The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1882-06-01
The Railroad Question i'm Illinois.

The following resolutions were adopt
ed at the recent Illinois State Conven-
ton held at Springfield in response to a
call issued by Messrs. A. j. Streeter, of
Knox County, and George + Harding,
of Chicago, to protest against the OPP
preston and extortion practiced by cor
porate monopolies:
l. That we believe in the doctrine embodied
i'm the Railroad legislation of Illinois and con-
firfned bv the highest courts of the Nation,
viz: That corporations are subject to the
them.
2. We believe in the strict enforcement of
the present Railroad laws of Illinois, and urge
our Governor and Railroad and Warehouse
commissioners to more prompt action in pros
ecuting the almost constant violations of said
laws. ~ 1a n..
g. That we condemn the giving of passes, as
an indirect system of bribery, and mode of
compelling the public to contribute to the rail-
road corruption fund; and that in the future
we Will not support any candidate for any
Office, whether Legislative, Executive or Judi
cial, who will take a bribe, and who will not
use his influence in favor of tine enactment
and enforcement of a law making the giving
or taking pass bribery, and an offenSe which
will disqnalify the man guilty thereof from
4. That this convention select, as far as pos
sible, state Committee composed, of one OF
more from each county, the duty of any of
which shall be to detect, report and prosecute
every violation of the laws by the railroad cor
porations of the State, and that, so far as this
convention is unable to fill said committee
those members which it shall appoint shall be
cmp0wcredto To ill all vacancies in that commit
tee. .s-ff
). That this State Committee be recon-
mended to proceed against railroad corpora
tions for the violation of our laws, either
through quo warrant2 proceedings or the ka1t
road and Warehouse Commission, and that the
Acknowledgement of the State be notified OF
the commencement of every quo warrantc
proceeding, and be requested to prosecute the
a decision
d. That our Railroad and warehouse Commits
sion will not do its duty unless it shall at once
give us passenger rate of two cents per mile
the leading roads of the State, and shall also
reform its schedule and cut down the freight
rates to an amount at least equal to that now
charged to the people in other States over Oul
railroads in cases where competition compel:
them to adjust rates, and that we emphatically
condemn the failure of the commission te
short hauls, in which the people of this State
| are chiefly interested.
Z. That, in our Judgment, the theory and pol
| icy of our Railroad laws require that the Rail
road and Warehouse Commission shall itself
| on its own motion AMI without formal com
plaint, begin and prosecute proper suits tc
| punish abuses brought in any way to their no
| tice; that the course heretofore taken by the
! Railroad and Warehouse Commission, requir
| ing the complaint OF the shipper to be filled
| and exhibited to the railroad, and then an
4 swered and heard, unless by terrorism or pur
chase he is silenced. is the surest way of pre-
! venting and suppressing complaints and de
/ feating the enforcement of the law.
g. That while we regard our Railroad laws as
the most useful known, and only needing
! proper execution and enforcement to fully
4 protect our people in the use of the public
i highways, and while the people expected, ant
| had right to expect, from the Board of Rail
/ road and Warehouse Commissioners protec
| tion from railroad extortion and unreasonable
i charges, their expectations have thus far only
resulted in failure and disappointment; tina
4 instead of guarding the interests of the people
i as duty required, these reputed servants o1
1 theirs have often acted as servants of the rail
! roads.