, 1881-01-15
An I.peidinG Danger.
r,ssr,,S. csss~SesAaanx is Raie The
CoaDeRy.

'H CsansFy.
Scarcely a week goes by without some
announcement Of a movement for the
consolidation Of kailroad lines in one
part or another Of this country. These
movements 60 on without any interposi-
ton Of public authority and little regard TO
any claim of the public TO be consulted or
considered Fash one Of them ADDS
strength b that corporate power whose
! maliqn influence on the National and
State Legislatures was not long ago de-
elsred by a prominent Unit States Sena-
tor 10 be "well- grounded cause OF aiar;n-
| There was recently Fep''rt that the Ne"
York central and Hudson River. with the
Lake Shore and Michigan Central under
! its control, Was about to make co,nbina-
.inn with tine Chicago, Burlington and
Quincy and the Aichlson, Topeka an Santa
Fe, which, with onc more pas sibie con-
neeiion, would bring through line across
the continent under prac:iea!l undirid-
ed management Though this las been
denied, there have been negotiations
looking in that direction Mr.. Jay Gould
has been for some time making combina-
tious in the West and Sputhxest, which
evjrIrntly have in view a through connec-
ton frcm the Mississippi River 70 the
Pacific Ocean under control which n then
10 turn back over the Wabash system to
the great lakes, thence to compie e nnion
with som, Of the trunk lines eastward to
the Atlantic Before very long there are
likely t. he three lines Of railroads cross
ing the barrier Of the Rocky Mountains
from the Diississippi Valley to the Pacific
Coast, each forming, sooner "r later,
union with corresponding lines from this
side OF the continent. The great trunk
lines Of the East nov traverse the Nor, n
ern States, but kindred movement to-
ward consolidation has begun i'll the South,
conspicuously represented in the recent
combination Of the Louisville 4 Nashville
COMPANY. while from the central sangi'a
on the Mississippi, lines are reaching cut
toward the Gulf and the Mexican border
The tendency every where Is toward an
absorption Of the important short lines
and union af interests that lie IN the
same General line Of transportation, either
bv actual consolidation of companies or by
combinations under contracts and agree
ments which prnluce virtual nni'y oil
! cnntroi.
Thus there is farming IN the face "i
the territory comprised within the United
States a great c.nfeieracy OF railroads
whose ultimate power It Is not easy 10
forecast. However great the sepera'e
systems may Ike, and hswcvcr tar they
NAV be rivals In the business of through
transportation, they will have certain
interest In common. They will have
common interest in resisting Government
control, in obtaining and maintaining
laws favorable to their purposes, and III
strengthening and guarding their power
over tho business nf the cnnntry. by
,ompacts amons them ;elreS ihry may lay
shat tributes they will upon the indus
tries and eomnlercs of the people. They
viii rest like one gigantic despotism o'
iron uuon the face II tn land, and resu-
late the development 1t industrial inter
ests, direct the currents II trade, and e1.
.rc:se control over all the emei sies of
the people which they may lie p"welieSs
to resist. The business of the country IS
absolutely dependent upon III agencies OF
transportation, and any power that holds
these in its mercy. OF course. such
power acting Sitiou. restrain. would
consult its own profit and safety, and ann
tn ptrsts the p.3cy which would enable
the business of the cnuiitri tH hat. !. the
LARGEST tribute. Il cnull not mIure that
IS as a whole with ,nt so iar defeat
ing its wnpurposes, hut it c'.u!d do great
injustice to, persons and l!laccs, ana inter
fere seriously Sith the natqral and eeqa'-
table course Of things; ai'. . ""nd lay 2
- country for the enrichment q
the plutoeracy that dsrcc'ea "
than tia. which the G.'re'nSrnt would
dare to exact
4 committee II the L lied STATES Sen-
ate reported, SIN years agn, tl.at even at
that time the men whn crn'rcled the
four great trunk lines heiw-,n New York
and Chiuasy rouid "by, ! single stroke o.
the psn, reduce the valae cf iirIip-rtS IN
this country By hundreds If milii"ns OF
dollars" "An additinnal charge Of five
cents per bushel "n the transportation of
cereals wou,d," they said, have been
equivalent to tax Of sl5, ,vs0,nOe cn the
the crop of 1873 NJ Congress would
dare to exercise So rasi power. except
upon a pecessiry Of the most imperative
pA,ar-." If this fete s., ih. d; h.w vast
~ increased NIL this lrieap 'iisi5's power
have become when the wuIk 1t cons"lida-
II. N and confederation has gone on few
years more. Of its i,eiplent strength we
have had many instances already what
will bc it's enorm.,ps might when it has
re,ch.a i,s rliaturitsl This growing cor
p,r;,.e power has heen credited, bs. the
people, and We ale told hy high legal al
thority that il holds ana exercises all its
privilege, subject {" the public will No
power Inherent in the State has been gwen
M TAFT. The absolute right to bring II into
subIrction AID ke ID i; IN control exists.
l, holds IL" ul imae property IN the high
vays which It has t'e.n permitted to CON-
s,ruct and u.s., aid At IS exercising frai'-
chisrs granted BY the public which gave
that pubic authority over II. But 1t
threatens to bec"fHe question whether
The master ct Tue >fiAsut - 'AS "'piS
puwe:fu!. and whci. shall rule the other.
The public can work only through iegis-
la,inn and the admins ,atinns OF laws.
and tine railruad cufed racy will vie with
.h. people in making ard controlling Leg
islatures and administrations. They have
already entered in'o the c''n'est here and
there, not at ..ne tim. and another, and
no. without ias'anc = II remarkable sIIc-
Cess. The United States Senator before
quoted predicted that "a struggle is pend
ing in the near future, betwern 'his over
grown power, with its vast ralnihca'i'ns
all over the Union and hard grip IN
much Of the political machinery on the
.ne hand, and the people in an unorsan-
IL. 4 c,ndit on un thu other, far the c"n-
trvl uf the Government Tins nr.w and
growing cOnf-drracy overIies STATE lines,
ANA is ontyrowing local jurisdictions. In
trrinr political bound, les can neither en-
fue nnr divide 1t. The Government
wh:-h IL viii ultimately aim 70 cDntro' is
the National Government, and the pnSer
which must hiring it into subjecti,p 70 the
Nati..rsI .Ser. The longer the struggle
is pIlt III, the harder and more s-urh-
i,r. II will I've. Shall 10 lie postpnned H.