The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1874-10-22


there is any district in the State quite ready
to invoke such Judgment, certainly not the
one which boasts of her great commercial
city. and the thrift, sobriety. and intelligence
of her citizens. Think, if you can, of Rinds-
kopf sitting IN the chair of Mitchell, and
then If your minds are capable of fathoming
q lower deep, think of Mitchell helping to]
place him there. But 1 have no time to-
waste on such matters. attempted to ar
rest, and did arrest for tine, some Of the
robberies, but in turn the people arrested
me. You know the rest. They evidently
like to be robbed, and I did very wrong Ia
interpreting TO save them from that pleasure
1t is said that
The Pleasure is as great
Ofbeing cheated as to Cheat
and If that be SO, you are no doubt, perfectly
happy.
THE GREAT ISSUES
that have heretofore divided the country
are to great extent settled. As they have
been settled against the protest and votes OF
fhe Democratic party, it Is more than likely
that, should that party again ever ceGae into
power, 1t will undue as far as it can what
has been accomplished. Cons, ftutional
amendments have been adopted TO secure
the rights OF all men without regard to race,
color. or previous condition. 8ut without
appropriate legislation these amendments
a:e as 30 nuch blank paper TIE Democratic
party has always opposed the legislation
necessary to make these amendments effec-
tive and would no doubt repeal all such laws
il once possessed of the power, The only
safety, taen, Is in keeping them out of power
and 1t there Was ever any doubt about it,
the recent transactions at the South have
settled the question. While there is no &C.
casion to discuss at this time the issues of
the war, it Is proper that we should see to It
that the results of the war are maint aimed :.
But theFe are other vital questions affecting
your prosperity and welfare that are pressing,
and csnnot be igoored or postponed. Per-
haps the most portant of these are the
transportation and currency questions. NV
position on both Of these questions, | think,
must be pretty well known and understood
as have often publicly declared my opinion
IN years past.
THE RAILROAD QUESTION
No one has pal ent right to tae discovery
that the State had, under nnr oonst..at,en,
the power to control railways. may be-
supposed from the claims recently set up IN
certain quarters, but If priority of advocacy
confer any rights, may safely assert my
claim.
In msay public speeches before the people
of the State since 1866. and in two annual
messages to the legislature, / declared myself
in unequfvocal terms. But my early and
cor tlnued advocacy of the right Of legislative
control was in no spirit of hostility to rail.
roads. I well know what they have done for
civilization and the development of TIE
country. They are good servants, hut danger,
Gus masters. Witnessing for years the vast
aggregations of capital in the hands of cor.
| porations, whose will appeared TO be the
supreme law, l long since became convinced
that they were becoming dangerous power
| in TIE country, and that if not checked and
controlled by the people, would become
their masters; that they would dictate the
laws of the country, pack courts to Interpret
them, and would make and unmake Presi
dents, Senators and Representatives In Con.
gress. said this in speeches in 1866. had
no private grievances; the railroads had
always used me well, and I had no special
cause for opposition to any, and what said
at that early day was not in reference to the
railroads of Wisconsin, but the whole system
under which such vast powers were concen-
trated In the hands of few men, who. II
disposed, might WELD it to suppress the
people. early felt that they should be con-
trolled by fair, just and reasonable laws,
and that all communities and individuals
should receive fair and just treatment, and
all favoritism should be at an end and It
was In that view that drafted and present
ed to the legislature in 1866 pro rata tariff
bill, which passed the lower house by large
majority. You will pardon me if recall TO
your minds what said on these questions in
my first annual message, In January, 1872,
and long before there had been much public
discussion upon either
Here The Governor read from his message,
referring to the vast concentration of capital
in railroad IN erests. the lack of responsible
ity Of railroad managers 20 the State and
their error, which he thought ought to be
I,
law whereas our Constitution gave the
Legislature absolute control over the whole
question land recommending the organiza-
tlon of Board of Railroad Commissioners,
with power to inquire into all complaints
and abuses. that an adequate remedy might
be- applied ard then he continued
That the Legislature might have the in
formation to enable it to act understanding
ly, you will observe that In my first message