Year: 1873

geS on railroads and 10 prevent unjust dis
elimination, and that the Legislature hav-
ing fixed these rates and decided what was
an unjust discrimination, the courts had
no right 10 go Sehind that action and decide
upon its correctress. What he wanted to
see, was law passed by this Legislature
which would bring the question directly
before the courts and have the matter de-
cided at once. he believed that it was for
the interest, both of people and of the rail-
roads to have speedy decision of the mat
ter, and if the courts decided that the Leg.
islature had the right, then the railroads
must submit. If they decide against it,
the people must either settle
down to things as they
now are, (Cries of 1--WE WON'T" "no, no."
'snever,") or, continued the Governor, OBJ
tain an amendment to the constitution of
the United States which will secure the de-
sired object. This was an undoubted
right of the people which had often been
exercised and could be again. In conclu-
sion the Governor declared bis intention
to faithfully, without fear, favor, or affec-
ton, go forward in the discharge of all his
duties, and leave results to the considerate
judgment of the people of the State.


speech of Gov. Palmer.


Elk Governor Palmer then appeared by
invitation of the convention and made a
short speech. He considered the fact that
the farmers of the State had come together
in such numbers to seek ior a remedy from
the evils that oppress them was signi6-
cant, indicating as it did an intention of
dealing with living present issues instead
of far away or past ones. The necessity of
bringing the products OF the country to
market, made railroads in this prolific
country absolutely necessary, and the ques-
ton was not now between the railroads
and other means of transportation, but it
was a struggle between the railroad mana
gers and the people who make the railroads
and are taxed for their support. The doc
trine of vested rights which had been
declared by some of the courts Of the coun-
try he declared was one which could not be
submitted to. The creature could not be
greater than its-creator, and corporation
could have no more rights than single in
dividual. he took the ground that the rail-
roads are public highways, and their man
ayers public agents, both subject to the
same control by the Legislature as other
highways and other public agents. But the
real managers of our railroads were not the
officers who lived along the line or at either
end of it, but the jobbers in the stock Of
these roads in Wall street,
who by their manipulatious wrung from
tho people extorti0nate prices for freight
and oppressed both producer and consumer,
and as remedy for this greet evil he would
like to see law passed repeating the laws
now in force which make the stocks of
these roads personal property, and then
impose the same conditions upon the trans
fer of those stocks as are now imposed on
the transfer of the roads themselves. In
conclusion be urged them to be patient, and
they would be certain to secure their object
at last.


The Salary Lift-Grant Censured


Unanimously.


A resolution condemning the Republi-
CANS of this State in Congress for their ac-
ton in voting for the bill increasing salar-
les, and the President of the United States
for signing the same, was offered and
adopted, mem. con.


The Resolutions.


The report of the Committee On Resolu-
tions was then read as follows:


Resolved by the farmers of Illinois in
mass meeting assembled, That all charter
ed monopolies not regulsted and controll-
ed by Law have proven in that respect
detrimental to the public prosperity, cor
rupting In their management and dan
gerous to Republican institutions.


Resolved, The rail lways OF thu world except
in those countries where they have been held
under the strict regulation and supervision
of the Government, have proved them
selves of arb trary eXtortion and opposed
to free institutions and free commercs be-
tween Stases as the feudal B2ro1s OF TIE
middle ages.


Resolved, That we hold, declare and resolSe
that this despot;sm which defes our laws,
plumbers our shippers, impoVerishes our
people and corrupts our Government shall
be subdued and made to subserve the pub
lie interest at whatever cost.


Resolved, That we believe the State did
not and could not confer any of its sovereign
power upon corporations, and that now is
the most favorable time to settle the ques-
tion so that it may never be hereafter mis-
understood that State cannot create q
corporation it cannos thereafter control.


Resolved, That in view of present exer-
tions, we look with alarm upon the future
of an interest which can combine in the
hands of few men capital Of nearly 250
millions of dollars in our State, and four
thousand millions of dollars in our Union,
and we believe it essential to the prosperity
of all classes that this contest continue until
those corporations acknowledge the su-
premacy of the law.


Resolved, That we regard it as the un-
doubted power and the imperative duty Of
the Legislature to pass laws fixing reason
able rates for freight and passengers with
out class fication of roads, and that we urge
upon our General Assembly the passage of
such laws.


Resolved, That the existing statutes pro-
viding for classification ofrailroads with
view to adjusting tariff of charges accord
ing to the gross amount of earnings is a
delusion and snare, are so framed that the
are able to classify themselves,
and that it ought 10 be carefully modified
or repealed.


Resolved, That inssmuch as the Supreme
Court has clearly pointed out the way to
reach the unjust discrimination made by
the railroads of this State, we can see no
reason for delay on the part Of the Legis-
ture in enacting the necessary laws on the
subject, and we urge immediate seton
thereon.


Resolved, That we urge the passage of
a bill enforcing the principle that railroads
are public highways, and requiring rail-
roads to make actual connections with all
roads whose tracks reach and cross their
own, and to receive and transmit all cars
and trains offered over their roads at rea-
sopable maximum rates, whether offered at
such crossings or at stations along their
roads, and empowering the making of coll
nections by municipal corporations for that
purpose and for the public use.


Resolved, That We heartily endorse the
action OF the General Assembly, looking to
the enforcement of the performance OF their
duties by monopolies as common carriers,
and that in addition thereto we believe
that railroads should be required to carry
all the freights and passengers offered from
the country through which they pass, and
not permitted 10 limit the amount of their
business and destroy its natural increase.


Resolved, That the constitution and the
laws of Illinois are as binding upon rail-
road corpo ations as upon the citizens, and
that the State must require obedience to
The law alike from all, whether ie same be
deemed constitutional or not by the parties
affected, until repealed or declared uncon-
stitutional.


Resolved, That we endorse most fully
Ihe action of those who tender the legal
rates of fare upon the railroads and refuse