Vicksburg weekly herald., 1878-03-29

wsyu, and bow TO prevent railways
from iBhueneibg Slats and National
legislation, are problems that the psO'
pie must now cot about solving. A
Warrington correspondent charges thai
the Union and Central Pacific and
other railroads have formed . huge
combination that 10 already nearly IT,
resIstible. This combination has re-
ceiptS Of money larger than the United
States Government. The Union and
Central Pacific rSilwsyS have up Il
this time natly refused 20 keep faith
with the Government, and It iS by nc
means certain that the Government
can force them 10 do Il. These roads
are 90 determined that they spend vast
sumS Of money to prevent the Govern
ment from aiding the construction of
any other road that will compete with
them. This fact OF itself should teach
the people what the true remedy is for
the rapidly increasing danger from
these giant corporations. The remedy
is competition. This will force
these grasping mOno1Olies to re.
spect the rights Of the people and
place the Government In q position TO
force them TO carry out their contracts.
Let the Government guarantee the in
tereSt on the bonds OF the Texas Pa
cihc Railroad, so that 1t can at once be
built by 9 competing Company, and
ell the dangers will vanish. The rates
of freight and passage across the con.
tinent will soon decline 10 reasonable
figures, and the power Of the Govern.
ment will be strengthened, instead Of
weakened, for In reServing the right 10
control the Texas Pacific, II virtually
acquires control Of the competing lines.
We can also learn valuable lesson
from the above facts, to enable us to
control the lines OF railways within
this State. Some of the papers, and
some correspondents, have, in our
opinion, very thoughtleSSly, harshly,
and uDjustly abused Governor Stone
for not signing the Barry bill-the
measure designed to regulate the
freight on cotton on railways In this
State. We have been informed that
this measure, which its friends claim is
Of vast importance 10 the State, was
only sent to the Governor for his sig.
nature the day before the Legislature
adjourned. Now, II this was such a
valuable bill, why was its passage de-
layed to the very last instant2 No one
can justly blame the Governor for re-
fuSiss 10 sign any bill that he Is not
given time to properly consider, and we
think that II blame attaches to any one
In this matter 1t attaches to the Legis.
lature that dawdled away valuable
time and delayed important measures
so long that they could not be properly
considered by the Chief Executive.
The Governor is sworn not 10 approve
unconstitutional measures, and be could
not tell, perhaps, in so short a time,
whether the Barry bill is constitution.
al or not. We do not pretend 10 say
the bill is unconstitutional, but we do
say that, taken as q whole, we
believe it would have proved in.
effective. 1t is only designed TO regu-
late the tariff on one article, cotton,
and ii it would have accomplished that,
the railroads on which It would have
operated could have made up the de-.
cline in receipts Of freights ou cotton,
by increasing their rates of freight on
other articles, We are by no means
convinced that the damsge is irrepara-
Bile, for we think there are better and
surer means Of controlling railway
charges. Competition is the iufAllible
remedy. Let the State encourage the
of railroads by all safe means,
and big charges will soon be heard Of
no more. Ii the Ripley, Ship Island
and Kentucky road can be built, 1t will
be a long stride in the right direction.
II the Natchez and Jackson road is
completed, 1t will help wonderfully.
The freight on q barrel of -four from
ST. Louis to New York is 20 cents,
and II is Just as reasonable on all other
articles. Is this because the tariff is
regulated by legislation ? Certainly
not. But 1t Is because it is regulated
by competition-something that never
fails.
The new American Bishops appoint
ed by Plus TX, and whose apDoint-