Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1882-09-30
Railroad MOnOpOlies,

the enormous wealth derived from its
manipulation by handful of railway
magnates. We are exultingly told
that in 1881, 1886 miles of road were
built at cost of 1898, 750; that the
number of miles in operation was 1884,
813, and that this mileage cost about
Sc, 200, 100000; that the the total
number of adult employees reached
1000, 900, representing 100000 of
our population that Vanderbilt owns
O0,0OO,O00; Jay Gould from $751;
000,O0 to $100,000,00O, and half
dozen other railroad "kings" tens of
millions apiece-al made in a few
years. As an indication of the vast
industrial activity of the nation, the
growth of our railroad system is GER
tainly phenomenon to rejoice at, but
as proof of the facility by which I'M
scrupulous greed, aided by shrewd
financial ability, can wiring vast sums
from the public, the stupendous acqui
sitions of the great railroad magnates
are sources of disquiet and reprobation.
A cause of still greater public alarm,
however, should be the great influence
over the fortunes of the country lodged
in the hands of few grasping, unscru-
puIous men by the control of the vast
capital and large army engaged in these
enterprises Half dozen men sitting
together in quiet Office in New York
can fix the price which shall be paid to
the manufacturer of the East for his
wares, to the farmer of the West for
his grain, to the stockman of the plains
for his cattle and sheep, and to the
planter Of the South for his cotton and
sugar In most parts Of the country,
railroads are practically the only means
of transportation between the producer
and the consumer-between the man
who has goods to sell and the man who
wants to buy them, and it is an ac-
knowledged lule of railroad manage
ment always to charge freight traffic
"aIl it can bear" that is, to cut down
the profits Of the producer by proper,
tioniug the charges of transportation in
accordance with the prices Of his pro-
ducts in the market, leaving him only
enough toprevent him from abandoning
production, thus depriving the railroad
Of his business and Of the opportunity
of "plucking" him; for your shrewd
railroad manager never kills the goose
that lays golden eggs.
The consolidation of number Of
different roads and the "pooling" com
bination between the controllers of the
great trunk" lines, resting on the agree.
ment to maintain certain rates on the
roads they control, effect monopoly Of
transportation and confer on the roads
the more than regal powers to limit, in.
terdict, and regulate traffic and inter
course. But we are told "there can be
no monopoly in law when the construc
ton of railroads is open to ALL" This
may be true, but it is monopoly in fact
rather than monopoly in law that the
public complain Of The expense o.
constructing new roads is too vast, anC
the difficulty Of obtaining concessions
from Legislatures too great to permit o
the easy construction of new competing
lines in defiance of the unprincipled op
position of existing roads, each o
E which has monopoly of traffic along
. its own course, while general monop
: oily over vast areas is created by th
; "pooling" combination of the differen
:, trunk lines.
d To promote the public interest b
Il facilitating intercourse and traffic, man,
valuable franchises and privileges an,
even the power Of eminent domai
t have been conferred on the railroads b
9 the State. For the same end larg
!, grants of money and land to aid i
II their construction have been made b
cities, counties, States and the Gener;
- Government. To seven corporation
alone Congress has granted over $50
600 square miles of territory-an are
larger than Maine, New Hampshire
s Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Islant
Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania
New Jersey and Maryland. In retur
n for these concessions what benefits hay
IS the railroads conferred on the publ
beyond those inevitable from so vast
business even when conducted for Il
) most selfish ends, and in on arbitrar