The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1874-09-24
a lot Of balderdash is INDUCED

lot OF DAlQer09Sn IS INDUCED
in, about water communications and the
power of Congress to regulate inter-
state commerce. What relief could
Congress give for the expressions Of the
railroads acithi3, the Stntee It could
properly legislate as to freights and
passengers between La Crescent and
La Crosse; or St. Paul and Chicago:
but it could not enter the domain Of
the State and say what the tariff of
freight or passengers should be from
New Ulm to Winona or from Austin to
St. Cloud. Here State action is neces-
sary. Why then was the afirmance
Of the power Of the State voted down
in one set of resolutions, and the whole
subject avoided in the resolutions which
were adopted There Can be only one
answer: this omission was the price
paid by Dunnell for the support Of the
railroad corporations.
Let US now turn to the Republican
State Convention, which met 1T Mime
apolis on the 9th inst The following
is the only reference to this question !:
Its prompt response to the popular demand
by the repeal of the congressional salary bill
and other obnoxious Legislation, and its
readiness to grapple with new issues grow
ing out of the relations Of corporate power
and productive industry by the inaugura-
ton of measures looking to the protection of
the latter against all unjust Entertainments
of the former, and by the opening up Of new
and cheaper channels Of communication by
water between the granaries Of the west and
the markets of the east, as sure guarantees
that the grand old party that saved the
country Is still true to the principles that
gave it birth, in hearty sympathy with the
popular will.
Here it will be observed there is
nothing but generalities, and 'fraud
lurketh in generalities. 1t is ready
to ''grapple with new issues" SLOW
grapple p 1t will ''inaugurate" mea-
sures-not enforce or ccnsummste-
''inaugurate'' measures, '1lookiag to. .
the protection of productive
industry against all UNJUST en-.
croachments Of corporate power. All!
there's the rub. What are unjust
entertainments The railroads say
that they have right to fix their OWL
rates. If so, to so fix them, would not
be ''unjust." Interpreted this plank
means, ''we will begin measures which
will squi,,t at protecting industry from
unjust acts, but we will leave it an open
| question what would be unjust. And
we won't affirm that the State has any
rights in the premises.
A more thinly diluted dish never Wa:
served up to an expectant people. tits
like the old recipe for making homeo.
pathic chicken soup-"take the skeleton
of chicken that has died Of starvation
let it's shadow fall one hour on barrel
of water, then dilute one tablespoonful
of that water with one gallon Of othe,
water. and boil for three hours. Take
teaspoonful every other day."
Bill King was snrewd enough to OBJ
serve this omission and SO his conven
ton
Resolved, That the develop.
ment Of the great water routes of the coun-
I try, and limiting and controlling Of the grea1
| aggressive monopOlies of the land-rendel
| its fthe Republican party's] continuance II
power indispensable to the welfare Of the
people.
But even this apparent frankness is q
cover for cunning reticence. Limiting
and controlling How and where
That's the whole question. In Con
gress, or in the State Legislatures, o,
in bothl 1.-THE aggressive monopolie!
of the land" What are these! Ok
they include railroads! If so, why NO,
say SO!
How suspiciously generalized all thi'
is, compared with Judge Waite's plat
form:
/ ave assert that it is the bounde,
duty Of the Legislature and of Congress
to regulate all railroads AMI
other corporations engaged in the car
rying trade of the country
The Anti-Monopolists have held tw'
Conv entisns, and in beth they have un
equivocably asserted the power of tn
State to control railroads. The Re
publicans have held three Conventions
and they have not in any one Of thez
said one word on the subject. Coul
such An omission have been accidental
No; it was preconcsrted. It is sig
nifcant.
! Voters! Can you longer dout
which party is on the side Of the PEG
pie, and which is on the side Of the col
porations