THE FARMER'S WAR AGAINST MONOPOLIES. 77 



a competing road was built to divide any given business 

 which could by any possibility be done over a road 

 already constructed, in the end that business must 

 support two roads instead of one. A very slender 

 knowledge of human nature would have enabled him 

 to take the next step, and conclude that any number 

 of competing roads would ultimately unite to exact 

 money from the community, rather than continue a 

 ruinous competition." 



It may be plainly stated then, that from the very 

 outset, the interests of the public and those of the rail- 

 road companies were antagonistic. There was and is 

 an irrepressible conflict between them, and it will 

 require a more than ordinary degree of forebearance 

 and patriotism on the part of the railroads to bring 

 about a compromise. 



At the outset, the people of the various States, in 

 their eagerness to obtain the roads, granted important 

 privileges without demanding any equivalent. Few 

 restrictions were placed upon the proposed schemes. 

 Corporations were given the right of way, and other 

 important privileges the granting of which often in- 

 volved the sacrifice of valuable private interests, and the 

 State or the people demanded and received practically 

 nothing in return. The eagerness of the people to 

 obtain the roads was so great that nearly every projected 

 enterprise received the sanction of the State, and was 

 put into operation. In this way many useless roads 

 were built, and the present generation is called upon 

 to suffer for this folly. 



In one respect, however, the system, as originally 

 inaugurated, was correct. It provided for and allowed 

 the construction of competing roads, and thus gave the 



