National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1880-01-21
FIFTY CENTS PER MONTH.


must look beyond the private clemeut which ihc
| case must necessarily embrace and give attention
To- the public welfare IL this be not The character
| TO say that It is wrong to Tux one man for the
benefit of another, don't meet the cuse NJ all. II
may seem wrong to charge one man $40 for hanl
\ ing car load OF freight $50 miles. and another
only 500 for transporting carload OF tho same
Kind of freight 1000 miles. But when The puput
interests require that both loads go TO market the
| case assumes very different aspect IL no longei
ptc,eutsa question IN which the private shippers
| and the railroad companies arc alone parties u
interest II these cars are to pass from one STATE tC
another the freight which they carry becomes
part of the commerce among the states, and, "
common with all other property thcreunto belong
Ing may, In case OF obstruction whether by states
railroad companies other causes. call into actor
| the rtgulotiye power of Congress. II is CHARGE
tnbt oDstrnctlons d3 exist. Hence, tne quesLol y
here. II has no right to he hero until II has become
more than n question Of the private rights hnC
wrongs of indivduuls. tmlist concern the public
and round up into proportions large enough to de
questions Of abstract private wrongs must
IN a thousand ways yield to the iney
table in cqualites which result from
organized society. Tho greatest good to th'
greatest number" one Of the accepted political
nxioms of this country, implies evil to the few
Until this subject has been taken out of he field o
discussion Of abstract private right II is not en-
titled 10 presence here. This il the reason why
| cannot treat this question US ono eoncernln.
merely the railroad companies that represent
here and their private patrons. When these com
pHuies with their roads aud the patrons with thoi
ton, aud public interest is developed. Now
when this occurs the inevitable inequalities which
may arise in course of conducting II properly anc
in tile public interest must be tolerated ms they
are IN thousands of other cases in organized 30
ciety, in order that the public welfare may bC
maintained and tho greatest good to the greatest
number promoted. The low rate for tho long hnu
Is one of the things which arise from these cOnd'
tons, and sound public policy demands that II bt
endured.
But this II is said is taxing shippers for local
In them
ciences resulting from the low rate for the long
haul. IN certain sonsc this Is true; but In an.
other and more practical sense 1t Is not true The
shipper who PAYS the relatively high rate for the
short haul can still sell his products IN the local
market at rs low price as can the shipper who
pays the low rate for the long haul, and make 0
better profit other conditions being equal, the
amount Of money in part paid for the Transports
| for one thousand miles may bo low rate, aud
| forty dollars per car for two hundred and Hity
miles may, by comparison, seem high rate. But
other conditions being equal the forty dollar freight
| Notwithstanding the seeming Inequality, or DIS
crlmlnstion If II be so called yields It's owner the
| hest return iu the market Why should ho com
plain, or why should anybody complain for him
Taking the fOrty.dollRr rate ss the baSis for fix ng
a rate for the thousand mile carriage might result
In an absorption of tue entire value of the freight
| or keeping II away from the market altogether
| Now which Is the hard rule? The one which lets
both shippers Into the market, or the other which
| lets one in at q profit and shuts the other
] out? The latter is the one which the fourth
section oil this bill presents 70 the remote section OF
the country. If the former rule taxes one man for
| the benefit of another, what does this one do2
Which rule will most conserve the public iterestsl
Which one ought 10 be maintaincl-Ile one which
gives both men chance, or the one which protects
one and Crushes the other2 The latter destroys
competition and establish es monopoly by operation
OF law. In our euae0yors 10 get rid OF one tlrn OF
Inequality are we not In great danger of es,ablIsh
| ing one of greater enormity2 And II we Insist on
| u complete eradication Of all inequalities OF taxa
| tion and other burdens incidental 10 government
business. trade and 'mmorte, would we have
| off lf a n nn
| II be with our public charities? Those fOr whose
benefit they are established contribute nothing ty
| their support. How would It be With our public
| schools They are IN no nconsiderabie par
maintained By tSR'i0n oiprupef,y Of persons win
have no children to be educated fol
| the education of the children Of others who
| have no property tu be taxed. Some of the State
| yield net revenue 10 tho Government from tht
postal service. Others fall far short of paying The
non paying States like to 10 deprived of The -ervc,
| on that acGount2 And yet what is a continuance
Of these conditions but the taxing Of those who do
! pay Tor the btnettoi those who do nnt2 And 50,
might 20 the rounds Of hundred t!iu.tIaton.
