Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-04-17

- AUSTIN. MIMI
THURSDAY MORNING. APRIL II. 1873.
Corporations.
Every nation depends moro or less
extensively, according to its location,
resources and people, upon production
and exchange for its wealth and rank.
Where the soil produces variously and
in excessive abundance. means must be
provided for Frequent and rapid OK
portation, while in those countries
whose chief wealth consists Of labor
applied to the development Of mineral
resources, convenient, certain and
cheap exchanged is indispensable. This
neccssitatcs facilities for transporta-
ton. such as the employment Of a
large capital and the enjoyment Of
some exclusive privileges, which
i" here originally in the government.
In monarchics these have usually
'een led attho disposal Of the
Crown. In Republics certain fran
chiscs have been granted to individ-
uals and to corporations. When by the
former it was done with . rever-
sionary clause, by which after tho o.
pisatioo Of . given period Of time, the
property Of the corporation became
that Of the Grown, as the fec for an
exclusive enjoyment Of the privilege
for aspeci6ed period when by con.
stitutional governments, perpetual
charters have been. granted to corpo-
rations in consideration Of certain
privileges to be enjoyed BY the State
the theory being the same in each case,
Wig: that the exclusive right to the
monopoly Of public business was the
property Of the government. 1t is
with this view that legislatures have
conferred certain privileges upon rail-
road corporations. This having been
done in many instances without spc-
cial regard for the future condition
and wants Of the State, or for their
relations to the grantees Of its fran.
chises, a serious question has arisen
as to the nature Of the rights which
chartered companies have acquired.
% the one hand it is claimed that
they are vested, lie. held absolutely
beyord any contingency OF liability
to modification or recall. or the
other that they are mere franchises,
incident to the existence Of the State
itself. and inseparable from it, being,
indeed a part Of its sovereignty, some
thing which may be used As subsid.
larry to the public convenience, and
to promote the general welfare; that
whenever its grants shall be tortured
into engines Of destruction, and
turned against itself, it is no less the
right, than the duty Of the State t,
resume their custody, and to provide
means for their proper employment:
If this argument be controverted, i,
necessitates an admission Of the mon.
strous doctrine, that the created Is gu,
pcrior to the power which gave the
creature It's existence.
We are Of those who believe that
every corporation, no natter whether
existing by special charter, or by or.
ga"izstion under general law, is such,
only upon the natural supposition, that
the benefits which accrue to it, are to
be secondary to those which result tc
the State, and this is the legal intend
ment Of every act granting On exc!u
sive franchise. Its own absolute pro
tect'on is necessarily Implied in every
charter which the State coDfers. Th.
government has no authority eithe,
constitutional or revolutionary t,
divest its people Of their power ant
place it in the hands Of an enemy, t,
be used for their destruction. The,
VIC cay to the people, demand you
rights, stand firmly together. Don
be divided upon minor questions. 70,
cannot disable q lion by pulling on
his name. You must, David like
crush his jaws asunder, and pull hi
tongue out by the roots. The ques
ton Of CONTROL must soon be set
tied in your favor, or never. Aggre
gated capital represents political pow
er, and if this question Of monopol,
is ever to be determined peaceably, i
must be done soon.
Legislatures and Courts must b.
chosen conjointly. Men must b.
elected whose devotion to principle
is stronger than their love Of money
There are no rights to be deter
mined; these are afirmatively with tn
laboring classes; the sole question
one Of Po'o>r. The thing to be determin
cd is, which is stronger, the million
who work Or the hundreds VII
plunacr.
1t is question that should int.
est working people.
Educational.