Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1874-05-28
TAYLOR'S TALK.
A Windy Message on the
Crushing of Those Cor
porations.
He Wants Some One Else.
However, to Do the Crushing.
The Railway Commissioners Can't Take a
Hand.
[snacial Dispntch to The sentinel

Especial Dispatch to The Sentinel
MADISON, May 21.-The Governor has is
sued circular in which he recites that at the
last session of the Legislature il passed an act
relating to railroads ETC.; that the same was
necessary, and that il did not go into effect
until the 28th of April so that these several
companies could have time to comply with
the same, That two of the railroad compan-
les, the Milwaukee e. ST. Paul and the Chi
cago & Northwestern have
coNsPlRED AGAINST THE LAW
and are laying plans to defeat its object, and
that to do so they obtained the opinion of
eminent lawyers denying the right of the
state to limit the tariffs of railroad companies,
and that the pronounce this law invalid for
that reason, and encouraged its violation !;
and acting upon this opinion, the presidents
of these roads sent letters to him, setting
forth their opinion thai the law is unjust, and
their purposes to disregard it. That he is
sued pr defamation that the law of the land
must be obeyed that all have a right to test
the validity of the law, and that he advised
all companies and their agents to submit to
the law.
Said proclamation has been wholly disre-
garded, and said roads have prepared rate Of
tariff in disregard of the law. They have
compelled their agents to
VIOLATE THE LAW.
They are now receiving rates contrary to
said law, and they still proclaim that they are
determined to so do regardless of the law.
The law will be tested in short time in the
Supreme Court, The state will urge suits
to be brought to test the validity of the law,
and although the railroad companies
have rec eived great gifts, the franchi-
ses land powers conferred upon for the
public good have been used for their own.
A law which the Legislature has passed shall
not be
TREATED WITH CONTEMPT
by any person or corporation because they
think it unreasonable. Then he refers TO
that portion Of his late message relative to
railroads. and as the roads have had reasona-
BILE tune to comply with the law and have not
ne so, and as sufficient amount of evidence
has accumulated, it should be the endeayor of
every citizen to help put down these corpora
tons, and as the law does not contain any
| or DIVISIONS so that the executive or Railroad
Commissioners can bring suits, and as justice
| Of the peace have jurisdiction over such cases
thew have to come up as all other criminal
| cases. viz: upon complaint OF an injured party
OF some person having knowledge of the
same. 1t is TO be seen that the people are
| dealing it'll
| POWERFUL CORPORATIONS,
and that they consider their opinions and acts
of more Importance than the law, and that
their defense is not to any of the forms of law
but to the power of the state TO control the
tariffs. ETC., and he asks every citizen, when
he is dealing with said roads, to pay only the
amounts that the law prescribes for their
services, and that if said companies do take
any more than the legal rates that such par
ties make complaint of such violation. He
requires all district attorneys to prosecute
said roads if any such complaints reach them.