quite as pertinent as these. The reasoning which
supports the principle of section 4 ana justifes
legislation in support OF itwould apply Teprr,SivC
remedy I'm the other cases. The principle is nm
| sound as an element In 4 commercial code. The
West and other remote sections OF the country can
not afford 70 have It applied to transportation by
| rail.
know that II is said section viii not inter
| ferc with the application ui the low rate 10 IN,
i5ng haul. accept the statement of The author O
the bin tiNt 2e section was not designed to forbi,
the application Of that ru'U ana lhat under Il th'
railroad companies may charge Gs low rGiS a.
they please for long haul, provided they do not
exceed the aggregate of that ruto for shorter dis
tance. This may have been the intention Of tho
author Of the bill but such is not the effect NJ tho
section as | understand II. lHitlia eduinistrN-
ton Of the section by the railroad companies
would show that ! am not mistaken. As have
already stated, the principle On which the section
is based was tried hi the West, II was most unsat
iSfnctory In practice aud result and no repetition
OF that experience Is desired In that quarter
But suppose the other coustrurtonOr the section
be tho correct one, What lOilOW,l Why, the Legal
iZaton by act of Congress of q mOUEupgs wrong
In railroad management. Let me illustrate this.
Suppose the greater distance over which Il carload
OF freight Is to be carried is 900 miles aud tGo rate
slOJ Anolhercar'loOi o! the same kind of freight is
To be moved over the line shorter distance of liy
miles, can sl0y b1 charged for that 0lso2 unduubt.
edly this can be done under the construction Of
tho section given by its author Whatever is
charged for the greater distance may likewise he
put upon the shorter haul. IL sidJ be charged tor
1909 miles, the same amount may lie charged tor
twenty-five miles, Aud this is 70 have The sanction
OF law. should II law he enacted which would
permit so great an euOrmiiy Ms th!a} one OF the
other Of these constructions must DO given 20 the
section Either iI prohibits ioY rate for Il long
maui or u autA0u&es IN CNuiplAhl RUE Tor snort
haul. Now, which shall itbC2 I, this commit Ce
prepared to say that Il shall ba either The one or
the other2 If my construction Of The section Is
correct how are Members representing Western
constituencies tl justly their action IN supporting
u? II the o!hel construction be the correct one,
to be sstsiiod2 Turn IL which wuy you WILL how
Is anybody to be sUtiSHcl with tho section l. Il
wise 10 do thb Thing Il It not IL case in which II
Is best TO make hu,iu Slowly
II rscction 1 should be given the force OF law aad
receive the construction which haze, with others
who have addressed the committee, gwen tp IT, il
may be asked "Wlll the railroad companies DO 80
nm Sl,G as to destroy the great hnSiuess from aud
10 the WestP' Certainly not so far as theY nave
any election In the premises Gy which they can
foster that business. Bat thcy could do bui little
In the way ofGidiug the Wc,t They viii do the
best they can. Bus that best must be bad enough
In every regard the section must he lCpTessiye UUd
depreSSiye In tho West. Tho people arc there. and
they must stay, They VIII Ep on plNuuvg aud
harvesting and sending 30 mNrkpt but the cost OF
transportation VIII cat unt thytT substance A
cheek wll be pul upon the development ol that
section, now suluE on so rapidly and satisfactorily
Prices OF both land and products must Iutede.
what high rents are tJ the people " Ireland the
rates under section VIII be to the people OF the
Western States. Low ra,gs of transportation grp
Ike low rents. Those Who pay thum can prosper.
High rates of transportation Ike niYh rents tjStgr
discomfort and distress. THIS will he he mission
OF section should Congress give II the force of
aw. It's enactment ceuRu.y Is another OF the
things that ought not to oe done c5ncerIlug COM,
merc0 between tNo States.
Mr.. Chairman; need not say that 90 not en-.
terrain he belief that this committee vUtCrNius any
purpose % do injustice To- iho railroad companies.
OF 10 treat hNIsly the Interests Of the pgUpiC who
1--we in sections ul the country Icluo'9 lrJn the
centres Of market doubt mot that ont OF tho ugi,