The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1862-02-24
THE RIGHTS or THE PEOPLE.

lHere 10 HOt more IhltHlul, WhtcHiul
guardian Of the rights of the people in the
constitutional convention than the Hon. Aus
tin Brooks, of Quincy. lie has brought for
ward proposition to be incorporated in the
new constitution, guarding the interests Of the
people against the encroachments Of corpora.
tons, in relation to which he writes to the
Quincy Herald as follows;
One Of the most important questions that
is likely to come before the convention, is that
Of corporations, and the rights Of corporations
as contradstinguished from tho rights Of the
people. The legislatures Of this state have
gone on, for years past granting charters to
corporations, comforting upon them certain
powers and rights, and these rights are call
cd by the lawyers "vested" rights-that is,
rights that are above constitutions and laws,
and rights that the people have no power to
take away from them, or to modify or res.
train in any manner whatever. Under this
system of granting charters, corporations for
innumerable purposes have been organized
and put into operation. Questions and issues
Ut various kinds and character have arisen
between the people and these corporations,
and the courts Of this state, the supreme
court in particular. have decided those issues
in favor Of the corporations and against the
people. The legislature has been crowded by
lawyers who were under pay by these corpo.
ratiOns,- feed attorneys Of railroads
banks, Sc.,-and through the influence Of
these paid legislators Of the railroads and the
banks, charters with extraordinary privileges
have been granted to corporations, and chart
ers have been amended with view TO place
| these corporations above the reach Of tho
people. This accounts for the passage OF
these extraordinary grants and privileges Of
the legislature, but how about the decisions
Of the courts? Why, these same attorneys
the pad legislators Of the corporations, when
an issue between the corporations and thu
people has been taken TO court, are trans
mogrlfed from paid legislators into paid at
torneys for the corporations, and they appeal
before the courts Just AZ they appeared in thu
legislature,t the advocates of the rights and priv
ileges Of corporations, and against the right
Of the people. The result is never doubtful
for the reason that the chief justice Of the SUI
preme court Of this state is not only stock
holders Of one OF these corporations, but owns
almost all the stock in it, and is president OF
the corporation. Of course, a decision upon
any given point in favor Of one corporation,
il decision upon that point in favor Of all
other corporations. The chief justice of this
state is president oi the telegraph company.
! When he decides n point in favor Of rail
road corporation, he has decided the same
point so far az it is applicable, in favor of
the telegraph c0rporation-or, in other words
has decided it in favor of himself! That is
the way things have been going on in this
state for some years past and that is the
way the people have been bound hand and
foot by these corporations. Judge Skinner,
am assured, two or three years ago, resigned
his seat on the supreme bench for the reason
that the people had been sold out by the de
cislons of that court to the corporations. TAKE
one of the decisions Of that court as an illus
tration. am told that our supreme cour
have decided that railroad car is real estate
am told they have gone further. and decided
that railroad ties, not laid in the track, bu
found anywhere on the ground of the compa
ny along the line of the road, are also real es
tate. Now, why was this decision made
Simply to secure the bOndholders to whom
. the real estate of these roads had been mort
gagged, against the payment Of damages tina
might be awarded the people, or an individu
al against these railroad companies Well
thus sold out to these corporations by the leg
. islature and by the courts, it was suppose
j. that the people would have their remedy i
this convention. 1t was supposed this cor
|. vention would insert in the now constitution
@ one or more provisions that would effectuall
0 protect the people against the encroachmen,
J. of these corporations hereafter, as we'll 1
Q against the one-sded decisions of the supren
G court.