The University daily. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 18??-????, 1882-06-09
canals Of,
It may, in the
the right Of eminent I
for the public use,

for the public use, just
compensation, thereof ex-
isting railway Of canal nsh py
private, persons. or Coz rs.
Thus we see conell SiR that
Congress has poWer "a te. .
notwithstanding al S Is rail-
road princes, with a hraI a csdaess
Ethat would shame Sc iInsh,
Ilciaina,
property
Q, That the alE d id by
the law of common "a
8, That their roads nSt pub
lie highways.
4, Many Of them qS nd that
neither the State LeeS tufe nor
Congress, can constit 90 aly reg
ulate5and control tl1eiN FL ms
S. That their chart destitute
a contract between then md the
State, and which theJ Id en- equiv
alent to an 'interdict sea lsf inter
ference from any soufNe Rtever.
H, g, Because Cong his not
passed legislative acts as 6aihg and
restricting their poWd lit has
lost it by "non-user, at they
have a right. ITO bec5r " unto
them selves. 7 Thus yt ~ see
that their assumptions by The
decisions of the coura 81 e high
est authority in tho utterly
devoid Of truth, justlc Son and
| law. n + All
We will next eonsidt 4eir unt
controlled power. w hllroads
cametto be5chartered q aot only
secured the right of Il domain
for their road bed secured
large grants of publ q and in
many cases money rs all Of
which the compa aim as
property without limit non or re-
striction to be used am managed
as they thought propfr though
they frequently recsivd Jour or Ave
times the amount of cost of their
roads from sale 81 experiment.
bonds, lands and martR Of their
franchises as was ST the.
road between Omaha an San Tan
cisco.
:, Their tracks bindso hation with
E.Ioo, 200 mics 81 rivers
which Vim thfough 81 fertile.
valleys'of every state 10 ne GnloTl.
| OF the pubic domain, they own
2e6, ooo, 900 Of acres, Wbrtf about
| sos, 600, 600, OF almost half as
much as our National debt. OF
these lands 1 700, oooIacres#wefe
granted to the railroad companies,
.reserVing no right to actual settlers,
upon. any term except such as the.
railroads see fit to prescribe. And
in many cases these lands are ex-
empt from taxation for many years
to tn come; Maryland alone guar
-anteedIto the B, & o, R.. r. i'm
munity for all future time, from.
taxation of every kind, either of
real or personal property Many.
Of these lands becoming much
enhanced by railroad comrnunica-
ton, are held by the. companies
for speculation, the hardy pioneer
being forbidden to enter their sacred
domain. " Their gross receipts
amount, annually, to $500, ooo, 600,
which is largely in excess Of the
gross revenues Of the Government
Of the United States. md equal to
an annual head tax Il $40. on
every man, woman AID child in the
United States, white blaek, red
or yellow. Much 81 slseA power
they now possess is H. "a loose
legislation such wol uI results
appeared from their fs Inception
that legislators WEI seNadcred, |.
prudence was lost sid 6 and the.
rights and interests 90 public
!. not properly protected No indi-H
yiduals are allowed ~ run their
cars over their roads 1rsany pay
ment Of toll, tax or fbnside Grafton.
But all are compelled ~ ttaveI and
transport freight in the companies
cars, subject to their wiz as to time
and manner Of delivery, and fcom-
pensation demanded for services.
=; BY their political influence they
THEORETICALLY subjugated' NUM-
of State governments But last
year in New York, ifalIas found
that a majority Of the ssenate had
been elected in the interest Of rail
roads and that no bill could pass
without the sanction Of William II.
Vanderbilt. A United States Sen
ate Committee, as far back as 1874,
stated in their report that the
men who owned the great trunk
lines between New York and Chi
cago could BY i single stroke of
a pen reduce the value Of property
ia this country by hundreds Of mil
lions Of dollars, and thatno 4 on
gress would dare to exercise 50 vast |
4 power except upon necessity Of
the most imperitiVe nature.
They use their own cars and en-