The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1875-08-30

ed the ties of partnership, as to help the cause
despite the psrty whip,-an instance of
which l very gratefully remember in the his
tory Of yourself, while You were yet Republi.
can. =
l have yet t, learn of single fact in the his
tory of the Democratic party in this State.
within the ten years last past, that even gives
coloring to the assertion that it is controlled by
| monopOlists.
It cannot be found in the platforms of the
party or any Of its party measures
You can find a prOfessed Democrat who ia a
monopolist without doubt, as you can find a
wolf in Sleeps clothing anywhere But I
maintain that the recent history of the Demo
crotc partyiin this State demonstrates that ithas
| not been controlled by monopolists. know
| that it is not now so controlled. r..
The nomination of Barton for Governor two
years ago proves it, as also the support of Dom
| nelly and Lochren for senator last winter and
the nomination of Buell. this summer, and the
nominations for congress last fall.
The fact is that for four years past the Anti
Monopolists of this State have controlled the
Democratic party,-have made its State and
most of its local nominations. and all of its
platforms, and ninety nine out of every hun
dred OF the fifty thousand votes we shall DOLL
this fall for the Democratic Republican ticket
will be cast by men who are as sincere Anti
Monopolist as yourself. OF such men, and
by them, IS the Democratic party composed
and controlled. Every man on the Democratic
Republican ticket now in the field is as sincere
ly an Anti-Monopolist as is to be found within
the State and unselfshly SO at that. There is
not one of them who would not gladly retire
from the field and support any other honest
Democrat, If thereby success could be secured,
or the prospect OF success made brighter, and /
believe this spirit TO pervade and control the
Democratic party
As already stated the Democratic party has
proved its unselfsh patriotism in the past few
years by not only uniting with, but even sur
rendering the control of its organization to men
who did not profess to be Democrats e. 2. first
to the Liberal Republicans, then to the Anti
Monopolists), and this to, as national, as well
as State party We have been willing to fol-
low the lead OF yourself and others in all these
matters If there by purer administration of
the government might be attained 1t will not
be our fault If this harmony is disturbed. and
if we do not see the necessity for a new or
ganization" as you do, it cannot be said that
We are therefore 'monopollsts" otherwise than
as above stated.
have no sort of objection to your first reso.
luton. believe in the largest kin Of liberty
in the formation Of "new FOUNDATIONS "wheth-
erin politics or religion.
Not being much of partizan myself. am
always glad to see any man or set of men who
even think they have emission" in any d.
rection, attempt by lawful means to accomplish
any worthy purpose.
My own conviction is that there should he
no division in the rvnks ofthe opposition in this
State That we should all unite in an heroic
effort to rescue the State from the control Of the
real monopolists,- Republican party. But
it is their privileges to pursue the way that to
them shall seem right.
As believe your purpose to be the same as
ours. shall rejoice it you shall accomplish
tie object We are endeavoring to attain. even
as heartily as if we had attained it ourselves.
Without celebrating, may further say that
the principles stated in your platform have
been advocated by me in my public speeches
here ct home among my neighbOrs Tor ten
years last past, and consequently, claim no
credit for now saying that they meet my hearty
approval, and also that they are approved by
every Democrat of my acquaintance To this
approval wish to make one or two modifca-
tons, because am not certain that | UNDER
stand your platform as you do.
In your seventh resolution it seems to be an
nounced that it Is the duty of the Stat. to COM
pei railroad companies to carry freights ship
ped by its citizens through other States at the
same rates charged to citizens of such other
States for similar service within the limits of
such other Statest
II you mean by this that the rates for such
service over railroad lines outside Of this State
ought to he so controlled by law as to prevent
exhorbitant charges and unjust discrimination
and uh;airness, | very heartily concur, but l
cannot say it is the duty of this State to COM
pei this result or that the State has the porer
to do so, of which am not satisfied.
The power of a State, whether legislative
judicial or executive is so absolutely confined
within its own territorial limits, not only by
constitutional restriction, but from the neccssi-
ties Of national existence, that am at loss to
70 nv vr haf Stofa
of transportation beyond its own limits
At the risk of being lengthy let me Illus
trate:
Suppose this State passes law fixing rates
on the Milwaukee, railroad from st, Paul to
Milwaukee, and Wisconsin fixes conflicting
rate from LaCross to Milwaukee for the same
road, which is to governi We admit that
Wisconsin has the same power and duty as
Minnesota, suppose then she fixes rate from
Milwaukee to st. Paul and we. fix conflicting
rate from St. Paul on through freights on the
same road for tie same service. Which is TO
govern
| make this illustration more as an inouirv
than an objection, because as already said. /
perhaps do not understand the meaning in
tended by the resolution in question in this ~
gard.
As was the author of the first and only rail.
road law in this State nxinQ rates, and that Law
has since been affirmed by our own supreme
court, you cannot of course have any doubt
that it is my opinion that it is the right and
duty of the State so to legislate But wish to
say that the Act of 1871, which has been go
bitterly attacked by the monopolists, as TAB
surd, unjust, incongruous'' etc, etc. was made
for one paramount purpose, viz: to compel de-
eison BY toe courts on the single question Of tie
porer Of the Legislature to exact such la,cs.
That one purpose was the controlling idea
and has been sustained.
Now if the people suffer from extortions. we
know that I'VE havea remedy within our reach
and this very fact viii largely do away with the
necessity for the exercise Of the power Possessed
| While do not think that the bankruptcy
suffering and other evils spoken OF in your
tenth plank are to be charged exclusively oe
even principally to the cause there stated.
have no doubt that cause may have tended IN
that direction. Ny own idea is that the evil
| growing out Of the tariff laws have had more ID
do with the results spoken of than all other
causes combined. II is 80 seldom that we lind
4 plank in a platform 50 emphAticaliy rieht r
your fourth and fifth, that single them out to
say that in l776 the "swarms Of officers sent
hither to harass our people and eat out their
substance" were Insignificant in numbers and
voracity IN comparison with the SWARM of
similar leeches fastened upon Us BY the Re-
pUbIlcau State and Federal administrations