MR. MIDGLEY S ARTICLE. CONTINUED. 421 



unjust. It annihilates legitimate competition by taking the 

 business from north and south lines having their termini in 

 Illinois, and gives it wholly to east and west lines termi 

 nating in Ohio and Indiana. To illustrate : the Illinois Gen-, 

 tral, between Chicago and Cairo, is crossed by eight lines 

 having through Eastern connections. From their points of 

 junction with the Central to the State line is an average of, 

 perhaps, sixteen miles. These lines can comply with the 

 Illinois law until they cross the border, where they can 

 make the rate as low as they please, while the Central, being 

 amenable to the pro rata law its entire length of seven hun 

 dred and seven miles in Illinois, is unable to take a pound 

 of freight from any competing point. Moreover, it is quite 

 possible for the Toledo, Wabash & Western Railroad, ex 

 tending from Toledo to the Mississippi, to take the business 

 of Decatur at a less rate than that of Springfield as far as 

 the State line, then make the balance in favor of Spring 

 field on the rate between the State line and Toledo. Con 

 ditions might arise under which the company would be jus 

 tified in taking advantage of the law ; for it should never 

 be forgotten that commercial laws are as positive and bind 

 ing as physical laws. Each navigable river is as much a 

 fact controlling railroad companies commercially as are the 

 laws of gravitation and other natural forces facts that have 

 to be considered in determining how trains can be hauled. 

 One other objectionable feature. Congress interdicts the 

 interposition of any obstruction to commerce between States. 

 A bridge can not be thrown across the Mississippi or Ohio 

 until government has located it where its existence will not 

 obstruct navigation. Yet this law plainly violates that 

 principle. It instructs the Eailroad Commissioners to pre 

 pare pro rata schedules of rates, and force their adoption 

 upon the companies. Illinois is in the direct line of the 



