Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-08-15
An Eloauent and Timely speech.

| GOVERNOR BooTHs BOLD STATEMENT OF TIE
TRUTH ABOUT THE RAILWAY MoNoPoLIEs-wHAI
HE SAYS OF THE CENTRAL PACIFIC.
In San Francisco, Governor Booths speech oi
Tuesday evening is the principal topic of conver-
sation in all CIRCLES and has created profound
sensation. After reviewing the question of dis
indignation Of party ties, the growing tendency
| toward the Capitalization Of power and the ag-
gregation Of corporate wealth aud to the cor
rupting influences Of Credit Mobiller and con-
tract and finance companies. he proceeded to
illustrate the absolute power Of railways to mon
opoliZe the commercial business of the country
and TO ruin all competition by system of spe-
cial and discriminating rates for transportation.
Applying his remarks to the Central Pacific Rail-
road, and reiterating its interference in political
and mercantile affairs on the Pacific coast, he
showed that bis general propositions were nei-
ther exaggerated nor sensational.
II appeal" he said, to the experience of every
business man in this community who takes part
or feels an interest in public affairs, to say IL
they can get together q committee for the pur-
pose OF considering any question OF public inn
portance without instantly feeling the eneroach-
ing power Of this railroad monopoly. The mo-
ment such committee trenches upon railroad
ground how many feel that 1t is dangerous
ground, full of pitfalls for their personal safety
We attempt to create an organization to resist
railroad demands, no matter how bold and un-
i
like to join you. but it will injure me in my bus
mess the railroad can take away my special
rate or give discriminating facilities to my neigh
Dor they can give out all along the line that
none OF their employees shall deal with me they
can ruin merchants who will not regard their Or
ders it may he question OF ruin, of bankrupt
cy, or bread to my family. The struggle of his
manhood ia earnest and painful, but the yoke is
upon his neck, and the iron in his soul. A bal
lot-box is stuffed or returns altered to carry
one subsidy, and then another demand follows
Men will say 4 know it is wrong it is an outrage
but my property is all in this city they cannot
affect it's ultimate value, but it is mortgaged,
and they can upsettle prices by their threats.
and should soon have the sheriff at my door il
1 resist their demands What interest is there
here which cannot be made 10 feel this iron
pressure2 But, as il it were too tedious to cap
ture these several interests in detail, they go TO
Congress and demand possession of Goat Is
land they still demand it, and boast that they
will get it il they carry this election; reserved
though it is for military purposes, they secretly
intend to change its purposes.
"They only intended to lombard the city
from it instead of bombarding the city's ene-
mics until their demands are conceded. In
Gods name look at it You are one hundred
thousand they are but three men. Have they
got hook in the jaws of this leviathan to draw
1t as they please? Even In the country farmers
will tell you that rates of transportation may be
changed or the depots moved to their disadvan-
tage or their accommodation restricted, or they
tell you that they owe money upon railroad
sections OF land with imperfect titles, and they
too are in toll To one community seductive
hopes are held out, threats made to another, to
sway both to the monopoly's will. Go through
the State, and upon every pulse of industry,
there is an iron finger counting it's beats. Upon
every throat there is a hand that tightens or
relaxes ts grasp at the instance or caprice Of an
iron will"