Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1881-01-01

6h5}y.gs It can scarcely be said that our
Rus,ns, at any rate, have been
t1e netice. This bubble of
Curtis is not left a leg to stand
e may be permitted the express
by the supreme court, which
I6ugh the chief justice, among other
kings said. in Peik vs.. Chicago & North
western Railway Company:
q. . =. we decided that the state may
limit the amount of charges by railroad COM
panies Tor fsrss and frelghts, unless restrained
by some contract In the charter, even though
their income may have been pledged as security
for the payment Of obligations incurred upon
the faith of the charter"
This goes 50 much further than Mr..
Curtis contenplates in the objection we
have bsen considering that it should be
. full answsr One point more from the
decisions of the supreme court. and We
will drop that authority ter the present.
In Chicago. Milwaukee & st. Paul Rail
road Company vs.. Acklsy. Mr.. Chief
Jus,ics Waite delivered the opinion OF
the court. We give the finding which
was ia these words:
"As between the company and the freighter.
there is u statutory Limitation of the charge for
transportation actually performed. II the COM
pany should refuse to carry at the prices fixed.
and an attempt should be made to forfeit Its
charter On that account. other questions might
arise. which 1t will be time enough to consider
when they are presented. But for 0oods ac-
tually carried, the limit Of che recovery 10
that prescribed BY the statute"
The only point which Mr.. Curtis
makes which we have not fully. met is
his expressed doubt a. to the power OF
congress to regulate railroads. The
rights Of the states to do Sc. We think,
We have fully established by the high
est possible authority. Az the states
possess these rights IS to business cen
fined 10 their borders. SO we think there
is No doubt congress possesses the right
OF regulation Of interstate business.
The supreme court Of the United States
implicitly expressed its opinion on this
point in c. B. & @. W. Iowa, quoted
above, when it said al is employed
in state rs we'll ~ inter-statse commerce,
and, until congress acts, the state
must be permitted" &c. The direct
question A. to tho power Of congress to
regulate rates and fares on railroads
has never been decided, but numerous
constructions Of the constitution. beside
the decisions which we have here allu-
ded to. leave no room to doubt how the
question will be decided whenever
brought before the supreme court.
MIR. Justice Miller, after = full discus
sisn Of the subject, expressed himself in
this way:-.Fer myself I must say that
1 have no doubt Of the right Of congress
to prescribe all nsedful and proper reg
ulatlons for the conduct of this Immense
traffic over any railroad which has vol
UNFAIRLY become q part Of n OF those
lines OF interstate communication
(American Law Reporter, January,
1862
We have quoted at such length from
eminent and decisive authorities, because
we deem the subject here treated n Of
the most important now before the
American people. II the people evsr
intend to assert themselves, and impress
upon legislation their rights, they have
not much time to lose. Railroad cor
psrations are becoming 50 consolidated
and solidi6ed-so immensely wealthy
and far-rssching-that their power il
very much to be feared. Their inau
encs over legislative bodies is alread,
great it is sharp, vigilant. unscrupu
lous, and it behssves Constituencies t,
see that they elect to make laws mon Q
suoh character that they cannet be tam
pered with by brides of money, place
wine or women. The fight is to b
made. both in the state and nation, an
the people should prepare for it. =,
=, Chicago Times:-'If Vice Presiden
Wheeler were to die tomorrow, Mi
l Allan r. Thurron demOcrat aanRto