The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-09-16
PUBLIC CORPORATIONS MUST Be RON.
LATED BY THE PUBLIC.
The Principles Of the Farmsrs Movement yu.
dicially Endorsed.

dicially Endorsed.
For year past the monopolists have
confidently asserted that the Farmers
Movement would soon play out that it
was only momentary excitement conse.
quent upon hard times that it could neY-
err succeed &C., &c. And for a few
months past Republican papers have con-
tinua!ly said, "the Changers are playing
out" and such like expressions-showing
that the wish was father to the thought.
The truth is that the Farmers Movement
is not failure the Changers are not play
ing out, but are better organized and more
powerful to- day than ever. The general
principles of the Farmers Movement, the
Grange Movement, or whatever you please
to call the organization, are the true prin-
ciples of democratic government, aud muss
be established and sustained if we would
preserve republican government The
foundation principle of the Farmers Move
ment is found in the constitutions OF the
several states aud of the United States,
viz: that private property cannot be taken
except for public use, and then only tor
lust compensation that the state cannot
take away the property of citizen and
vest the fee simple in railroad corpora
ton; that it can only give railroad cor
poration the use of the property for the
purpose specified, and upon just compen-
satiop, on the ground that it is taken for
a public purpose, and that the state hay
ing taken it for public purpose has
right, and it is its duty, to so regulate its
use that the public shall not be oppressed
or injured by such use and that when the
corporation ceases to use it for the pur-
pose specified, it reverts to Its original
owner. The Farmers or the Grange Or
panization seeks to carry out these princl-
pies in legislation and in the courts. Last
fall this organization gained complete con-
troll of the executive and legislative de-
partments of Wisconsin, and enacted a
law regulating railroad corporations, The
monopolsts set up terrific howl
said the law was unconstitutional that
the state would be ruined if it should be
enforced that the railroads would not
obey it, etc, etc. By and by Chief Justice
Dixon, of that state, resigned, and the
Farmers governor lTaylorl appointed a
lawyer named Ryan, to the vacant place
Then the Republican papers said the mo
nopolsts had captured the Farmers Move
ment; that Gov. Taylor had gone back or
the Anti Monops that Ryan was Dem
ocrat and Copperhead, and would TAXI
sides with the railroads and against thu
people-and so on and SO forth. What i
the result? Read the following telegram
! MADISON Sept l5.-Chief Justice Ryan has jus
concluded the reading of the opinion OF the 81
preme court in the app ication of the state for al
Injunction TO compel railroads TO comply with IN
so-callcd Potter law, The court afirms the const.
nationality Of the Potter law and directs an niunc
ton 10 issue compelling all railroads IN the STAT
10 comply with its provisions,
The abstrac, is prepared by Chief Jus
tice Ryan and is sustained by the tu
r bench and declares that the court ha
Jurisdiction in cases of this character az
: cording to state and federal enactment'
, SO far as concerns public benefit or injury
and sets forth that the legislature, in spit
OF the rule in the Dartmouth college case
has power over such corporations as raj
roads, to regulate them for the publ
good; that the legislature is under mora
obligations not to fix transportation toll
below fair rate, but that the power {
the legislature over the franchise is absc
5 lutte. What do the monopoly rings thin
5 of this? Does this look like a failure ?
Is the Farmers Movement playing out
Has Gov. Taylor made a mistake in b
choice of chief justice? Not much.
1t looks very much as though the oil
Democratic principle of legislative powe
over the franchise of public corporation
was about to be reestablished That prir
0 ciple is that, no matter whether the rigf
= to alter, amend or repeal the charters
o such corporations is reserved in so man
;, words in the charter or not, the right is on
which the legislature cannot part with
d the people have never delegated to tt
Z legislature any such right, and any futur
. legislature has the right to alter, amend o
c repeal any act of its predecessor, whel
II ever the public good demands it. I'll
N peoples hired men who go to the sta
!, house to do the business of the Peep
It have no power to do any act which tt
= people have not authorized them {
}; do; no power to place the people undo
y the control of corporations. Public co
@ porations are the creatures of the peop
( and subject to the will OF the people.
t, A full line of the celebrated Amana co
II ony yarns flannel's and prints just recei'
4 al NJ kJFSOW'S