468 THE GROUNDSWELL. 



turn, it refuses to carry the property of the individuals who 

 have helped to build the road, by discriminating unjustly 

 against them, and making them help to pay the lesser profits 

 or actual expenses accruing from business at competing 

 points. 



It is idle for the railroad officials to say the people are 

 not obliged to go to them for transportation. They are 

 obliged to do this ; for there is not enough trade to pay a 

 competing road, and, even if there were, the people have 

 already helped to pay for the road in the subsidies they have 

 granted. They may, indeed, carry by their own wagons, as 

 in several instances they have sneeringly been told to do ; 

 but it must be remembered, again, that they really own 

 rights in the roads, and that transportation by railroad, and 

 the consequent impetus to production, has already put it 

 out of their power to carry by wagon, as they did formerly, 

 except at a ruinous loss. 



The traveling public must travel and shippers transport on 

 the railroads, or else not at all. Hence the obvious justice of 

 the demand that, if the railway company discriminates un 

 justly against particular localities, it should be made amen 

 able to law. It is futile to talk about vested rights. The 

 law can grant no rights that conflict with the liberty of the 

 subject ; and, if it could, the power that made can unmake. 

 Nevertheless, under the law, the courts only can legally 

 decide. 



VESTED EIGHTS AND POLITICIANS. 



From a business point of view, railroad companies can 

 not be expected to take lesser profits when they can make 

 greater, nor are they more reprehensible in influencing 

 Legislatures to their exclusive benefit, than are any other 



