, 1881-12-18
THE RAILROAD LAWS.
4 Correspondent Who Calls for Their
Strict Enforcement by the Commits

81OneT*.
To the Editor Of The Chicago Tribune.
CHICAGO, Dec. I7.-When the City Fathers and
Mayor, the organs and dispensers of the funds Of
tho city, arc kept on short allownnce-hnd no
money for work that must be done-need more
police service than they have money to pay for
then comes the golden period when each
skulkiug interest, each abuse that hns escaped
Just burdens Of taxntion, has imposed It's fair
shure of public burdens upon their unguarded
or defencclesy neighbors-is summoned to show
cause for these abuses.
Then ca1ne the consideration OF saloon
licenses: and, first We find they not collect
ed; second: we find they are remitted; third,
we find that they are far too low. Then comes
the license tax on vehicles that tear up and wear
out our streets, and ne learn that those who cost
us most nay us least; that the saloonsecpers,
and, hackmef, and 1iverymcn. and hucksters-
and all this Geutry, under ban more or less in
public seutiment-in sentiment as expressed IN
tho pulpit and tho ncwspaper-haye all the
time been preferred and protected BY electing
man to do it. .....-..
It Is the old method that guarded slavery,
enabled m intcrcst-tho crime OF cFimcs-to
rule tho Nntfon-Tule it with an iron roG-Wlth n
rule that would have lastcd until this hour.
perhups for u century more, had not the usual
}ntirmity Of crime caused it to become so bold
that it demanded, iu obedience to the just logic
Of its existence TO be allowed unlimited extern
siou, excluding and driving innocence anl JUS
tice to the wall. .'Whom tho gods wish 10 de-
strUy they tirst make mad.
So our ruilroad maguatcs disclose the ''socrets
Of their pris0n-house,' confess their crimes.
acknowledge the justice Of, ne charsc5
wasting the public moneys un1ustiy
tiched from The public pockets; po:s,son ! Thls ais
declining receipts, by the necessities Of consi1-
cri1,s how to live and pay their enormous divi.
dcnds, In the presence or the probiein, aoal.
the compan1ts pay the moneys ior abuses or
shall they be abolished: when tho question IS,
Shall We needles'y pay ~ per cent commission
on passenger fares: Then the rallsoad maEnates a
all very well us long lis we could extort this COM
mission in addition 70 oi1r extoruonate rates OF
the public; but now that PASSENGER e. rates a;r are
. when rosues full out honest men get their
dues" ,. T.,
the solemn and secret convention OF General
Passenger Agents OF Dec. Il in Chlca9o on the
Ques zion OF paying commissions on tne s"e VI
~ Ihe Ions-corrinucd practice of paying,
and by the long unchecked ability to receive
commissions the paying 5as anS nf Saet sne uno,f
of the revenue derived from passenger cafhtn2s'
and have thus dcspoited the owners OF the rail-
passenger to pay mulch argcr rates for his rall.
road pussage thun he would huye been Obliged
10 nav had no commission been pAId for, no
Continued, 'the commissions paid by the lend
ing ruflrouds amount to from to ) per cent OF
the gross revenue derived from passenger earn-
ings-" 4.u, ~ ,ro
property had not been paid Increased divideads
from tho money tnat would have been saVea II
commissions had por been paid, then the E!til-
road companies would have been able TO quite
largely reduce their passenger tarln, pay, "a a.
large dividends as have been paid In the past
and vet reduce tneir passenger rnte5 to con-
sidcrpbic and apprec!aOio extent
Through rates." he continued. could Ieaao ho
fly be reduced from TO l0 per cent from the
saving in commissions alonc, SINCE the amount