The Wichita city eagle., 1880-12-23
THE RAILROAD QUESTION.

There is one thing to be remarked in con-
nection with the proposition for legislative
regulation Of railroads: 1t is a question Of
whose OK is gored. When the railroads are
so operated AS to the benefit New York City,
the metropolis is entirely serene and satis-
fled, and cannot disguise its disgust for the
complaints of Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois
grangers. But when the railroads favor the
West by receiving grain for shipment to Liy-
erpool on through bills. or bringing foreign
goods to tn. West on through shipments,
which leave no toll in New York, then the
metropolis thinks it time their railroads
should be taught their duty, and the growing
power Of great corporations should be sub
jccted to legislative restriction. The pres
ent movement for bringing railroads under
the supervision Of laws of Congress comes
from the very New York merchants who,
six years ago, greeted similar movement
in Illinois and Wisconsin with derision.
1t may be advisable and even necessary for
Congress to enact a fair and reasonable law
for the government of railroads. The sub
ject is one whose Importance is daily in
creasing. The concentration of great lines
under one management and ownership, the
merging OF small roads as feeders with great
ones. and the wonderful eXaggeration Of the
power of corporate bodies which this ten
dency is sleading to, present question Ma
tional in its aspects and bcwildering in Its
nature. 1t is the most important problem of
the day, and we shall feel the wisdom and
ability of our wisest and ablcst statesmen in
dealing with it. 1t cannot he said that up to
this time the great combinations have shown
any disposition to abuse their powers. On
the contrary, railroad management has been
and still is growing more and more bencf-
cent. The rates of carriage on freight are
steadily decreasing; the charges for passen-
gers are being reduced the comforts of trav-
el are being multiplied train running is be-
coming marvellous in safety, accuracy and
regularity that mark it; and the constantly
multiplying volume of railroad travel, all
bear witness to the bencfcence of system
as popular in its management as it is wonder
full in extent.
1t is said that til he great railroad corpora
tions will soon control the country and die
tate its legislation. But the proofs Of this
danger are not at hand. There was n time
ten or twelve years ago, when the corpora
ton had good deal to do with legislation in
certain States and in Congress, but OF late
years they seem to have avoided both Con-
gress and the Legislatures. They are preOc-
upied with their own riyalres in the work
Of cheapening travel and transportation,
shortening their schedules and pcrfecting
their complex machinery of operation: in
short, they appear more ambitious TO in
crease their usefulness than to abuse their
power. II may be that some future time
they will endeavor to make injurious excr-
else OF their authority. and. anticipation Of
this. it would be well to enact well-consid-
cred national law for regulating them. But
would il be advisable to regulate them in the
interest of New York city, which seems to
be the object the merchants OF the metr0po-
lis are aiming at. No railroad law will be
acceptable to the West that does not recog-
nizi its claim for cheap transportation. and
its right to do business directly with Eu-
rope.--.l. Louis R,pubsican.