National Republican., 1881-07-20
Our Iron Turnpike Tolls.


The enormous drafts made by royalty
upon the earnings of the people in the
imperial countries of Europe are ex-
ceedcd by the tribute eXacted from the
people of the United States by our impe-
rial masters, the railway kings. In our
country the public highways are deliv-
cred over to these royal usurpers under
legislation which they have themselves
enacted through their friends and agents
in the Legislatures of the States. The
rates of toll which the public shall
pay over these toll-roads for passage
and transportation of goods are only
limited by the rapacity and boldness of
the men to whom the franchise of col
lecting tolls has been granted. The cor
porations, which are the instrumentalities
through which these men operate, have
their existence from the State Legisla-
lures. They can only draw the breath of
,>their lives so long as it shall please the
Legislature to permit it. Thus created
by the State, they are authorized by
the State to exercise the sovereign
power and perform the sovereign duty Of
constructing public roads. AS private
persons they could only build road over
their own private property. They would
be obliged TO stop as soon rs they reached
neighbor's property and treat with him
for the purchase Of the right of way. If
he declined to sell they could go no fur
thcr. Not all the power of any
State, nor of the United States,
can compel any man to sell his
property to another or permit its use
by him. Thus the plan for building the
railroad by private persons as private
property would be thwarted by any land
owner along its whole line who should
decline to sell the right of way. But
if no such obstacle should be found,
still no road could be built as
private property. The projectors might
find every landowner along their pro-
posed route willing to sell at reasonable
rates, and still another obstacle would
arise. They would be obliged again TO
stop upon reaching public road or navi-
gable stream. They could not trespass
upon the public property. They
could no more cross n turnpike
road with their rails without Gov
ernment permission than they could
wall it up entirely, or build house
across its entire width, They could no
more cross navigable stream with q
railroad bridge without similar permis.
sion than they could fill it up with rocks
How, then, are railroads constructed
How are people compelled TO sell the
,ipl,t pr t1,ppttnh thnit, foNt,nS ~
through their dwellings, if need be
How do railroad companies acquire the
right to cross over roads and streams, and
how do they secure the right Of way
through public lands of the United
States and lands granted TO the States
Simply by being appointed the
agents of the State orof the United States
and thus empowered to do what these
powers alone can do, namely; tocondemr
private property for public use, and to usc
the right of way over public property.
And yet, in the face of these obvious
and accepted truths. resting not only oi
the clear logic Of the case, but ON the de
cisions Of the highest courts and the dec
larations of the most renowned Law
NIlltlSi VIC IdlllOuN lpuuN VI NaNll FtANN
and at Washington loudly protests agains
governmental interference with cXtor
tionate rates Of toll or unjust dis
ordinations between customers an,
localities, and insist that iailroa'
property is private property, AM
that it can no more be lawfully in
terfered with or controlled than can an!
other private property, TheyIell us tina
vested rights are sacred, and that onl.
an agrarian spirit will attempt to toucl
them with the profane hand Of legisla
ton. They call Justify on capitalist
really engaged in private enterprises an,
say Stand by railroad property; ifw
are interfered with now it may be you
turn next" Then private capital, whicl
is being robbed by railroad companies
comes ignorantly forward and aids il
sharpening the weapons and augmentini
the strength Of the plunderers.
The railroads Of the United States cos
an average of less than $4,000 a mile
Their managers have issued bonds anC
stock upon them 10 an average amount 0
nearly 100000 mile. The roads wer
built, as we have shown, by the cXercis
Of powers which no private persons hay,
ever possessed in their own right. The,
have been substituted by the State 70
itself in the construction ofroads, and, a