Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-02-06
INAUGURAL ADDRESS OF GOV
CARPENTER.

We oHuII Inc HTSt part vi dOV.
Carpenters inaugural, which is de.
voted to a general discussion Of the
relations fcapital and labor. What
follows is Of more special interest to
our readers:
l now turn to matters moro i'm.
mediately connected with our State
government. The fact that to-day
we are not fully recovered from the
effects Of = financial panic suggests
the probability that the public mind
will look with more than ordinary
anxiety for Legislative remedies Il
has become a habit of American
thought, which rises almost to the
character of mana, to believe
that, for all the political ills to which
human economy is heir, either a
new statute, or an amendment to
some existing statute, will be an eff
tective cure, Almost every man
has a panacea which in his judg.
ment will improve the business pros.
perity Of the country, and secure the
future against the recurrence OF
those financial disasters which have
heretofore periodically affected all
commercial nations, In Iowa these
disturbances have increased the
former grievances of agriculture,
and have set inquiry on tiptoe in
search of remedy. We are told
by one that free banking will educe
order out of financial chaos, restore
confidence, and give our currency
an elasticity which will adjust it to
all the demands of trade. Another
tells us that the burden to which
agriculture is subjected is mainly
ascribable to the tariff, and that
free trade is the all-healing antidote.
And still another informs US that
excessive charges for transportation
is the blight which has smitten the
Western corn-feld. Others are i'm
pressed that "rings" and combina-
tions for the purpose Of controlling
the grain market, the market in cor
poration stocks, the price Of gold,
and the business channels Of the
country are sapping the foundation
of public morals, ,,as we'll as the life
blood Of the producer. There may
be more or less truthin each OF the
causes to which these various per
sons ascribe the, responsibility for
breaking down the profits Of the
farmer. But neither OF them fur
nishes, nor do they all taken togeth-
er, constitute the main reason for
the inequality OF which complaint ID
made. Happily tor the people,
wherever tho reasons which have
been named are chargeable with d.
minishing the prosperity of the pro-
ducer, they are of a character capa-
bic Of being reached and abated by
legislation. Will a more elastic
system Of banking produce benet-
cial effects. Congress has the pow
er to give it, and already the ques-
tion is being considered with earn
est attention. If the tariff is charg-
cable with any portion of this re-
sponsibility, from year to year, as
the necessity for largcrevenues di.
minishcs, it is being adjusted upon
q lower scale, and new articles arc
being transferred to free list. Are
the combinations Of men who con
troll exchanges Ut the market cen.
tcrs responsible for fiuctuating mar
kets and breaking down the produ-
Ger? The same power that makes
gambling a crime and that prohib-
its lotteries should punish with
greater severity a species of gam
bling that may bring suffering to
the fireside Of every producer in the
country. Perhaps We may not be
able to reach operators of this class
directly, as our markets and the
gold-boards are at present beyond
our borders; but we should set an
example to the government and to
other states by fixing upon these
combinations the badge Of dishonor
in making them a crime by our
statute. Are the railroads respon-
sible for any portion OF this COM
plant? They are subject to the
control of the power to which they
are indebted for life; and in many
ThsS sasss,,sS be sSni,S e%
making unjust DETERMINATIONS
against places or individuals, and
restricted against determinations
to prevent freighters from reaping
the advantages Of water communi-
cation. Their business and busl.
ness offices should be localized with
in our State, so that they may be
brought nearer the customers with
whom they deal. They should be
prevented from discouraging manu-.
featuring industries by charging
more for shipping the same weight
and the same bulk in . manufa ctur.
ed article than in raw material.
They should also be prevented from
charging more when business is
brisk, thus keeping all their wheels
and all their hands in motion, and
consequently enabling them to do
the work cheaper, than when they
have less work aud equally large
expenses. They should be treated
so fairly and 90 consistently, and
yet so firmly by our law-makers,
that they viii feel no temptation to
employ lobbymsa to Sesiege legis-
laturcs. And finally, whom the hap
py medium is determined-con
ering the different circumstances
and the character of the business
on dach road, and the numberlexa
kinds Of freight to be handled
that will be fair to the railroad and
| fair to the community. maximum
rates should be established. above
which they may not be permitted;;to
charge. a
But when we have done and said
all this, tho great difficulty which
4 interposes to check the prosperity
| of tho Western producer will moi
be reached. The Hon. William ].
McAlpine, Of Albany, formerly
State engineer, and man who he's
given tho transportation question q
much study as any other man in the
| country, says to me in aletter in