The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-01-20

consroiling not only the post o(kces and the revenue olsees, but also tho telegraph, the railroads and the saving hank. val magnify is power tentcld. and nothing short of political eonsuls.oa w,ll destroy Il.
 These arc the evils which affect the business interest and the body polite. the ev,ls ~hi,h al~ass follow oseI-leg,s- lAilea and ,et n this dlicStton arc moss Of Inc southern states turned. iliinusS. ~ith her sailfoad system completed. ~i,h one or i~o lines io each village. can al terd for her experiments to discourage any further budding. bu, the. southern states cannot. Much ci the Legislation eh,ch has been enacted during the past tc~ years is Ncy objectionable . all ot II IS exCeedlngs crude. The men who have been loude>t ,n ,heir complaintS. who have been most vigorous in thetr de- nunciat,on oi ta,ln,ad shu>e,. arc the ones ~ho have displayed the utmost K nofange concerning them. and have been bhud ,o the most serious evils winch II IS within the power oi the state Ia remedy
 The attempt to regulate iates from pelnt to palut n hunt competition. te make new $. tetuies euher h, vcm,nss- sion or b, the Legislature ~ta inevitably prove disastrous The inst qualification usually demanded ot railroad comtms- slonek ,s ,hA, he has no practical kno~l- edge al railroads ot ot the problems con nected ~I,h theu management II ~c applied the same principles to our courts. ~e would elect men lud.es ~ho had ne know ledge oi law. and on the legislative committees we would place men who knew least about the suhlects with winch they ate especially entrusted out com missions should be made up ,n d differ cnt way they should no, he chosen from politicians; the positions should no, he conferred as reward tof party scNtcc>. but the members should understand they are more judges than legislators or poll uotans, and they would approach thetr duucs m different sp,r,t altogether.
 In Texas an,,failroad legislation Is working serious injury Ia the state. In .Alaab .AlaabA@a la.. and ln 1..sorsia the sp.Ir ot an- taeon,ssn la the fAiiiuaSis Is IannSd Uy most inJadie,ous acts. Step after step ls taken ,o make the authority absolute te control the manager in all the operations ui the road te name the rate. not only from polni 10 pom, within the haanda ucs ot the state. but beyond these boundArles to substitute the ip,s .iifH ot commissioner chosen be, ausc ot ihcir inespertence in such matters iot the management, founded on special kno~l. edge and extended eapenenoe. The AL abamA commissioners recently called the attention of the authorities of the central road oi t.eorHiA to a rate existing from an Alabama town to New York. and de manded reduction. The railroad au- ,honties replied that they were no, un- wiling to make the change suggested. but A I would make other change. necessary. they preferred to have the matter eons,defed by the Southern Rall. road and Steamship a>soeiations rate committee. winch vas to assemble III three days. The reply was that the SOY. erelgn state uf Alabama could not recognize such xn assot iaiion and the oonmlssioner, demanded the cont cssion by telegraph under A threat to al once proc ccd io have the charter forfeited be cause of abuse. If the property of IT. icns in, csted tn failfoads IS to be suh jected to such assaults, from legally con stI.uicd authorities. Il may be taken ior granted that II ~ttt soon bc withdrawn
 We o'lrrt n ali crude and .l!.ennAld cred legisla''on an this subject. be- ,u,e Il, best t ompllshes enly d temporary purpose. and, by causing ~ide spread disorganika,ion. ~il! lead ta a reaction Tn pubic sentiment which ~ill strength en railroads. no; only in 'hcr ughtiul -rt,viseI~>, l..si-."- ihnse ~hilh1 1they .hsye abused. We rctoKni4c the dangrrs which arse from the concentration ot wealth. from the great inctease "t power ttoin the combination of capital, but there IS a fighi way and wrong way oi correCtnr abuse and oi providing agains, danger>. and the unieasoning and unreasonable outory aga,nst raii- roads caused by men ~ho afe seeking only ,hetr personal and poIi,l. al ends s certain 10 r.sul, only ,n setio0s harm. cspcf iai,s n the south.