49+ THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



but will "keep clue on," until emperors, kings, and potentates will be 

 as obsolete as the "tabards," "beevors," "brassards," and other 

 trumpery of the mediicval Man on Horseback. 



All life is battling— all society a conflict of forces. Little worth 

 having is ever got without being wrung from the teeth of opposi- 

 tion. Particularly is this true of the ordinary possession of manhood. 

 Every privilege and immunity which we enjoy to-day, without more 

 thought than we enjoy the sunshine and the summer air, has been extort- 

 ed — most frequently through bloodshed — from those who would fain 

 withhold it. The student of history reading the Bill of Rights sees 

 in every clause the result of some successful war fought to wring a 

 concession of that particular principle from the dominant class. The 

 musket has steadily led the way and supported every extension of the 

 boundaries of freedom. Without so irresistible a weapon within reach 

 of every man's hand, the world would still be prostrate under the hoofs 

 of an equestrian aristocracy, whose despotism would only be tempered 

 by the tyranny of kingcraft. 



Artillery is monarchic, cavalry aristocratic, and infantry demo- 

 cratic. Armor and the horse brought about the rule of the few over 

 the many ; cannon helped make one man ruler over all ; while the 

 musket is the agent of the popular will and the pioneer of universal 

 suffrage. " All free government," says an eminent philosopher, " de- 

 pends upon the power of the majority to whip the minority." The 

 fundamental principle of democracy is that the wishes of one thou- 

 sand men shall prevail over those of nine hundred men, and the mus- 

 ket gives the thousand men the physical power to enforce their will 

 upon the nine hundred men. 



1 



DISCRIMINATION IN RAILWAY RATES. 



By GEREIT L. LANSING. 



I. 



THE term discrimination, in its application to railroad rates, seems 

 in the minds of some to have lost its original and true meaning — 

 the act of distinguishing between things which are different. In the 

 general affairs of life, the ability to discriminate is as commendable as 

 the lack of it is discreditable. There appears no reason why the 

 reverse of this should be true when applied to transportation. There 

 must always be differences which fairly affect rates, as competitive 

 routes and markets, the bulk and value of commodities, and the vol- 

 ume of the traffic. Tliese differences demand recognition and require 

 discrimination in fixing rates ; but there should be no discrimination 

 without a difference. This would afford a profit to a favored few, but 

 would effect an injury to the many, and is therefore unjust. 



