The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1883-11-15

The show is wonderfully entertaining,
and will draw largely during the week.
HIGH GRADE RAILROAD FREIGHT
RATES.
Mr.. Editor
Now that high grade is no longer live
lssue-is dead, We may say-why don't you
use your energy and influence in some other
| direc lon-in an effort to secure from the
railroads centreing here fair schedule of
treights that shall not discriminate 50 out.
rageously az ainst Cairo in every minute de-
tail. 1t seems 10 me that if you were to de-
vote one-half the effort to gain this end, that
you did to impose high grade upon US, you
would compel the state board Of railroad
and warehouse commissioners to take cog
nizance ot,our grievance, and cause it 10 act
deCisively in our behalf The end is GER
tanly worth trying for as the freight evil
does Cairo more injury than the failure of
high grade can ever do. MERCHANT.
The writer of the foregoing is little "otf"
in several things. High grade is not dead
issue; it will not be dead issue until it is
an accomplished fact. High grade is
spectre that will rise and haunt this com.
munity whenever the figure forty.two on
the gauge disappears under the water and
the food slowly rises above the present legal
grade of the city.
The writer seems also to have an exsger
ated idea Of the powers of the Illinois
board of railroad aud warehouse commits
sioners The evil complained OF is, that the
roads centring here charge the same rates
for carrying freights from here to points
south as they do from St. Louis to the same
points. This is unfsir discrimination against
Cairo, certainly, but IN all cases in which
this discrimination prevails the points of
destination are beyond the limits of this
state. While ii is conceded that state
may exercise control over railroad freight
charges from and to points within the state,
it is a question in controversy now pend
ing in toe courts, whether or not this con-
troll may extend also from points
in the state to points beyond it. The
Illinois board attempted TO exercise this
power some time ago, and when a contest
was made by the railroad company, the
state supreme court sustained the board in
this attempt; but the case went TO the
United States Court and is still pending
there. But recently decision was rendered
in Iowa by Judge McCrsry, of the Federal
court, bearing upon the question whether or
not the state authorities can regulate rail.
road charges on through shipments, or upon
business originating in the state destined
for places outside OF it's limits. The court
decided tina, the state has no such righ',
and thst all legislation attempting 10 assert
it is in violation Of the provisions Of the
Federal Constitution prohibiting states from
tegisls,ing in regard to commerce.
Il seems, therefore, that in the matter
complained Of, Cairo is completely st the
mercy Of the railroad companies, and il
follows that il the wrong CON-
planned Of Is to be corrected, II must be
done by the railroad companies themselves
Of their own tree willard this caa be
brought about only in one way. Railroad
companies, ike individuals, are governed
10 all their movements by seli-uterest,
either present or prospective; the rates
maintained by the railroads centring here
are so maintained simply because it is TO
the interest OF the companies to do SO, and
they will not be changed in Difference to
Caros good until that interest dictates
such change, II is not to the interes. Of
railroad company to make rates in favor
Of town of ten or twelve thousand people,
with comparatively little business en-
ergy and Correspondingly small
commerce, when cities of hundreds of
thousands Of 1--we, prosperous, public spir-
tied people, with extensive commerce and
the energy and ability to make it more ex-
tensive, are anywhere within reach. In or
der to gain the desired concessions from
the railroads centrIng here Cairo must
make it to the interest of said companies to
do so; In order to do this, Cairo must be-
come large city, and in order to do this,
CaIros people must awake from their
letharpv in which they have anarentlv ba
come confirmed, must show business enter
prise and public spirit, must stop banking
on great expectations" from somewhere, in
some way, must raise themselves out Of the
deep rut in which they have been leisurely
and Iazily jogging along for 10! these many
years and, above all, they must raise their
city out from behind these stupendous en-
| bankments, so that thew can ace the buav