The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-12-06


such as have been entrusted to the Fe
eral agency. Our ever growing bus
l ness relations and identity of busipe
Q Interests are ever shifting subjects frol
, the local to the National domain, an
the common supervisor should b
: on the alert to mark and meet the ex
gencies as they arise. The rate of in
} terest and the penalty attached t.
usury, for instance, in the present att
tude of our interlacing commercial re
latlons, is matter which Congress
ought to regulate, upon the same prin
clple as that upon which the admiralt,
jurisdiction was extended to lakes ant
rivers. Sanitary and quarantine meas
ures can no longer, upon the same prin.
ciple, be left to State control. The
telegraph is as national in its character
as the postal arrangements. So, too,
OF railroads; they have grown into
national highways and national neces-
sites, and they should be made amen
able to national regulation, which can
be made uniform and equal. Perhaps
there is no one subject now more inn
portant to the whole country than a
uniform system of railroad law.
Clamor and outcry are raised all over
the country about discriminating
freight tariffs, and invidious local inn
positions by these mamoth corpora
tlons. How much ground there may
be for such complaint, we cannot say.
Ii there is any ground, how far it may
be the result of invidious and unequal
local legislation, we cannot say. 1t is
very apparent, however, that if when
these great railroad lines traverse
many States, they shall be subjected
to unjust burdens in one State, they
will naturally endeavor to find COM
pensation in another State, where
such burdens are not borne. A freight |
or passenger tariff enacted in one
State may divert business in another
direction, Or cause an effort to make
up for the loss in territory where the
The tariff does not exist. This is one
of the matters as to which proper
legislation by States is impossible, be-
cause the proper concert to render the
egislation uniform is impossible. Ifl
here be ground Of complaint, the APP
zeal should be made to Congress, and
lot to State Legislatures. If tariffs
'ught to be regulated by law, the law
hould be uniform, at least it should
lave reference to the nature and ,
of the business, and not to az
'ltrary State lines. A long line under
ne management ought to be the best
inc, and the line best able to furnish 1
heap facilities. On such line the
the homogenity and the de-
endence of one part on another ought '
promote durability and efficiency, 9
nd also the willingness and ability to L
all. o
But such line must cross State +
nes, and State legislation, intended r.
} affect only State interests, in h
rferes with it, if it does not de- n
roy the very characteristics of
luality and uniformity in the meas V
es and management which render n
ch lines desirable. The reasons cl
ultiply every day why these ex- al
nding and consolidating corpora Of
'ns should be taken exclusively I'M N
r Federal control, and be exempt OF
)m local legislation. Every attempt III
one State to create special rights
immunities or benefits for it's V
IN citizens in the portion of such De
les within it's own boundaries, D.
lst recoil upon itself, or infiict injury hs ie
on other States traversed by the hI
ne road, or provoke rival legisIa- ch
Il by other States, which in the end Sc
IL damage all concerned. st' 81;
Whenever politics can be remanded sh
VhC huoOiuSS dHu Vic DdllOI-DOA, ! III
1 members of Congress can apply tic
.mselves cOnscientiously to the dis
arge of those national duties COM
tied to them, we shall see the great
9ncies of commerce, and the inn
'tant laws of commercial contracts, to
| the momentous questions of pub the
health and public safety taken un- oai ami
federal jurisdiction, and regulated Tn
,he common interest. Then federal is i
in its sphere, will be up onu one
d by popular opinion, and sustain the
by popular affection, because the is a
essity for it will enter into popular er pr
viction. H. c. tor