Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1881-12-06

tleuartsEly Advertisers. - :
driving him out OF. the market or even ONT
OF the legitimate business IN which he is en-,
| gagged, and which has byshis competition
with A. resulted in great public good to q
large class otseensanierss This iseanS illastrssS
ton to show that whenever oEGrtered cor>5
poration d1scriminates pTeiadicially in the
management of its corporate authority ii fors
ieits all its franchises, privileges and powers,
and the granting authority has a right. aud
should exercise it, in either repeating aitoe
gether or regulating its creatures and tho
creature, or eorporation. cannot, eitheflesal,
" or morally, set up a vested right 90 dos
manifest wrong; for it is pAlpable wrong
to oppress B. to benefit A. aud there Is no
difference If that oppression comes direct or
indirect, designed or contingent, it is equally
an injury, aud therefore outside OF tho char.
ter, and cannot be elsimed in eone Saance,
with 1t. Nor is the wrong or injury confined
to the private interests OF B. iIt.is a,pnblic
injury. because the discrimination on, the
part OF the common carrier has crippled. or
destroyed, decomposition of the two manu-
taoturers, A. aud B,,th1s enabling A. TO
nave monopoly in tho production of tho
particular commodity or article manufactured
in which the whole public are consumers.
and consequently obliged to buy at monopos
ly prices. But the objector to my line of. ar.
gument will interposo by saying that all liz
eeuses aud tariffs are of this species of dis
erlmlnatlon. admit it, with, this single re>
marx They are acts of monopoly by soyS
ereign authority, whereas the other Is mo,
nopoly by dependent corporation of pri-
vato character, even If it perform functions
of public nature.
Now, let US consider the effect of monopo>
y on tho body politic, as developed under
recent workings in railroad and other pi1Ans
tic monopolies. First, the great danger in
thoir power, which is fast becoming supreme
and sovereign under tho falacious claim of
vested rights. The great grants of the pnb.
llo lands to railroad companies has resulted
directly ln creating in those companies most
dangerous mopopolies So that the fteisht>
log. aud travelling public are made to nav in
high frcights aud fares largo dividends on
stocks selling at premiums; because the
stocks have been made profitable by tho adj
ditions of tho land grants as subsidies. and
tho citizen has been greatly affected BY. the
great power of those corporations In CONTROLS
ing tho business in which he has no voice or
power bat which he must accent upon the
arbitrary terms prescribed by tho company.
The farmer and tho manufacturer must send
their produce and products to market, and
there Is now but one way to get It to market.
by means OF the railroads, which in nearly
ali cases have been constructed by donated
funds, or moaps drawo from public treasures
through tho authority of officials, or even the
ballot where tl1tteriug representations have
been mado to tho voter, but which repre-
sentAtions aud promises are mover fulfilled
Now companies and altogether other parties
own tho roads long before they do much
lighting; and these new parties, although
Successors under the same charter. feel in.
suited 1t rhoy arc asked to comply or regard
the terms on which the people ware induced
to subscribe to tho stock or vote to NAbnafa
from tho public domSin or from the public
purse the funds by which tho enterprise was
set on foot. Tnis is injurious to the public
veal, and an attack upon RepmbIicau i0stitu-
lions but this is not all. Whenever the
state seeks to control its creature, as is the
right and duty of the State, the churtared
officials, by gifts and favors, buy up the legs
ls!ators, so that when they legiSiats, 1t is in
the interest Of corporations which the peonle
have chosen them to regulate and control.
Thus arc tho people poWerless to enforce Tho
conditions; without which the corporation
could not have achieved power to harm and
oppress the citizen. Notwithstanding aiithe
abuses heaped on the producer by them, still
railroads are increasing, and in that Is the
hoped corrective.
They defy the State authorities, and deny
the power OF legislatures to regulate their
charges on freight and trayei, .bec5ti eoftheir
necessity as factor in the great resourass Of
tue nlneteeDth century; Arrogance takes
the place of jnstice and, money. Meirhs
against equality. So the public veal inyoIses
composition and railroads trayerse the land In
all directions. A vorifcatfou of the adage
that the greater the dose the less the evil. :
Railroads should not be monouoiiea thev
should be we'll compensated, for with aiitheir
abuses they arc the great siuews of prosperf>
ty, and no government on earth is pfosperous
without them. But, like all human enter
prlses, should bc content 70 keep withiri the
limits of thoir creation by charging uni.
form price per mile for freiRhts and travel.
Leave politics alone. and keep their hands
clean from partisan rings should not build no
a by pulling down Il. Nor filing the pock>
cts OF taVorites at The expense of the general
Pu0'ic. But railroads are not the only mo-
nopoiies, corn czchanges arc grieyous mo.
nopohes. few men control the sugar SUP.
ply. MonorolisIs regulate the coal oil ofthe
country. City Touring mills are doing all
sne grinding and country mills are confined
to cracking ittle corn for customers. City
ciothiers are starving the goose" ON the
boards of country tailors. Country shoe
makers are confined to cobbliug, and so We
might go through the whole list of hungry
Craftsmen. And lastly, the Offices are mo-
noPolizsd By rings; honest men are rarely
found successful politicians. Ring politi-
clans get the places of honor and profit. aud
hold them for what they are Worthiin dollar.
and cents They bank in rings and spend
money to be able to steal more, and that Il
the reason that corruption and fraud 20 hand
in hand, whilst worth and honesty have no
reward.