Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1873-10-02

open and freed from the restraints Of
wholesome laws. l am told that the
liquor interests of the state are ell against
me, and are bent on my defeat.
cannot help that. 1t is not important
10 me to be elected Governor, but it is i'm
portant to me to be right, far more i'm
pOrtant than to receive the votes of every
liquor dealer in Wisconsin, or be elected
to the highest Office in the power of man
to bestow. rsI
EARNEST EFFORTS BETTER THAN LAW.
In this connection, may be permitted
to say that never in the history of the
state has the cause of temperance and
good order been more satisfactory than
now; due more to the earnest efforts of
good and conscientious men and women
than to any law; the different Protestant
Churches have We'd with each other as to
which should be foremost in this great
work, and it gives me great pleasure to
know, that upon this question, Catholic
and Protestant Churches can occupy
common ground, and to recognize as
do, with feelings of profound gratitude,
the noble work being done in this great
cause in the state, SO far as nv observa.
tons have extended, by the Roman
Catholic Church.
RAILWAY EMPLOYEES.
Before passing entirely from the sub
iect of railways, am reminded to say that
there is large class of persons in the
state, worthy and deserving citizens who
do not stand on common ground with
other citizens.
I allude to railroad employees. If a
stranger is injured by the fault Of a rail
way company he has his remedy; but a
man may be employed upon railroad
for years-may have proved himself the
most careful, painstaking and conscien-
tious man in the world, with wife and
children dependent upon him for daily
bread, when through the cupidity and
meanness of the company in neglecting
repairs, a rotten bridge gives way and the
poor man lands in eternity,-or perhaps
through the same spirit of meanness a
cheap and incompetent engineer or con-
ductor employed on another train runs
into him and kills or mains him for life
What say the courts in regard to this man
or his legal representatives? Simply
this, that the railway company is not
liable. Our supreme court instinctively
decided this question right when it first
came before it. They afterwards reversed
their decision in obedience to the decision
of other courts, giving no other reason
therefor The original decisions which
ours and other courts have followed with
out question, put it on the ground that
parties employed would be more careful
in regard to accidents if they knew that
they were not to be compensated when
they misunderstanding worthy of Ami
nidab Sleek. When Aminidab and Lady
Sourby Creamy were around soliciting
money to buy moral pocket handker-
chiefs and wooden socks for the little
children of Timbuctoo, they were ,ac-
costed by a lady who solicited aid for the
poor family Of hod carrier who fell
from the top of a building and broke his
neck
Aminidab declared in his sanctimoni-
Gus way, that they could not give any
thing, as the tendency would be immoral
and wrong; that if they should give, it
would encourage not only hod carriers,
but all other sorts of people, to tumble
from all sorts of ladders and break their
necks, for the purpose of securing char
ity for their families.
No class of men are more deserving of
the fullest protection Of the law than rail
way employees.
hardship and hazard. Exposed to every
vicissitude of heat and cold, day and
night, and, however bloated the corpora
ton which employs him, poorly paid at
best, and when disabled though from no
fault of his-turned out tc die. To put
this class of men on the same footing
with other men, instead of increasing the
hazards to the travelling public, would les
sen them. The railroad companies would
be more cautious and employ none but
andgood sober men. Hope, therefore,
that the decisions Of the courts may be
overruled by legislation in this State at
an early day.
SUBSIDIES TO RAILWAYS.
| have twice called attention in my an
nual message to the subject of voting sub
sides in aid of railways. l cannot better
express myself on that subject, and on the
subject of railways generally, than by
reading what | said in my first message:
The rapid and easy transit of passengers and
freight by rail- has given that mode of conveyance
the preference over all other systems, and so
strongly impressed is every community with this
fact, that they are often induced to grant aid, to
secure near at hand, this most desirable method
of transportation greatly in disproportion to their
ability to pay, and greatly in excess of the ad-
vantages to be obtained.
'n tue Hrsl Gay OF january, 1911, lneFe were III
operation within the limits of the state, 3S miles
of railway, and on the first day Of January, 1S12-
,oSS miles, representing cost either actual or
fictitious of nearly one hundred millions of dol
lars. This vast concentration of capital in one
interest alone affects every other interest in the
state and 1t may with truth be said that there is
no branch Of industry within the state. that is not
dependent upon railway facilities, ard which I'M
friendly action on the part of railway managers
may not at any time crush out.
The railway interests of the state have grown to
their present proportions without any general
system and with little responsibility to the peo-
pie OF the state, and the opinion among railway
managers seems generally to prevail. that their will
is the superior law. This is an error which ought
to be corrected.
Railroads are public corporations and as such
are authorized TO take private property on making
Just compensation, right which only can be
given where property is taken for public use.
If then railroads are public highways, the pub
lie are entitled TO the fullest benefits be derived
therefrom, after allowing the stockholders a
reasonable dividend on their capital invested,
and TO secure both parties in the full endowment
OF their Just rights the most adequate protection
should be given. | do not regard the railway
management of this state as less fair or liberal
than that of other states. Trains are run with
regularity and safety, and the travelling public
has been well accommodated SO far as their
physical comfort ard safety is concerned
nevertheless. there are complaints of unius st dis
elimination in particular localities for which 1t
Is claimed, there is redress and that rates for
transportation generally are unnecessarily high
1 pass no Judgment N these complaints
as | have no euch per- 'ual knowledge as &c
enable me to do SO; bat III, interest has become
SO important, and is VITAL TO the prosperity
ofthe whole state, that recommend the organiza
tion OF a board of Railroad Commiss toner's, with
power to inquire into all complaints and abuses
q , \