The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-03-29
DlsglsHIIEAagcEzN d IN FRRIaHTs,

= UAbgt44t44rA AAACh, AN k1sE1&taAS,
'a The INTELLyaEECER hes hefetsfore
complained Of the exorbitant freight
,chhrges to certain points on the Green.
ville& Columbia Railroad, and the dis
.,eFimination which iB made against those
places, tho resnlt 81 which. is to injure
and oppreds the business interests Of the
places having unfavorable rates without
materially bene6tting the Railroad, as
we believe. This unjust policy gives to
Greenville and Spartanburg, which are
also on the Air Line Road, very light
tariff, and other so;nte, where thcre is
any danger Of q composition for tho car.
rying trade, are fsvoraioly provided for,
while plates not near q competing line
are charged in some Gases more than
double what towns many miles further
s ON pay over tho samo road for the same
articles. This is On imposition upon our
people in regard 20 which NC have hit!i-
erto expressed tho belief that it is the
duty of the Legislature to remedy by tho
enactment of law prohibiting these
prejudicial differences between towns
on Che same line of road. We naturally
expect the rate Of freight on roads in
this State to be higher than 1t is on
Northern roads which have many times
the amount Of business which ours have,
but the fact that higher rate is necessa-
ry in this State does not in any degree
explain or justify the making of favcra-
bic rates TO some places and unfavorable
ones to othen. Railroads, it Is true,
enjoy high privileges under the law
which creates them bodies corporate,
but these privileges are bestowed upon
them not for their exclusive benefit, but
because Of their great importance and
advantage to the people of the section
Of country through which they arc loca-
ted. These privileges are granted them
by the State upon tho faith that they are
to bo used for tho benefit of all, and it is
tho duty of the body granting these
rights to see that tho trusts created by
them for the benefit of the common.
wealth are not ignored by tho selfish
caprice Of the body to whom they are
granted. Failure of consideration will
avoid m ordinary contract between iu-
dividuals, much moro will It do SO where
the State Is party; and in case fan
chisc 10 granted by the State to q corpo.
ration upon the faith that it is to exercise
its privileges in o fair aud impartial man
ner towards oil her citizens, If that corpo-
ration at any time uses its franchises to
injure or oppress the citizens of the State
OF any portion of them, the consideration
moving Che grant fails, aud the State has
the perfect right to remedy this evil by
legislation, and even by declaring tho
charter itself forfeited.
Now, the Discrimination between An.
deison and Greenville is about seventy
five, per cent. In favor Of the latter.
That is. where Anderson pays 9l.75 for
freight from Charleston, Greenville only
pays 81, and where Union pays % Spar
.anburg only pays 91.O5. This difference
is unjust, uncalled-for and injurious to
tho railroad interests as we'll as the com.
u1eFc;al prosperity G: the State. because
it tends to build up trade in Greenville
and Spartanburg from the counties lying
from forty TO atty miles Of. whilc it of
course iesssns tho business done at other
points. Now, theae towna on the Air
Limo, buy their goods in New York and
Atlanta and bring their freights over the
Air Line while the pointe Disseminated
against purchased largely in Charleston,
and of course bring all their fre'ghts over
the Greenville & Columbia Railroad.
Thus thiB policy drives of trade from
Charleston, and carries additional fre;ghts
to the Air Line Road. This system is
the creature, we believe, of Mr.. McG Grath,
the President Of the South Carolina Rail-
road, together with his beard OF directors.
They have been demonstrated with fire.
quently, but nothing has been accom-.
pliahed BY re1nonstraIee, and the people
of Union arc now preparing petitions to
the Legislaturo. asking for protection
from the policy which eeeks to make
extravhgant profits cut Of some points, to
the end that favorable rates may be given
to others. There Is just cause for CON,
plains, and the2e gentlemsn who control
the South Carolina Railroad should rem
edy3 ssyjl without waiting to bo made