Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-09-25
OUR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.
Richard W. Knott, In Southern BIvouae

) The Questions relating 10 our sy
tenn OF transportation are ia themselvt
OF such grave importance, and the
are so intimately connected with our pI
litical organization, that they deserve tn
most careful treatment and require th
most paintaking and unprejudiced in
vestigation. Mo one fails to see til
evils which have attended the yonderft
growth Of our railroads, bat the rene
dies arc notso apparent. The iniustic
ofpersonal or local discrimination, tn
wrong done by special rebates, are free
ly confessed, but at the same time it i
idle to deny that marked improvement
has taken place during recent year
even in respect to these perplexing mat
ters. Serious abuses have been cor
rected from time to time, not becans,
of Legislative interference, but because
experience teaches better things and ar
enlightened public sentiment demand.
better service. tH.e+l a....s0,I
In dealing with our transportation
interests two courses are open to us,
We can proceed in accordance with the
political and economical principles
which have largely controlled us from
the time we separated ourselves from
the nations OF Europe and set up in the
western hemisphere free republic, or
we can abandon our faith and our ira
ditions; we can confess that while the
law OF freedom can be applied to our
civil life, while we can have free press.
a free church, and free ballot, we can
not survive free commerce even among
ourselves. Mf - .t.arIr, :
Under the American system, as dis
tinguished from that of Europe, under
the system of on-interference. as dis.
tinct from that of control or regulation
by the State, we have within fifty wears
constructed one hundred and thirty
thousand miles of railroad, we have in
vested eight billions of dollars, we have
bodnd a continent in one compact ma
tion, we have peopled the deserts. and
with wheat from the great Northwest
we have fed the hungry nations of Eu-
rope. Under this system the cost of
transportation has rapidly and steadily
decreased. Without any interference
from the government, but under the
force OF natural laws, the laws of compe-
tition working with an eyer-increasinp
power, economies have been intro.
duced, privileges have been surrender
ed, monopolies have been DESTROYED
and the transportation tax has been re-
duced below that of any other nation in
the world.
The very magnitude of the work ac-
complished is now used to condemn
this free system of competition. The
rapidity with which the dreams of its
inventors have been realized is declared
to be amenace and warning. Though
it gives steady employment, at fair wa
5es,, to four hundred and twenty thou
sand men, Professor Ely, arraigns it be-
cause sit has more power than resides
elsewhere to depress wages, to extend
hours OF labor, and to subject it to other
lbuse." Because it has given value to
Ialueless millions OF acres of public
ands in the West and South, it is as
allied as an enemy to the Republic
Because it has multiplied the means of
transportation, and in this way has SO
augmented our inteanal commerce as
Q make its revenues the marvel OF the
world, a certain school of economists
its condemnation, and the sub
titution OF the European idea in some
orm for that under which we have such
nexampled progress.
Undoubtedly there are defects in this
ystem; but it is subject to improve
lent, and can be made to serve the
ubllc SILL more effectively. Within
he fifty years which cover its history in
lis country, an industrial revolution
as been wrought, and necessarily it has
ost something. But l submit that the
'sailants OF the American system shall
emonstrate by the experience of the
atoms OF England, of France, of Ger
lany, OF Italy, that State regulation or
will secure to this nation
reater advantages at lighter expendi
Ire OF labor and capital, and with less
SIX to political safety. We have found
best in all the other walks of life to
there to the American idea, we are
OF now disposed to have one establish
church; we will not restrict the bal ,
It; we will not muzzle the press; we
Ill not permit any interference by the !
tate with a mans choice of work.
ow, If in the face of our political ex-
erlence 1t is proposed to adopt the !
uropean system Of interference. the
ivocates OF the change must be ready |
demonstrate something more than
le defects with which we are familiar
hey must not content themselves :
ith rhetorical denunciation. isolated s
Iamples OF exortion and unfairness. i
1T, continlng themselves to admitted
cts, they must. show, in accordance ;
ith the rules of reason and logic, that ,
le safety OF the Republic and the wei
re OF the people Will be advanced and
sured under some system which they
i've formulated. ,
Before entering on discussion of
Iese suggestions, let us see if we can
OF tirst reach some clear definition of ,
le terms IN use. In these discussions
le reactionists assail all corporations as
monopolies. Now, cor
grafton is not essentially a monopoIy:
a the contrary, it is the most remark
Die development and application OF
le principle OF Incorporation with which
e are all familiar, In referring to
Blackstone declares that
ley are 'little republics" and under
lese republics has been developed a