The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1886-05-29
miles the round trip, for about u, and
at the same rate from other points, ]

at the same rate from other points, !
cent mile, when the regular price
itself quite reasonable--was 8 cents.
Other excursion trips are constant
ly being made on other roads at great
ly reduced rates. These rates are Of
ten so low as to be barely remunera-
tive; still they pay something, other
wise they would not be given. Butin
these cases the people and the COM
panies deal at arms length, as the
people deal with each other. The [
people were not bound to 60 to the
exposition, but might 60 or not, as the
price made it to their advantage or
not, and it was to the advantage OF the
railroad companiesto induce them TO
go, self-interest, asusual, controlling
both parties. But we never heard OF
| reduction corresponding to excur-
sion rates being given for produce
which is bound to go by particular
route. In the winter, when cotton
bales, where I live, are piled up at
the stations for transportation to mar
ket, no reduced rates are offered to
shippers. The companies have no in
terest in making such an offer. They
know the cotton must goSthe ship
pers' interest being to ship it at the
rate charged, high or low, rather than
keep it. 1t must 60 to market, 1T must
go by rail, and the shipper must pay
the charges, whatever they may be.
These charges are not always unrea-
sonahle, though the shipper is not
consulted. Sometimes they are mod
crate enough, but sometimes they are
not, and always they are liable to be
unreasonable, the interest OF one par
ty 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 eX-
} ercise of dangerous power in the
, hands of strong institutions which are
, rapidly expanding ana every day
| growing in influence and wealth.
, If 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 ne
cessity would be no less in that case
than now to curb the tendencies of
t self-interest.
, Is a corporation likely to be more
) liberal and considerate than an indi-
) vidual would be in like circumstan-
ces? I will not say that no man can
9 be found so Just that he would work
r for us or sell to us as cheap if he knew
we were compelled to have his labor
or his property as if he knew we
! could supply ourselves elsewhere en-.
, tirely Independent of him. Such men
= may have lived, and possibly do now
a but it is not for such. as these thai
y laws are needed or are made.
d But no sane man believes that there
n is railroad or other corporation il
t existence which even processes to ac
n up to so sanity standard in it's busi
e ness, and no more do think the peo
h pie would if all the power were II
e their hands Those who make thu
e laws for the government of the people
l. should see to it that the power of su
e pervision and control to which have
@ referred should be lodged somewhere
l. so that it may be exercised for the Sc
e curity of the people against wrongs
v whether existing now or threatened
II or even possible. According to tn
e Interpretation of the Constitution
e which is generally, though not uni
l. versally, accepted at this day, tn
States are powerless to afford prOtec
10 ton which will be at once substantial
20 and adequate. Their railroads ar
;r parts or appendages of great trunl
r. lines over which their business il
- large part is conducted. Much G
- their traffic is with other States, an
10 the Constitution gives the power no
W ~ to them but to Congress to regulat
. commerce among the States. TAX
y. y. my own State for example, and 1t
- not singular in this regard. The rail
e. roads in Mississippi, except one o
= two very short lines, are all ''intel
=. state" roads, running in other State
10 as we'll as that, or are branches Q
= connections of such as do SO run, owe
= which traffic passes between tn
~ States.
ID In a recent opinion of the suprem
e. court of that State the opinion is tax
,r en- and supported by most vigorou
" reasoning that the regulation of tn
ie operations of a corporation and pre-
st scribing it's rates of charges on bus
~ ness carried on across State lines be
10 long to the State which created tn
at corporation and do not amount to
n regulation of commerce.; and so lon
as there is no discrimination agains
I'd such traffic there is no interference
n with commerce between the State!
v and the power of the State Legisls
- ture is unaffected by the commerci,
IT, clause of the Constitution. AS a
st original proposition, aside from tn
le tendency Of modern opinion, th
in view commends itself strongly to m
I'd mind. But on the idea that the trans
n, portation of goods from one State
ia another is commerce between tn
10 States and regulating the charge
of therefor is regulating commerce, th
IL remedy seems to be with Congress ft
a. most of the evils complained of, an
ga the people whose State government
r. can not afford the remedy have turf
ur ed their eyes to Congress.
re 1t is rarely disputed now that con
O. merce among the States consists M
III only of intercourse between their ci
al izens and the purchase and sale an
er exchange of commodities, but il
IN cludes also the transportation of pc
sons and property, and the power
We regulate it seems to embrace all tt
at means, ,instrumentalities and agencie
n bv which that commerce is carrie
On on, The matter of transportatio
nd from one State to or through anothe
er is considered a constituent of inte
or state commerce itself, with whic
ce Copgress alone can deal, and ths
ne seems to be the protection against col
cd flict IN the legislation Of the differe1
~ States, each regulating the transpol
40 tation in favor of Its own product
he and itg own people. In my own Stat
IL the principal complaints are of chal
h. ges on freights from points in Missis
We sippi to New Orleans, Memphis, an