River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-10-21

me, anu are DenL on my ueIedt.
cannot help that. 1t is not importan
10 me to be elected Governor, but il is i'm
portant to me TO be right, far more i'm
portant than TO receive the votes Of ever,
liquor dealer in Wisconsin, or be electet
TO the highest office in the power Of mai
TO Lestow.
EARNEST EFFORTS BETTER THAN LAW
In this connection, may be permitte,
TO say that never in the history Of tn
state has the cause of temperance ant
good order been more satisfactory thai
now; due more TO the earnest efforts o
good and conscientious men and womel
than TO any law; the different Pr0testan
Churches have We'd with each other as Il
which should be foremost in this grea
wsCk, and IL gives me great pleasure u
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 my observa
tions have extended, by the Roman
Catholic Church.
RAILWAY EMPLOYEES.
Before passing entirely from the sub
there is q large class of persons in the
state, worthy and deserving citizens who
do not stand on common ground with
other citizens.
allude TO railroad employees If q
stranger Is injured by the fault Of 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-
duetor employed on another train runs
into him and kills OF mains him for life.
What say the courts in regard 10 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 IL on the ground that
parties employed would be more careful
in regard to accidents if they knew that
they were not 10 be compensated when
tIey 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 &C
costed by lady who solicited aid for the
poor family Of bod carrier who fell
from the top of building and broke his
neck.
Aminidab declared in his sanctimoEi-
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.
Their position at the best, is one of
hardship and hazard. Exposed t. very
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 20 die. To put
this class of men on the same footing
with other men, instead OF increasing the
hazards 10 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
oyerruled by legislation in this State at
an early day.
SUBSIDIES TO RAILWAYS.
have twice called attention in my an
nual message 10 the subject of voting sub
sides in aid of railways. | cannot better
express myself on that subject, and on the
subject Of railways generally, than by
reading what said in my first message
Tho rapid and easy transit Of passengers and
freight nv rail, has given that mode Of conveyance
the preference over all other systems, and "a
strongly impressed IL every community with thi.
fact, that they often induced 20 grant aid, %
secure near at hand, this most desirable method
Of transportation, greatly in disproportiou 20 their
ability 10 pay, and greatly In excess or the &C
ysniages 20 he obtalued
on the fret day OF January. 1871, there were In
operation within the limits oftho state 30 miles
Of railway, and on the first day Of January is.s-
,,Ss mtes, representing cost either actual 81
uEtlliOu~ OF nearly one hNhNFtN mullNH1 81 uhA
lars. This vast concentration ~ capital in on,
interest alone Affects every other interest IN M
state, and Il may with truth be said, that there 4
no branch OF industry within the state, that u no
dependent upon railway facilities, and which IN
friendly action on the part 81 railway managers
NAV not az any time crush out.
The railway interests Of the state have grown 4
their present proportions without any genera
system and with little responsibility 20 the pco
pie OF the state, and the opinion among ratlwa
managers seems generally 90 prevail that their vii
a. he mr. Law l. an arr "A
90 be corrected,
Railroads are public corporations and NJ sue
are authorized TO take private property ON maxim
lust compensation, a right which only can D
given where proncrty Is taken for public nse.
II then railroads are public highways, the put
JIG entitled TO the fullest bencta 10 be derive
therefrum, amer allowing the stockholders
reasonable dividend on their capital invested
and 10 secure both parties In the full eni0ymen
~ their lust n thts The most adequate protectio
should be given. | do not regard the rnilwa
management OF this state a. less fair or liberi
than that of other states. Trains are run wit
regularity and safety, aud the travelling publ
has been we'll accommodated 80 far as the
physical comfort AID safety Is concerned
Nevertheless, there are complaints OF unjust 81
elimination W particular localities, tnr which
II claimed, there IL no redres-, and that rates 7,
transportation generally are unnecessarily hir
pass no Judgment phn these complain
as / have no sueh y Dua knnwledge as
enable me tO do 90; but i.its Interest has becou
80 impur ant. and is 80 vital 10 the prosperi
ofthe whole state, that commend the organic
tiun Of board ui Railroad Commissioners WI
power to Inquire into all complaints and abuse
and 10 exercise general supervised over INC 9
Grating Of the several railroads WITHIN the stat
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