Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-05-13

hereby authorized and required to direct
the removal of the existing bridge, and
to direct the construction of the bridge
aforesaid, and expend the money appro-
priated for that purpose in said act; and
the said Rock Island s. Pacific Railroad
company shall not have, acquire or enjoy
any right of way. or privilege thereon, or
the use of said bridge, until the agree
ment aforesaid shall be made and guar
anteed according to the terms and oondi
lions of said act of appropriation. All
acts or parts of acts inconsistent with
these resolutions are hereby repealed.
SEC. 8. And be it further resoloed, That
any bridge built under the provisions OF
this resolution shall be constructed so as
to conform to the requirements of section
two of an act entitled. IAN act to au-
thorize the construction of certain bridges
and to establish them as post roads, APP
proved July twenty fifth, eighteen hum
dred and sixty-six.
Approved July 20. 1868.
1t is unnecessary to further comment
on the actual ownership of the Rock Is
land bridge or how far the C, R.. l. IL 2.
road is empowered to interfere with traf-
fic over it. The c., r. l. & P, as is
plainly seen, is in no respect interested in
the ownership of the bridge. The gov
eminent of the United States does not go
into partnership with corporations in the
construction of public works-Uncle
Sam does not do business in that way. So
much for that part of the Unions srgu-
ment
Now as to what interests are affected
by the continuation in operation at all
seasons of section 5 What corporation
other than the ferry is to be affected by the
observance of the rule restricting the
opening of the bridge to traffic in the
season of river navigation and the re-
movsl of such barriers to trade when the
river is openr What interests solely
could be benefited by such regulations
Why, if the C., r. I. & P. road had any
thing TO say about these rules, should it
discriminate as to what seasons there
should be free use of the bridge for trans
fer of freights by wagons, and what seas
sons business over the lower deck of the
bridge should be checked? What differ
ence does it make to railroad when river
navigation is open and when it is stupi>
fled by the frigid embrace of winter?
But let us forbear to read another line
from the Unions argument:
There is no particular benefit to the
public as these resolutions suggest.
There is not branch of business in
the three cities that is not benefited by
free bridges, aud just in such proper
ton is the public benefited Every adj
ditional cent of toll or freightage that the
business man is compelled to pay in the
receipt of his goods is sooner or later
charged to the consumer That may be
low tariff doctrine. but i; fits in pretty
nicely here without regard to politics.
The opening of the Rock Island bridge
to traffic at all seasons removes the ferri-
age on every dozen OF eggs and every
pound OF butter or every bushel of pota~
toes, onions or grain that passes between
the cities OF Rock Island and Davenport.
1t lessons the cost of coal to the Daven>
port consumer and opens bigger trade
with Rock Island. 1t benefits all Classes
of commercial pursuit; it benefits the en-
tire public to have section 5 of the Rock
Island bridge regulations as it is. land as it
should remain.