rates, in order
to get the benefit from New York OF
through freights, So the goods actually
take 600 miles more of Transportation,
returning by the same line by which
they were first shipped and right by th
factory from which they were first star.
ed, having already been carried almost
the full distance that direct shipment
! .'cnld make, and the trim from the fac.
tory to Chicago yet to MAKE. Therefore
we see plainly that the COZ ipanies have
been forced to make exorbitant short
rates to repay loss on through freights
In fact, nearly all through freights are
| carried at actual loss, less than any com.
pany can live at, ard hence they take
this advantage Of the least suspicious and
watchful shipper and tax him to make
| ttvA thsa lr1r itltI.a l.