The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1886-05-29

our produce, aud thus we really
have no choice. There is no other
railroad in reach, or, if there be.
competition is destroyed by an
agreement that the charges on
both roads shall be the same. We
have no voice in the contract; the
terms are dictated by one of the
contracting parties, and the other
must accent or do worse.
Railroad terms, it is fair to say,
are not always exorbitant; often
they are not only reasonable but
extremely low.
Excursion rates are often so
low as to be barely remunerative
still they pay, otherwise they
would no: be given. But in these
cases the people and the compa.
nies deal at arms length, as the
people deal with each other. The
people might go or not, as the
price made it to their advantage
or not, and it was to the advantage
of the railroad companies to IN.
duce them to go, self.interest, as
usual, controlling both parties.
But we never heard of a reduction
corresponding to excursion rates
being given for produce which is
bound to go by particular route.
In the winter, when cotton bales,
where | live, are piled up at the
stations for transportation to
market, no reduced rates are of
fered to the shippers. The com
panies have no interest in making
such an offer. They know The
cotton must go; the shippers in.
terest being to ship at the rate
charged, high or low, rather than
keep it. 1t must go to market, it
must so by rail, and the shipper
must pay the charges, whatever
they may be. These charges are
not always unreasonable, though
the shipperis not consulted. Some.
times they are moderate enough,
but sometimes they are not, and
always they are liable to be unrea.
sonable, the interest of one party
being to make them so and the
other being powerless to resist.
1t being possible for them to be
always unreasonable is, with me,
reason enough for putting limits
on the exercise OF u dangerous
power in the hands of strong in.
stitutions which are rapidly ex
tending and expanding and every
day growing in influence and
wealth.
Ii the people had all the power
and the railroad companies none,
if they could dictate the terms on
which the companies should serve
them, the necessity would be no
less in that case than now to curb
the tendencies of self interest.
is o corporation likely to be
more liberal and considerate than
an individual would be In like cir.
cumstances ] will not say that
no man can be found SO just that
he would work for us or sell to us
as cheap if he knew we were com.
PEELED to have his labor or his
property as if he knew we could
supply ourselves elsewhere entire.
ly Independent of him. Such men
may have lived, and possibly do
now, hut it is not for such as these
that laws are needed or are made.
But no sane man believes that
there is railroad or other corpo-
ration in existence which even
processes to act up to so sanity a
standard in its business, and no
more do | think the people would
If all thepower were in their hands.
Those who make the laws for the
government of the people should
see to 1t that The power of super.
vision and control to which have
referred should be lodged some
where so that it may be exercised
for the security Of the people
against wrongs, whether existing
now or threatened, or even posi-.
bic. According to the interpreta.
tion of the Constitution which is
generally, though not universally,
accepted at this day, the States
are powerless to afford protection
J which will be at once substantial
, and adequate. Their railroads
are parts or appendages Of great
: trunk lines over which their bust.
ness in large part is conducted.
Much of their traffic is with other
! States, and the Constitution gives
the power not to them bnt to Con-
gress to regulate commerce among
the States.
In q recent opinion of the su.
preme court of Mississippi the po-
sition is taken and supported by
most vigorous reasoning that the
! regulation of the operations of q
corporation and prescribing its
! rates of charges on business car
ried on across State lines belong
to the State which created the
: corporation and do not amount to
| regulation of commerce; and SO
long as there Is no discrimination
against such traffic there is no in.
, reference with commerce between
/ the States, and the power of the
State Legislature is unaffected by
! the commercial clause of the Con.
/ stitution. AS an original PROPOSE
/ tion, aside from the tendency OF
t modern opinion, this view com.
mends itself strongly to my mind
} But on the idea that the tranpor
] tation of goods from one State to
f another is commerce between the
, States aud regulating the charges
J therefor is regulating commerce
J the remedy seems to be with Con
] gress for most of the evils com
planned of, and the people whose
+ State governments can not affort
: the remedy have turned their eye:
to Congress.
There are some important rail
! roada In that Cfafa xvhiah haoit