Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1881-05-21

privileges, stretches of power, aggres-
siona upon the rights of the people,
determinations, stockwatering, and
overbearing, autocratic methods gen.
orally, are few of many railroad in
EQUITIES to which the JOURNAL is hes
tile. And it has some elegant COM
pany. We are not aware that "Pro-
grets" is politician, or Of what party
he is a constituent. The following
views Of representative men are ap-
propriate here; they express, more
nervously than we can, some reply to
Progress. AS one who, by impli-
cation, "knows all the ms and outs Of
railroad matters" he may read and
take his choice. We begin with Hon.
William Window
Corporate power has done much to de-
velop our country. For its coed deeds l
freely accord it full credit. As an instru-
ment to execute the will and serve the in
terests of the public, it is of incalculabe
value; but as the imperious ruler of the
people 1t is most cruel and relentless
! tyrant. Kept within the limits of proper
restraint.it Is an invaluable servant Of the
public. Unrestrained by the forces of law
and public opinion it will prove most
dangerous master. The individual citizen
is impotent to contend with this gigantic
and rapidly growing power. Government.
tai authority, State and matt onal, alone is
competent to restrain its aggres sions and
! correct its abuses. / have long foIeseen
| that the time would come when the peo-
pie would be compelled to invoke the cx-
eIcise of that authority for their protec-
/ ton. l repeat to-day, in Substance, words
uttered seven years ago, that there ale in
this country four men who in the matter
of taxation possess and frequently exercise
powers which neither Congress nor any
of our State Legislatures would dare to
exert-powers which if exercised in Great
Britain would stake the throne to its very
foundation. These men may at any time.
and for any reason S. usfactory to them
selves, by stroke of the pen reduce the
value of properly in the United States ty
hundreds of millions. They may st their
own will Snd pleasure dlsarrange and en-
barrass business, depreSs one city or locality
and build up another, enrich one indi0iduat
and RUN Ills competitors, and, when com
plant is made, coolly reply, What are GU
going to do about 1t p"
Where is the limit to such po,oer as this ?
and uhat shall be said Of tile spirit Of a free
people aoto ao,l submit ioHhoM 4 protest TO
be thus bound hand and foot?
Has the JOURNAL ever said more
than that of The B. g. O?
But perhaps Progress" is demo-
crat. If so, we commend him to
Judge Black.
If Mr.. Window has merely "hint-
ed" at the dangers threatened by
corporate aggressions, Judge Black
indicates how they may be averted:
You will effect a complete reform if you
get law enacted commanding all the
railroad companies in the Union TO pre-
serve their connection aCiM one another, 10
furnish all proptr facilities TOR transpor.a-
| AMT ~ ,JoIU NJ
sonable, fixed, prescribed, uniform in pro-
portion to distance. soith0ut discrimination
betueen 0ne pe'son, one place, or one connect
ing railroad and another. Then declare,
that any officer, director, agent or EN-
ployee of railroad corporation who will
fully violates this command, or orders it to
be violated by extorting more than rea-
sonablc freight or faIe, or by refusing to
any citizen the proper use of the highway,
or by making prohibited discrimination,
shall answer for it IN his pmper person,
and upon due conviction shall be punished
us a felon.
If Progress party feeling is of
the railroad sort, Adaptable TO times
and circumstances, we venture a quo
tation from Judge David Davis
The rapid growth of corporate power
and the malign influence which it exerts by
combination on the National and State
Legislatures, is a well grounded cause of
alarm. A struggle is pending in the near
future between this overgrown power, with
its vast ramifcations all over the Union,
and hard grip on much of the political
machinery. on tue one hand, and the peo-
pie in an unorganlzed condition ON the
other, for control of the government. 1t
will be watched by every patriot with in
tense anxiety.
Itwould seem, therefore, that wiser
people than "Progress" are viewing
the abuses and fearing the conse-
quences Of the policy of very many
of those who "know all the ms and
cut of railroad matters" who, to use
the words of a committee oftAe United
States Senate, recognize no principle
of action but personal and corporate
aggrandizsment."
If all these things be true general
ly, they are true particularly in the
r T..