The Portland daily press., 1872-01-27
The Evils Of Consolidation.

REMARKS OF MR. KNIGHT OF PORTLAND
In the course of his remarks in the House,
Thursday Mr. Knight said:
A wear ago the Androscoggin Railroad got a
charter to connect with the Grand Trunk IN
obedience to the voice of a great number OF
people along its line. Then there was no OPP
position powerful enough to defeat it. A few
months more and that Androscoggin roau pa aad
ed into the hands of the Maine Central, ana
the charter died. 1t now comes up mere SUP
stantially in the same form and IL Is IoeghI
not only by the power which opposed IL Detore,
but by the new power gained by Iease, rs
another case of the lion and the lamb lying
down together and with the usual results-the
lamb comes up missing.
And so with every authority winch increases
the power of this or any other corporation. 1t
is an authority which at the same time and to
the same extent ties the hands of the people,
He did not think the Maine Central worse than
any other corporation with the same Opportu-
mites. but this move is so much more danger
ous than the consolidation asked for year ago,
that that to-day reads like fairy tale He
would have had no objection to consolidation
two years ago if at the same time the people
could have got back their rights which had
gone away in that Androscoggin and Kennebec
charter If it were question of better man
agement, there is no reasonable man who could
have opposed it, but it was opposed then upon
the ground that it was increasing the scope of
power which in itself is injudicious, and which
no people Jealous of their liberties would have
granted. But vet we are asked to grant the
same thing over again, and over territory and
interests so broad that it seemed to him there
| was no recall. He looked upon it as the duty
of the Legislature to take these things to-
| gether. 81
: He did not propose to follow through the
| changes that can be wrought upon the original
charter of the first road, the subsequent conso-
| idation, and the shape in which it comes up
now, but he did assert that the Maine Central s
| charter, power and name have been taken, and
| around that and under it clusters the most of
| the power, and that every railroad which could
| be got there has done so, because with that
group there were fewer rights left to the peo-
Pile. There is nothing unnatural as the world
goes in that; it was the best for their interests
l. If any gentleman could show him the diff er-
| ence between the bill under consideration and
| any form of consolidation which can be asked
for, he would admit that he had studied the
| English language all in vain He referred to
! the suits now pending in the Supreme court of
1 the United States between the stockholders of
/ the old Kennebec and Portland Railroad, and
said in his Judgment those suits were to be sus-
| tanned, and the men who may have rights as
| individuals-as men who have put their money
4 in, may yet regain their rights. Rs
He would like to see case where man liv-
ing along the line of this road could say that in
| his judgment If there was desire to build a
road or another branch conflicting with the in
1 terests of the other, that they would stand SO
good chance as if this power they ask for is
not granted. Can the people along the line OF
| the Androscoggin get their rights in question?
Once they had a road independent and could
come here and in the name of that road ask fol
their rghts-could get them-it may do il
again. They have put into the hands of that
road which they have nurtured and encouraged,
the power to defeat those who were the most
interested in it. Instead of having simply one
road to fight, they have nine competitions, and
the influence of the Maine Central is just as
| DowerfuI m in the valley of the Kennebec.
And so with every branch. He warned the
| House against such combination (which
represented pretty much all the railroad inter
ests in the State. .,.-
He had simply to say that SO far as the opin-
ions of any one else was concerned he had not
cared to ask. There is one species of freedom
which thinkingmen are allowed to enjoy, and
that is freedom of thought. There is no excuse
for man being trammeled as to matters Of
conscience. Men come here, passed over roads
free, without question. They come here and dc
their work thoroughly and well. tits a part OF
the legitimate business of the Legislature OF
Maine as its business is constituted to-day. and
there is just one power that will save them and
the people, and that is for the aggregate man
hood here to protest once end forever, by giving
a general railroad charter to everybody to build
under certain restrictions. 81 .s.5a.-
He had thought many times that it would
subserve the public better by consolidation, bnt
there are rights to be saved here. and if this
thing is done, we do what no power under the
constitution or any other legislative action car
ever recall. To test the naked question he
moved that the bill be indefinitely postponed.