The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-12-04
Number 81.

when rendering the decision of the
famous Granger Cases." so-called,
carried to the Supreme Court upon
this very point These are the
words quoted from the decision:
"When, therefore, one devotes his
property to a use in which the pub
lie has an interest, he in effect grants
to the public an interest in that use,
and must submit t. be controlled
by the public for the common good
to the extent of the interest he has
thus created" This is complete re-
futation of the charge that the peo-
pie assail private rights when they
try to regulate the methods of
transportation in the interests of the
whole public. They have an un-
doubted, right to establish regula-
tions for the conservation of their
private rights. and they ask nothing
more in the restraints they would
place on railway management.
They do not lose sight of the inter-
dependence of their interests and
the corporations created by the
State to render public service, but
they would regulate and establish
these relations on the basis of COM
mon justice.
1t may be said that all the evils of
railway transportation will in due
course of time be remedied by COM
petition. Not SO. A distinguished
authority, whose interest was prin-
cipally in railways, has said, truly,
that where combination IS possible,
competition is impossible. Witness
the pooling of the trunk lines lead
ing from the grain fields of the
West to the seaboard. So far as
the earnings of that traffic are con-
cerned, they have a common treas
urv from which they draw PRO rata,
according to allotment of capital by
the terms of their compact. Here
are all the conditions of competition
imperative, because Joint interest
necessarily favors combination. In
other cases, where combination can
not be maintained, and rates are,
therefore, reduced at competitive
| restricted to those points, and cor
responding additions are made at
other points more than compensat-
ing all concessions. In this there is
an alarming power of discrImina-
ton. Citizens of one locality are
compelled to pay for the support
of industries in another locality,
equally favored by nature and arti.
fciallv aided by power that should
| distribute its benefits with impartial
regard for all concerned. 1t is the
railways power to make or unmake,
to tear down or to build up, an in
equality abhorent to active enter
prise, and at variance with the fun
damental principles of free govern
ment.
What shall we do? Let us exert
the force inherent in our. numbers.
| Direct this through the ballot in
such manner that every Legislature,
State and National, shall reflect the
will of the people and all their in
| terests rather than of corporations.
Secure in these bodies due repre-
sentation of the chief industry of
the land Let farmers organize in
utter disregard of the restraints tnat
political parties impose. and let
them keep steadily in view the gov
erning purpose to purge the body
polite of the venalities that handi-
cap material progress. They may
cooperate with all persons and all
associations that work in the inter
est of free and enlightened admin
istration of justice, but for them
selves they must move for the pro-
lection of natural rights against the
monstrons greed of corporate pow
er that riots in the chaos of princi-
pIes overturned and confused by
its wanton assumptions. They
must invoke order, law, peace and
Justice for all, lest revolution inter
yene to clear away with rude hand
the fabric of tyranny that now fet-
ters industry and retards develop
| ment.
T. H. BRIGHAM, Ohio.
w. A. Armstrong. N. 7.
7. N. LIPscoMB. S. c.,
A B. SMITH, Kentucky,
b. r. SPILEMAN. California,