The groundswell Volume 3 ; A history of the origin, aims, and progress of the farmers' movement: embracing an authoritative account of farmers' clubs, ... of the lives of prominent leaders, etc. ...

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1874 Excerpt: ...refused either to be ejected from the train, or to pay the extra money, producing revolvers and knives in support of the legality of their proceedings. It is due to the farmers to say that this high-handed way of settling the difficulty was almost unanimously condemned. It was universally conceded among all intelligent men that riding for three cents a mile, behind a knife or revolver, proved nothing. One case of this sort went to trial. An Illinois Central Railroad conductor was arrested and fined for putting a farmer off his train who would not "come down" with more than three cents. The decision was against the company, which again immediately appealed. Of course, it went by the board, when the law under which it was made was, shortly afterward, declared unconstitutional. THE ARGUMENT ON THE APPEAL. The appeal of the Chicago & Alton Railroad Company from Judge Tipton's decision came before the Supreme Court of Illinois in the January term of 1873. The case for the appellant (the company) was prepared with great ability, and set forth the reasons why the Illinois law was unconstitutional, basing them upon the following facts: 1st. The company was especially authorized by law to charge such rates of toll as its President and Directors should from time to time establish. 2d. The said authority to charge toll was a contract between the State and the appellant; in support of which the, famous Dartmouth College decision was principally relied on. 3d. Charging a greater compensation for transporting persons and property a shorter distance than for a longer one is not necessarily unreasonable or an unjust discrimination. In support of this, it was alleged that in the case in dispute the toll to Lexington was reasonable, and that the toll to Bloomin...