Morning journal and courier., 1884-03-17
SuurnaI xnS GOlrier.
SINGLE COPIES TWO CENTS.
Monday; March 17. 1884.
A AJUsTIFIABLE PROTEsT.

l "A PROVEST.
 During the last few years this State has
 been frequently overrun by men in the em- l ploy of speculators who had got the idea that a new railroad would be good thing for their pocketbooks. These men have taken great liberties with property in their line of march, and their employers have intended to take still greater liberties as soon as they could do so with any show of legality. Some 1 of the property owners of the State have had they have petitioned the legislature for re- 1 lief.
 These petitioners point out that form erly they held their property by 8 secure and certain tenure. and were called upon to part ith it against their will only as the general assembly found upon sufficient in- quiry that the good of the commonwealth required it. They say that by the present railroad law their ancient and sacred right is lost to them, and they are-or are in danger of being required to part with that for which its market value is indeed poor com pensation, simply that the private speculs- lations of foreign capitalists may be further ed and no public desire satisfied. They therefore pray that some suitable law may be enacted by which they shall be remitted to their former security of house and home and the peaceful possession of that which is theirs with power to have and to hold the same until a public necessity and cenvsn4. fence fairly demonstrated to some impartia' tribunal shall call upon them to part with it.
 A statement accompani jed this petition, and this statement is a very forcible and interest ing one It calls attention to the fact that the present railroad law leaves the important and fundamental principles of public nscsssi- ty, expediency, and convenience, to the par- ties proposing to construct new railroads, and they are thus constituted the tribunal to pass upon the propriety of their own pro- posed acts. ''Under the general railroad iaw," very properly says the statement, 1.-two or three interruptions non-residents and a sufficient number of resident dummies to make up the required numerical quota, can take advantage of the provisions of the law, as stated by the railroad commissioners and exercising the right of Eminent Domain as now construed, can themselves decide thst there is public necessity for their taking for their own use the private property of the citizens of this State. or they can employ it as medium for blackmailing it's owners, and | to prevent this the railroad commissioners have not, now, adequate authority" The statement says further: It would be wise also for the legislature of this State to consider to what extent the ''quiet enjoyment of the homes and lands of our citizens are subject to the cap rice" or greed of nonresident speculators, who are largely interested in property at the proposed termini of railroads, and who avail themselves of the liberality of our laws, as affordiHg convenient way of connecting these termini and thus aiding them in their speculations in real estate by the sacrifice of the private property of the citizens of this State.
 This complaint has justice at the bottom of it. The performances which have been al- lowed in this State during the last ten years to further the ends of spectators who care nothing about the real interests of the State have done great of harm and no good. Most of the schemes have not been sound or honest ones, and some who are best acquainted with them think none of them have been. Yet their promoters have been allowed to treat the property that came in their way pretty much as they pleased. It is no wonder that wig orous protest against this kind of thing has been made. The wonder is that it has not been made before. Now that it has been made it should be needed