Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1879-03-15
COMMUNICATED.
THE RAILROAD CONTROVERSY

There is ruiuous competition at places
where two rival roads meet, and freight
il often carried at losing rates. The
CORPORATIONS endeavor to make up these
losses by exacting excessive charges at
points where there is no competition
Thus, the b. & o. completes win the
Cumberland Valley at Martinsourg,
hence the rates at that city are low. but
the tariff at Duflields and Harpers Fer
nv has been much higher than at Mar
tinsburc, although they are nearer to
Baltimore.
Now, the B. & o. R. R. charter ex-
nressly forbids hi her rate at these
intermediate points; it may charge the
same from Duffields as from Martins
burg; it may have the same tariff at
Grafton as at Wheeling, Tut it cannot
charge an intermediats point higher
rate than is charged at point beyond
it. In other words, the charter places
all intermediate territory on precisely
the footing of the next nearest point
where there is competition, viz: the
charter puts DuffieldS on an equality
with Martinsburg.
Heretofore the road has been viola
ting its charter IN this respect: 1t
charged more from Dufields than from
Martiusburg, and except at the points
OF competition, the shorter the distance
tie higher the charge
This is the evil the people are trying
30 correct. .
Senator johnson introduced bill III
the Legislature TO compel the road to
charge fixed price per mile, viz: doub-
lie price for double distance. But on
investigation it was found that, as rail-
roads are now conducted, this bill was
defective in many particulars. 1t was
said by experts that the road could not
do business and comply with its provis-
ions. Aud, it was insisted, the bill vio-
lated the chartered rights of the corpor-
alton. After full consideration This
measure was voted down; aud it is idle
and misleading TO reproduce the argu'
ments against il, because it has been
taken out OF the field, and is not now,
and will not again be, before the Lesls-
ture.
Having voted down the Johnson Bill,
the Legislature, by a very large vote,
determined to submit the chief and most
troublesome questions between the State
and the railroad to the courts OF justice.
A resolution was adopted, instructlng
the Attorney General to prosecute a
Ono Wamanto against the corporation.
4 Quo Warranto is proceeding TO as
certain whether q corporation has viola
fed lis charter. This takes the matter
out of politics, and the rights aud the
duties ct the railroad will be ascertaned
and settled by the courts. If II bs de
cided that the charter has been forfeit
ed, then the Legislature may grant
new charter containing provisions to
protect the people against cXtortion. 1t
is by no means the Intention or desire
10 impose onerous terms upon the eoal-
.,any; on the contrary, the new charter
will he liberal in the extreme, because
every sensible man wants the road to
prosper. But experience has shown
that the old charters, gsanted while the
railroad business WIS III its infancy, are
very detective in many particulars, and
practically places all oar territory at the
mercy of railroad kings Again, we
cannot teii wEal provisions a'ay DE re-
1uired for the protection OF the public
if this branch of industry progresses Tor
the next fifty years in the ratio OF the
last twenty. Hence, We must reserve
the right TO modify the new charter.
We presume all sensible men will Gu
dorse these views, and we want 1t IN
derstood we are IS ready TO protect the
yipLts of corporations as we are to pro
tect the life, liberty or property ct any
individual
As soon as the Quo Warranto resola-
tion passed, the company at once set IN
motion all the machinery OF It's mighty
influence to manufacture public sent
mcnt against the Legislature, and thus
induce it 10 recede irom its action and
repeal the resolution The officers OF
the road and the newspapers combined
60 rnislead the people as TO the jnc's,
and create an impression that the reso-
lution was the offspring of Ignorance
and malice; that it was crude ana III
considered Legislation, that would bring
,uin and disaster TO every business and
20 every industry along the line of the
road. While the Johnson Bill was
peudino. the company promulgated a
new tariff, largely reducing the rates; 1t
reduced the freight on wheat at Charles
town two cents bushel. But the
threat was boldly made, that unless the
Legislature backed down and repealed
the resolution. the company would with
draw this new tariff and put its charges
M TO the maximum allowed by the
charter, viz: 8 cents per ton per mile
for freight, and cents for travel. Ser
sible people, who stopped to think, knew
that this was mere idle buster. The
company dares not raise its rates at
Martinsburg, Cumberland, Wheeling
or at any point where there is eompeti
lion. because rival roads would carry
the trade away from Baltimore; while
if the charter be obeyed, all intermedi-
ate territory is kept on footing with
these points of competition. Sensible
men saw the folly OF this threat, but the
newspapers made the people believe
that they would be ruined unless the
Legislature backed down.
Observe the humiliating attitude the
press Certain papers excepted) would
have this State assume We proposed