Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1875-09-03

corporations, without approaching the set
Element Of the doubtful question of the
constitutionality and validity of the law
itself the first and only thing in which
the State and the people felt any real in
terest. II was on the fimsy and false
foundation that the domestic organ of the
Governor sought to raise reputation for
its hero as the special friend and protector
of the rights of the people against the
corporations.
This unwise and most vicious course
was pursued for many months until per>
secuticn, expensive and iruitless litigation
and personal spitefulness and evil design
produced their natural consequences, and
most dangerous reaction in public senti
ment became apparent, and the law itsel
nearly became odous at home and fully
so abroad, and it was feared that the real
good and protection that it was properly
and Justly intended by its genuine friends
to accomplish, would be defeated and the
law repealed.
After a comfortable delay, and forced by
the more condsiderate advice of others,
he gave the matter into the control of the
Attorney General; other eminent counsel
were employed, and the case was brought
before the Supreme Court by proceeding
directly against the corporations to test the
validity Of the law, and enforce its obedi.
ence, and the court, after great research
and long elaboration, sustained the law
and submitted an opinion by its able
Chief Justice. TO show the oinnaus of
the Governor and the evident reasons and
= &c hia iy,f
troversy, he committed a most fragrant
breach Of decorum and common decency,
if not contempt of court, by personally
and Extensively requesting, and nearly orr
dering, the Chief Justice to shorten his
opinion on file, so that it could be cheaply
nuhlishAd ns a ""naP~is" aoo""Ae"s, TO ad-
vance his own political interests and in
crease his popularity with the farmers and
producers of the State, thus claiming the
sole credit Of the decision, as much as if
it had been obtained by his own official
and personal influence, and as special
favor to himself.
This comprises all that VIM. R. Tay.
lor ever did in favor of the principles of
the "Potter Law"
Now his official record and personal ac>
ton on the other side, are proper to be con-
sidered. The Legislature of last winter
was specially called upon by the Cover
nor in his message to consider again the
subject Of railroad rates, with the intima-
ton that the present law in principle was
oppressive and unjust.
Some time before the session, bill was
prepared by the Railroad Commissioners,
or rather for the Commissioners, by the
friends of the railroad companies, abro-
eating totally the principles and provis-
ions Of the Potter Law, and establishing
as the only possible restriction upon rail
road rates and charges, a fixed and unal-
terable Limitation upon the net earnings of
the roads, and leaving the companies with
out any restraint, and free to charge and
exact the most oppressive, extortionate
and discriminating rates, only limited by
their own discretion and greed.
This bill was utterly impracticable, and
was intended to be, and was sham,
cheat and fraud, and if passed iuto
law, would have repealed all existing laws
upon the subject, rendered nugatory the
decision of the Supreme Court, and have
defeated probably forever-all that had
been accomplished for the protection of
the people against railroad monopoly.
This bill, called the Commissioners
Bill" was we'll understood to have been
approved and favored by the Governor and
the Railroad Commissioners, and it would
have passed if the farmer and Granger
members of the Legislature had not be-
come alarmed, and, independent Of party,
called a caucus and devised means to de-
feat it against the influence of clamorous
and overwhelming lobby, strengthened
by the approval of the Governor. 1t was
finally defeated by the friends Of the POT
tor Law" acting without regard to party,
and the law upon the subject, with but
slight change, remains substantially as
before-no thanks to Governor Taylor or
his railroad friends. The more space
and prominence are given to this subject
because, admitting his general want of
ability and qualification, shis friends claim
that he is especially 0UGiI0b2e as tn cham
pion of the railroad war. In his only
trial and test, he most signally failed, and
should not now be rewarded for opinions
and principles he never entertained; for
boldness, independence and bravery he
never exhibited; for services he never rem
dered land for honors he never won. It is
not to be for a moment supposed that the
people Of this State are not Informed of
this disgraceful failure, surrender or res
treat, of this pretended leader, in the very
crisis of their struggle with railroad mo-
nopoly. They have but to ask their rep
resentatives in the last Legislature, to be-
come fully informed on the subject.
In the unseemly eagerness to have
their favorite renominated, the friends
and henchmen of Governor Taylor now
claim that he is the special friend of
the railroad corporations, as we'll as the
very embodiment of agricultural and,abor,
and, like the magic bottle, can furnish any
variety of spirits needed by the customer,
and favor suited to his TASTE. It is
claimed that he is so universally popular
til 1T he has no opposition. except from dis
appointed applicants, or men who have q
grievance; but even in this there is good
reason why he is an unfit candidate; for,
in every instance where his former friends
have taken offense, for not receiving an
appointment to Office, the complaint is not
that the applicant has lost the Office, Ibut
that Governor Taylor was gully of treach-
ery..and falsehood in not doing as he had
promised and agreed. His most enthu-
siastic friends do not claim that he is
competent to discharge the duties of the
Executive office without assistance from
some one who is competent; but they say
ne is the "cGrd to p2ay' in the game, in
which the people are to be fooled and
cheated, and that he can especially secure
the votes of laborers and farmers, on the
pretense that he is ''one OF Nem," or,as his
admirers say, that he is rough, uncouth,
nnmnnnerv and hard handnd farrnnr him