The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1874-07-23
Mr., Drake ON Railroads.

Drake, President of the St. Paul and |
Sioux City Railroad Company. and SEN
ator from Ramsey county, is out in
letter to j. A. Kiester, Esq, in which
he propounds this as his ultimatum:
sTt NAV as well be laid down at once as a
maxim, that no more money will be furnish
ed by capitalists, from abroad or at home, to
build roads until by judicial decisions, or
otherwise, the absolute control Of roads ,vsen
built uiu belong to those a0hO build them"
We hope the people will now fully un-
derstand the issue which is presented
to them.
And he further tells us:
sThe public press, at first disposed to join
the cry against railroads, is now generally
battling against agrarianism."
That means the republican press, Of
course; and refers to that concerted
movement, to which we have already
alluded, to corrupt the journals Of the
country, and close all the avenues to
public opinion.
But the Senator has one glimpse of
reason. lie says:
sThe best informed of us in railroad ope-
rating are Just sOaking up to the fact that no
possible income of railroads in Minnesota
can make them desirable property until the
population becomes more dense, and the peo
pie ADLER to trovel"
Why, brother Drake, that is precisely
what we preached to you last winter, in
the Senate, and you pronounced it ridic-
ulous nonsense. We are glad to see
that you are ':just waking up to the
conviction, that to have prosperous
railroads you must have prosperous
people; and that, conversely, you can
not enrich your roads by impoverishing
the community.
The Senator continues:
ssThe land grant inducement always over
estimated), and no longer available, and local
aid, ercn # ultimately good, has but little
present value to companies"
always over estimated!'' That is
good. Why, brother Drake, your land
grant will pay for your road twice over.
Even if ultimately good.' This refers
to land now held for $40 and $40 per
acre!!
But the Senator kind heart forbids
that he should leave US in the depths Of
our unuttcrable misery, without one
glimpse of hope, and SO he says:
ssFrom all this do not imagine that aba7,-
don all hope Of future connections with YOU
country If we are not ruined by the uni
versal public sentiment, and we can live
through the storm and your people are MOI
ruined by the hard times, the sober second
thought will make all things even.'
The Senator is running this Monopoly
campaign.
First, he told the people, by rail
road decree-early this spring-that in
asmuch as the Legislature had passed &
law against determinations, he coulc
not, as heretofore, carry seeds or tree
cuttings to the frontier at half price
If he did he feared the Anti-Monopo
lists would take awdy his road from
him.!
But as this did not produce, as he hat
hoped, revolution in the treeless re
gions, he tried another little dodge. H
refused to issue half-fare tickets to cler
gymen. because of the law of last win
ter. He expected this would certainl,
!, lead to indignation meetings in all tn
t churches. But the clergymen did no
/. indignate worth cent, for one of then
: had called on one Of the Railroad Com
missioners and was assured that Nj
Drake might issue half-fare tickets t
:, clergymen till the crack of doom, an
o they would never complain Of the act
e That it was all s'bosh > and that tn
: Senator was simply trying to raise a
/, out-cry against the Anti-Monopolists.
And then brother Drake resorted
: another little expedient. He refused
carry poor Scandinavian pauper VIZ
\ man free over his road for fear it woul
d be discrimination and render hi
- road liable to prosecution under til
!, ldw,, And he actually had all tn
a set forth in the newspapers. so as
J. array even the alms-houses of the Stat
as against the Reformers.
n 1t is reported that when solicited ft
IL private charity to the extent of ten CEN
he has uniformly refused. and has base
:. his refusal on the ground that the raj
e road law will not permit discrimin
) tions!!
7e And now he comes out with his la
appeal to the terrors Of the people: al
v he tells US:
l. ssLet the people make up their minds
10 repudiate the false advisers, who are leadir
them to ruin, and confidence will soon
ne restored, and with an influx Of foreign ca
d. ital we shall again be prosperous.
n, Now, seriously. Senator. would it n
r be better to give the capital alrcat
Sc here in the shape of farms. hous'
stock. implements and willing muscle
is chance to increase, instead of Deepen
or ing for our prosperity" on an Unfit
be of foreign capital Does prosperity
aS mean the welfare of the people. OF dc