The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1880-11-27

eral ways. Next morning the tele- |
graph wires will have flashed across
the land their decision that every
bushel of grain going to market,
every bale of goods passing inland, /!
shall pay 20 to 80 per cent more
freight than has hitherto been paid.
In effect, this bevy of railroad kings
have arbitrarily reduced the value
of every farm, every quarter section,
eve@y bushel CT grain in the Great
West. If they owned the whole
country and all who live in it, they
could not lord it over us more tyr
annically. And perhaps they will
proceed next day to make a script
dividend or additional issue of stock
| representing nothing but their own
rapacity, SO as to CONCEAL from dull
or careless eyes the fact that they
are exacting from their customers
an annual profit of Is or IS per cent
on their actual investment.
Il ask this State and every State
to affirm and exercise its right of
fixing proper and reasonable rates
of fare and freight on every railroad
subject to its jurisdiction.
| can see no reason for doubt that
the same power which sufficed to
give the farmers houses and lands
to company at price virtually
fixed by the State, will suffice to in
sure the farmers the right to use
that railroad at prices likewise fixed
by the State"
M. Greeley was true friend to
agriculture and all the industrial in
terests, and his opinion and advice
greatly encouraged the farmers of
the country in their efforts for re-
form in railroad management, They
have repeatedly appealed to Con
gress for the necessary legislation,
but as yet but little has been done
further than to appoint committee
on transportation to inquire into our
grievances and report upon the
same. The following from the re-
port Of that committee will show the
conclusions at which they arrived:
"With the rapid and inevitable
progress of combination and consol-
idation, these colossal organizations
are daily becoming stronger and
more imperious The day is not
distant, if It has not already arrived
when it will be the duty of the
statesman to inquire whether
there is less danger in leav-
ing the property and industrial in
terests of the people thus wholly al
the mercy CT few men who re-
cognize no responsibility but tc
their stock holders, and no princi
pal of action but personal and cor
porate ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, than in ad
ding somewhat to the power anc
patronage of government directly
responsible to the people, and en-
tirely under their control"
Senator David Davis, of Illinois
in his lately published views upor
this question says: "The rapi,
growth OF corporate power, and The
malign influence which it exerts
by combination in the National anC
and State Legislatures, is well
grounded cause for alarm. A strug
gle is pending in the near futur
between this over grown power
with its vast ramiications all owe
the Union, and a hard grip on mucl
of the political machinery on th
one hand, and the people in an un
: organized condition on the other
for the control of the Government
twill be watched by every patrio
with intense anxiety"
: 1t is most gratifying and encour
aging to know that so able ami in
r 1uential bodies as the New 1or
t Chamber of CONNIE zee, and tn
e Board of Trade and Hransportatio
\ of that city, are giving their Who'll
and united influence to secure Stat
o and National legislation, to regulat
II and supervise the management {
railroads; and are doing valuabl
) work in enlightening the peopl
/ upon the great wrongs committe
1t by the railroad companies again,
/ the public interest, and the influenc
|, of the managers over the PRES
/ the politics, and the legislation {
: the country. The following is frol
l. the report adopted by the Chambe
lie of Commerce, une 3, 1880:
< The bad faith of tie railroa
/ managers, in their professions tn;
< they are willing to treat the publ
e with equality and justice, is eviden
G They have been so long accustome
l. to disregard the principle of higI
r, way, and WELD the power of the
great organizations to enrich then
re selves and their favorites that the
IF object to any supervision or contro
: Instead of accepting in good faitl
S, and trying to conform to principle
n of management manifestly just. the
:. seem determined to dictate, and az
/ here to their own policy, and PEI
} petuate abuses which are oppose
t, to all principles of right, and whic
/ were so gross that they at first dt
If MED their existence, but which the
lr now seek to justify and perpetuate
r The Board of Trade and Tran.
h portation, in their report of June
'f 1850, says:
n at is evident that the public we
l. fare demands that railroads, bot
If State and inter State should be 81
h pervised and regulated in the int
t, est of the public, and that in tn
t. State the reforms which have bee