, 1881-03-26
c0NVICTION AND REAPp0INTMENT OF
THE RAILROAD COMMISSIONERS.

The hAlLhUAU CuMMltoltNEha.
Tile reports Of tho Committee OF the State
Senate Oh tic subject Ut the execution Of the
law of tic State TO punish eytor.ions, over
el,urges, tllscrlnlnatfDls ana expressions by
railroad corporations, taken together, fur
nlsh eyltencH uf thu most remarkable III
stance Of oftielal negligence thu. Ilas been
disclosed for lnaily years. The evidence Ills
closes the iItust continuous system Ut ''c0ut-
pounding Ut felony" BY tho Commissioners
npImtntctl to execute tho lRw,-a SYSTEM Tint
wnuh to tftsgracofni II the rawnbrUkcrs Of
lhts city were authorized by law to catl-
pound crime with those guilty of stealing
rrnpGrty.
This lawmakiDg power OF the Stato, know
Ing tie inability Ut individuals to prosecute
tlle railroads fol Violations of tho Inv, createA
ilonrd Of Commissioners, who, representing
the Statc, were to gatlter evidence and bring
the Offending companies to Justice. Among
other things tho law provides:
The act Ut Arrl H. 1471, Hfc. II, declares:
'Sa!!! Commissioners shalI exntnino into tho
| condition AMI management and All 0thGr INIT
tiers cUIlcornlna tho business Ut rnlIroNs lit this
cutl,Ily with ito Eaws of tGo Siate"; aui thou iu
tlle ccArest lAngliRKc commands: Antt when-
EVER i shnll conn to tue k'nwle.lge, either ,,pon
10 htfeT, TINT my such law ur laws have been nr
ARE being ylOIntel, they shall prosecute OF ut.lsG
70 H. pr'sesntctt ' M VI corporations or pcFso''s
IND act IT sMy =, iS73, aRainst extort!on. Soc;
| !. Aaso commands with eua olcurncss; - Aud
whenever tho facts tls my manner Ascertnlnesl
by sahl commissioners shMll IN the!r 1uaKnlpht
warrunt Alleh prosecution It shuIl i,e Tho dtu Of
said Commissioners tt, Immediately catiso suits
to bc commenced and prosecuted aKainst rny
r,iroaa corporatsnn which may vlotate the pro-
| Visions of thlS act.'
| The evidence before tlle Committee Is coll
ce.lc4l by both sE.ios Of tho Colnu|itte0 to U.s.
| tabltsh tho following facts:
! |. That certain railroad cnlnpa,,los during
tho lust three years labltunlly exactet and
demanded certain arbitrary terminal charges
q! per car) ~, cur-loasts Ut graLn consigned
to elevators In Chicago, mud als0 from 81 to
S. per day for "detl,Arrage." 1t IL conceded
| thut thcse charges were illegal aud extottlm,-
| ate; that ti,ey wnro publicly advertised and
collected; TINT tho Commissioners hntl full
knowledge Ut them, a,!l llnl never lnterpos0tl
their authority or taken my step to arrest or
punish tho robbery. These Illegal ai,d Gx-
tortlonate cxactio,ls eQual sa0o, ,000 yenr.
=. That tho Law required thu Commissions
crs to a.lopt alM! publish II scheAmle.o of maxt.
n,um rates; tl.at this l}oara OF Commission.
| Ck9t khNAkh 4NHb 3Int9 III 0H<N1 ANa %ltl1&0 Hl
ehangu lM Its schedule, nit! that tho railroads
themselves have ruluced their rates, aFter
below thu old schedule. or bo near Ia 1t tl.at,
rs tho l}oartl schedule was to be accol'tc.!
rs prtunt;}acic just, no suit coula he
maintained ugatnst roRtt which ltud aub
stantiaIly tlo SINE rates. Tile minority n,
port says OIL this point:
Wu futther tIu,l ihus the I'tmr., hnyc tnatto nc
,jttbfh
THUR prcslercsss,rs, HlthallHh tho necessity o'
aet schedule has lung tcon most urgent. M IA
III s II 'G rns ,r es:sy snH u ts'a 'e
such revision fs uf thu t!rst consequences. ~ Ii
we'll known. tho schedules nro 1a.lo nnly lniat.
ratns therein txetl. sinn!iestly i schedule e.,l,-
feAse.lly detective would hava little weight iI
tlencv wotsl'i 10 sufficient tn ovcrcei..v tho pre-
sumption created by slvt ssh'ti,11a TIM,
would hn n,crssngy u such Il schedule ~ the
nw rtaaul rus hui been illA'lu; md tnhnl lfHstly
schedule IN whiuh tho rnths Aro tuu hlxh Ii i
cstnplese s,Irresnlur ri tho rights Ut Tho people
uf corporations; for III mat with TIL. seh.xuie
agafnst hiH, cn.ill ever maintain hilnbc!t Ii
eaSrt not ~ w,! h. % Yy"n ,,;', s;'t,te;ns 4 Man,
ules WerU lnAdg, f%T which li!l schedules What
Hver hass bsrn provided, a1.l " to saeh rta!
tllo INV pr'hi't'n9 D1tortlols beceucs prAetl
| calIy Imperative
Whun 1t Is remembered tlas thu su!letlul
now III fofco was adopted In 1878 the ig
no1aneu ur negligence Ut the lIoarl Ut Com
lnlssloaurs wl,u lsAyo pcrpetuuteA tic oi.
rntcs. lung slllca abandoned by tha railroad
J themselves, tie unanimous cunylc.lOl by til
. COMMITTEES eau hardly be sulA Ia 10 lAtsA 0
. unjust.
3. It Ii conceded by all sides and by all til
! railroads that pooling OF receipls to m,atnta,
/. rates aud rebatas, drawbacks, and specls
I rates Ii mart a 1nr F,,ts nf all