, 1880-01-07
RAILROAD REGULATION.


RAILROAD REGULATION. |
II we nlay julge from tic reported ex-
prcsstons OF some Of tho local railroad sollc-
ttors who have been discussing tic proposed |
National regulation Of Interstate railroads,
there is q singular md pcrvcrso lnfsapprc-
jlonslon OF tho purpose of such legislation. |
Ono theory adyancc.rts that 1t Is proposed to |
prevent ,tlen like Gould and Vanderbilt FROM
absorbing and centralfzing grcat railroad
Interests, aud tito legislation is antagoniztal !
on TINT ground as imprncticabfe. 1t Is hatI |
to believe that tho railroad mon rs a clnss
actually corlstrue the popular demand for
National regulation rs having any st,cll Oh
tcct. There Is no thought OF attempting to
prevent by statute my mnn FROM acQttir-
ing rAilroad property; but thare Is tle-
lhand, TINT men who enjoy great nrd
valuable public franchises shall not Use uieir
,nonopo1lcs for the oppression Of those who
furnish thetrbusiness BY Whose sufferance
they have acquired their exceptional prlyi-
leges. There Is ITO intention Of blocking the
way Of any nun or any set OF 1ncn tn their
efforts to extend their ownership of rnllroal
stock, but only the demand that, by wholnso-
over owned or managed, the railroads shall
serve tic American public ut q fair and
reasonable compensation, and without dis
crilainaton or favorittsm,
Tho people of this country, after long
md costly experience with railroad combina-
lions aud the evasions Ut tho State laws
through Interstate connections, have be-
come satisfied TINT there should bv n Mt
ttoiml system OF regulation stlcll rs prevails
III one form or another tn NIL OTHER civilized
countries, and they Aelnanti that Congress
shall provide such system under the con-
slituttonal authority for the regulation Of
commerce among the States.
Tho reason why railroad attorneys antl
| raElroad managers nrc unable to sec tho
| jlstlco Of State regulation Is to bofountl i'll
their long-stnn,ling linblt Of looking at more
~ one slde OF the question. They have grown
50 accustomed to an arbitrary dlctation OF
both sides of every contract thoy make that
they seem to be utterly unable to perceive
tl,at tho great public hnye transportation
rights as we'll rs the corporations. They cat-
not understand why every rai1road company
should not bo permitted to exact aIl 1t peases,
To c,alige its rates, regardless of tho interests
| OF the public, every few days, to charge more
for less service thnn greater one, to dis
crlminate against persons and places, and to
combine for tho purpose Of extortf0n. Thoy
claiul MI these conditions MS "riglts." Tho
| hut 4ha t,rfuefn1n1
Of law md practices Of civilization
are on tho slt1o Of the public. Tho very mt
IRE of the business of tho common arrler
Includes tho right Of public supervision, linz
itatton, md regulation, md, In addition to
this, tue value of tho public franchises,
grants, md privileges enjoyed by tho rall-
roatls carries with 1t an accountability to the
public's rights. There Is no disposition
Among tho American people to discourage
tho building Of rallroads by making them
unprolltable, but there Is n determination
that tho men OF corporations controlling tho
railroads shall no longer cnjoy tho peculiar
privilege Of using the public highways to rot
md oppress tho people. When rntlronl lne'l
utllnit that n "Durcau Of Statistics" might
be established to advantage for tho collection
of trustworthy reports, they coldcss that the
public has Il right to know whether 1t Is
cheated or not; but when they stop Mt this
point mil ,lc1ly tho right Of further Inter
ference they virtually contend TINT tie pub
lie, Whenever II lns Informed itself Of an OK
tortiost, llas no right to protect itself. This
IL palpa1,ly illogIcal md inconslstent,