Omaha daily bee., 1883-10-24
Salt Lake Tribune.

Salt Lake Tribune.
The suggestion that the California rail-
road pool take Vlning for their Commits
sioner recalls that the wonderful system
of special transportation contracts was
conceived in his brain. 1t Is probable
that no man i'll the West has had more
downright cursIng than this same Viniug
since he became General Freight Agent
Of the Union Pacific, He is popularity
supposed TO be a huge spider, seated i'll
his immense web, watching with pleasure
the flies strugg Ing to their death i'll its
me,hts.
Perhaps Winnings qualities and apti.
tudes fit him for Pool Commissioner, for
h. is SAID to be II man of fine brain, Of
great literary requirements, OF retired
and studious habits, devoted to curious
aud out uf-the-way inqul les, even now,
for example. engaged on u brochure aim
ing to show that Hamlet was a woman
One who had seen "A sketch Of the argu.
ment, says it is almost impos IDLE to re-
sist the conclusion. Such men probably
make the best instruments OF despotlsm.
once they are convinced of the sound
ness # their premises, they carry them
logically to their conclusion with the IN
hexib,llty aud calmness of destiny. Now,
grant that STA ,ford's tn DRY of the rights
of rail o DIS is sound, namely,
property, owning no more
to the public than any other private bust
ness, it follows that IL railroad Is justified
III making all it can out of the goose that
lays it's golden egg without killing the
goose; aud that Winnings freight policy,
which has earned him the detestatisn of
all business men under the sole d )minion
of King Union Pacific. is entirely leyiti-
mate. While this policy Is IT, be tn It of
the railroads, and it will be ~ long as the
people choose to stand it, Vinlng is the
man for the pool A Chicago Tribune
staff correspondent, writing from San
Francisco, describes at length the system
of special transportation contracts re-
ferred ~ as the product of Winnings
genius, but it is condensed in an official
opinion of Railroad Commissioners Foote
as follows:
In the first pla e, a shipper who signs
one uf these contracts must agree to shlE
all his freight by rail. A failure to DIT
So ~forfeits all the privileges Of the con
tract anu OUNCES MN w pay oPSh e"iii
rates.
'.Second-No n who has a specia
contract can buy from or sell to any
one who ships IN any other way than
by rail, under the same penalties as
ABOVE.
''Third-The railr.ad company reserves
the right To examine the books OF The
shippers in order 10 determine whethel
the terms of the C ,ntract are being faith
fully complied with.
"A contract containing such provisions
az these, in my judgment, offers a pre-
MUM to fraud; 1t gives the diskones
shipper an undue advantage over on
who will faithfully carry ost the terms &
the contract; its enforcement is agains
public policy and is in Restraint of trade
IL establishes a system t espionage owe
the mercantile ommun I, which no com
mon carrier should he allowed to exercis'
under any clrcum stances
This writer thinks the IA lroad baron
of Calf rnis, now they have made il
twenty years forty millions 10 fifty mil
, lions apiece, are beginning to lend
weather ear to the mutterlngs Of tn
storm gathering round their head, an
, are preparing to yield something 10 tn
! Just demands of their subjects. So mot
1T be.