296 THE GROUNDSWELL. 



rates and without discrimination ; as much right to enforce such pro 

 tection as the corporation has to assert its claim to the right of way, 

 and to exact tolls for the use of it. The road, sub-modo, with all its 

 rolling stock, buildings, fixtures, machine shops, and other property 

 pertaining to it, is private property, owned and operated by the cor 

 poration for the mutual benefit of the public and the corporation. 

 The principles of the common law, and their charters accepted by 

 them, and which clothe them with such ample powers, impose duties 

 on them to the public, which they must discharge ; and the manner 

 of enforcing a faithful performance of these duties is within the leg 

 islative power of the State. The provision in defendant s charter r 

 authorizing the President and Directors to fix the rates of compensa 

 tion for the transportation of persons and property does not change 

 the legal effect from what it would have been had no such provision 

 been contained in the charter.&quot; 



THE THEEE-CENT-A-MILE WAR. 



Thus the first game in the great contest with monopolies 

 must be scored to the people. The railroad company im 

 mediately appealed to the Supreme Court of Illinois. The 

 more hot-headed of the farmers imagined that victory was 

 permanently secured, and, incited by demagogues who 

 wished to gain notoriety, boarded trains en masse, and in 

 sisted on riding for three cents a mile, the maximum fixed 

 by the law. In some cases they gained their ends, but in 

 others ludicrous incidents occurred. A party of farmers, 

 en route for the second Bloomington Convention, boarded a 

 train and tendered their three cents, whereupon the train 

 was shunted to a side-track, while an overwhelming force 

 of the company s employees were sent for. Meantime, the 

 farmers employed their enforced leisure in singing, and hav 

 ing a good time generally. A large force of brakemen and 

 laborers coming up, the farmers capitulated at discretion, 

 and paid the extra fare. On arriving at the scene of tliQ 



