The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1881-09-01

anu vet OlViueHuS nave Ueen WTuHB from
the people Of that section to make the
stock worth $3.50 per share at the present
time.
1.-THE Hudson River road runs paral-
lei with the Harlem, is operated Ivy the
same management, and yet, having water
competition, the average rstes Of freight
on the latter road are only about half
those on the Harlem. No one doubts
that the rates on the Hudson River road
are sufficiently remnnerativc nor TINT
those on the Harlem are exorbitant. 1t
is simple illustration that might
makes right, and that a freebooter, if
he only understands the habits Of the
American people, can rob them with
are but types Of our whole railroad hys-
tenn. Is it any wonder that railroad
men grow suddenly rich, while the n,lm-
Der Of tramps and bepgarr increase?"
r. O.--"Now, my friend, you are get
ting a little excited; Mr.. Vanderbilt is
not charging the people along the line Of
the Harlem road rs nluchas it cost them
before the railroad was built, and yet
you call him freebooter; il you don't
like the rates We charge, why don't You
wagon your produce to market, or 60 TO
the Legislature and get it to reduce the
rate Of freight?s
C.-"Well, there is some freight wag-
oned to market now, right alongside Of
the greatest invention for CARRYING
freight cheaply and quickly that has
ever been made, but do not think it is
right that any NAH or set Of men should
be allowed to monopolize all the bene.
fits Of that invention, especially when
these benefits have been vonchsafed in
q greater degree to the people Of other
sections, whose produce is carried to the
market ut much cheaper rates, and with
which the people Of my section have to
compete. do not think it right that
Mr.. Vanderbilt should abrogate the
natural advantages Of the coltiguity Of
property to this market by charging me
higher prOportionate rates Of freight,
and, indeed. he has no business to charge
me or my neiehbors upon any other
principle than the cost Of service with a
fair profit added thereto, and when say
fair profit, ! mean not more than 10
per cent. upon the actual money Mr..
Vanderbilt originally put into that road,
and not upon watered stock, or stock is.
sued to represent surplus earnings
(which is really the peoples money!
invested in extending or improving
the road. Such betterments should be
made with Mr.. Vanderbllt's own money
or money actually subscribed for that
purpose, and for which stock may lcgiti.
mately be issued; and, rs regards the
second part Of your question, why the
people do not 60 to the Legislature and
have rates lowered, / want t. say toyou
that that is just what we intend to do
I say this with the full knowledge that
railroad men are sending money into
di ,tricts oil over the State land other
States as welD to influence nominations
or elections that the votes Of individual
citizens are bought aud sold almost rs
freely as other merchandise that you
send every member of the Legislature,
before he takes his seat, free pass, and
that many influential politicians, editors
and clergymen receive the same 'atten-
tions even Coroners and Tax Assessors
alongy0ur line being thus remembered.
say this knowing that the most eloquent
advocates will appear at Albany to plead
vOuA O0U6C I1lul Qlcu VIII IKE clcClGll W
the Legislature in your interest, while
nominally representing that Of the pub
lie, will secretly obstruct Legislation and
trade their votes to serve you; that
your advertising patronage will he *
erted upon newspapers, and that ship
pers will be provided with preferential
rates, to advocate continuance Of the
present system, which gives the favored
few an advantage over their neighhors !;
and that where all these fail you will re-
sort to direct bribery to accomplish your
ends. The task is a great one, bnt in
time 1t will be accomplished. l believe
that laws defining the public rights will
be passed by the Legislature Of every
State, and that the Congress Of the
United States will pass the Reagan bill,
or some other honest bill for the regn-
lation of Interstate commerce, and that
executive bodies will be appointed to
supervise the operation of public high
ways, and see that these laws are exc
cuted. Either this, or the State will
annul existing charters, and reassume
her functions (Which she has temporarily
delegated) of furnishing public high
ways"
r. o." You would put politicians
to work running railroads, would You,
in the hopes Of getting better ana
cheaper service than ut present ?"
C.-"No, that is not nece ssary; the
State could own the railroads and lease
them, under proper restrictions, to as
sociations to operate, as the State Of
Massachusetts, has done. as the city of
Cincinnati has done, and rs the Domin-
ion of Canada and other Governments
have done, where the roads have been
wholly or partly owned and the control
thus retained in the hands of the pub
ic."
r. o." Wouldn't you have nice
centralization Of power in the hands Of
the Government?
C.-"Not SO very much more than mt
present, and, in the words Of United
States Senate committee, 1t is more
dangerous to have Capitalization of q
few men who recognize no responsibility
but to their stockholders. and no princi-
pie Of action but personal and corporate
aggrandixement, than in adding some-
what to the power and patronage OF a
Government directly responsible to the
people and entirely under their control.
While l respect the opinions Of all good
citizens who believe that the functions
of Government should be as few as pos
sible, yet believe it has come to a point
where we must choose the least OF two
evils, that We must offset the power of
the people Ct ntralized in their State and
national Government against greater
and more dangerous Capitalization of
power in the hands Of great corpora
tons. Our postal system might, per-
haps, be better managed under private
control, but l doubt It, and the expert
ment of the Government managing the
telegraphs in Great Britain has /. suited
in the public receiving far cheaper serv-
ices. The ownership and operation Of
railways by Government in many
Of the English colonies, rs well
as other countries, compare favora-
bly, with those in private hands, and
in my opinion the cry Of Capitalization
OF power is chiefly raised by those who
seek to unduly tax the masses of the