Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-09-02


"the supply from Oregon and Washington
Territory, and the value at mountain
"stations on the Central Pacific Railroad
"by the value at San Francisco and the
"charge for carriage to that terminus. If
this charge reduces the value at the pro.
"ducing terminus below the cost of pro-
" duction, it is virtually prohibitory. Ii
I" there are two classes Of lumber which
shave different values in San Francisco.
" although the cost of carriage might be
"the same for each, discrimination of
" charge, according to the difference of the
" terminal values, might be allowable and
necessary" It will be seen from these
citations that Messrs. Stoneman, Smith
and Doyle entertained no doubt as
to the necessity of basing freight
charges upon what the traffic would bear,
and that they further were prepared
to demonstrate the reasonableness of that
method. 1t is equally clear that they re-
garded the cost of service principle as
wholly visionary and impracticable, and
that they perceived the uselessness of try
ing to apply such principle to the trans
portation question. And all this proves
with what utter absence of knowledge and
Judgment and intelligence the Republican
Convention acted in adopting its wild and
absurd anti.railroad platform. We address
these remarks quite as much to the ene-
mics as to the friends of fair play to the
railroads, for we desire to make the former
realize, if it be possible, that they have
nothing to hope or expect from the adop.
ton of falIacies and exploded theories !;
and that the only result of following such
fantasies can be to waste popular energy,
and to render hopeless every effort at for
ward movement. We tell these people
plainly that they will never crafty their
malignity by pursuing the course laid
down in the Republican platform, for that
it leads nowhere, and can only end in dis.
appointment for those who follow it.
From the report of the Railroad Com
mission of this State, issued in 1879, we
make the following extract "The actual
"cost of handling and moving ton of
g tea for any distance is no greater than
" that of ton of wheat, yet a charge OF
" fifteen cents per ton per mile for the
"tea, and two cents per ton per mile for
" the wheat, would be dissemination very
much in favor of the producer in wheat
land against the owner of the tea. This.
however, is not an unjust discrimination,
"but a iudicious distinction, founded upon
the law of values. The true economic
principle involved is disclosed by the
+" fact that the value of one is over thirty
times that of the other; and SIS per ton
" tax for the wheat carried 400 miles bears
" mort heavily on the consumer than $50
"per ton would on the consumers
"of the tea. From this illustration it
"would seem that judicious classification
"of goods is in the interest of both shipper
and carrier, and, TO extend the analysis,
"the conclusion is reached that low
maximum rate on high.cost goods is
against the interest of the producer of the
" cheaper and more bulky commodities.
Now the producers of the cheaper and more
bulky commodities are the farmers and
producers generally of the State. Aud the
Republican Convention offers to this class,
as an inducement to vote its ticket, the
promise to do away with the system which
makes freight rates on all low class articles
low; and promises at the same time to in.
troduce standard of charges which would
compel the railroad to level up all its pres.
emit minimum rates, and thus literally
exclude from the benefits of transportation
all low class freight beyond a certain
radius from the terminal points.
These are the tempting inducements held
out to the producers by the Republican
Convention. Observe also that the only
class which can derive any benefit from the
"cost of service " principle is the small
class of shippers of high-cost freight, and
whatever benefit these may derive would
not be shared by the consumer. High-cost
freights would not become cheaper in the
markets, but lOw.class freight would be.
come dearer. The products which the
majority of men are interested in would
cost more to carry. Freight, that is to
say, would be raised upon the producers
generally. This, and nothing else, is the
logical and inevitable implication of the rail.
road propositions embraced in the Rspubli
can platform. The farmers need not take
cur word for it, however. The authorities
we have cited are at their disposal also.
The facts we have stated are the common
property Of intelligent men all over the
world. There is no mystery about the
matter. The Republican Convention has
not evolved new principle of any kind.
It has only revamped an obsolete and
universally discarded principle, and has ad.
vanced this ss though it were brilliant
discovery. In truth as we have now fully
demonstrated, the Republican position is
fallacious, against public policy, and utterly
impTacticable. And this shows what is
likely to happen when parcel of dema-
gogues obtain control of Convention, and
any sort Of 4" boom F" is stirred up, to cor
fuse the reasoning powers and the reflective
faculties of the delegates. The Conven-
ton acted in haste, and the Republican
party will have ample opportunity to re-
pent at leisure.
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