96 HISTORY OF THE GRANGE MOVEMENT; OR, 



their services more than a fair and reasonable rate; 

 that they shall make no unjust discriminations in their 

 charges for any kind of service; that to charge a 

 greater sum for services rendered to one person than is 

 charged to another for greater services, shall be pre- 

 sumptive evidence of extortion; and the whole law 

 merely assumes that the relation of the railroads and 

 their customers shall hereafter exist and continue upon 

 the footing of equality and justice, and that like ser- 

 vices shall be' presumed to be worthy a like compensa- 

 tion. I regret to be compelled to say that the railroad 

 managers have as yet shown no disposition to accept 

 this law in the just spirit in which it was enacted. 

 On the contrary, they have found in its passage a new 

 pretext for extortion. They assume, in the first place, 

 that they must have ten per cent, net profit on the 

 nominal capital invested in their roads, and the large 

 sums furnished to them by the people is a part of the 

 aggregate upon which the same people are required to 

 pay them the interest. Such a claim is most unreason- 

 able. Their capital was invested in railroads, subject 

 to the fluctuations and casualties of business, and 

 that is all that will be conceded to them. They must 

 also submit the cost and methods of their management 

 to the scrutiny of the juries of the State, and must 

 account for all unnecessary expenses incurred in efforts 

 to counteract rivals, or to force business into unwilling 

 channels. In their pretended obedience to law, it is 

 manifest they are merely acting a part, intended to 

 test the firmness of the people. They no longer dis- 

 criminate, they say. They now apply the knife to 

 the root of every branch of industry. I have seen 

 the proposed tariffs of many of the roads, and they 



