The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1875-09-06
GENERAL EDCERTON.
The other day the St. Paul Dispatch


"The Hon. Gen. A. J. Edgerton is can
didate for Railroad Commissioner before the |
Republican State Central Committee which |
meets in this city tomorrow. 1t is understood
that he bases his claim on the following honest |
speech referring to the Winona and st. Peter |
r, R., which he made in Dodge county last
winter:
Every one will admit, | think, that the
company ought to receive enough revenue to
pay operating expenses and taxes if no more
The operating expenses and taxes of the road
amounted last yaar to s79l 1851 .O4. This In
cludes no interest on cost or debt.
The gross earntng OF the road for the same
year was S742, 1912 Now deduct from this
amount the reductiousnade by the commission
ers on passengers and freight, to-wit: the sum
Of $50, ,964 81, and it will leave as the gross
earnings of the road 1851 ,lS9. q with which to
paya a$69l 1851 "a, their operating expenses and
taxes.
I'm other words the company would not
earn enough to pay operating expenses and
taxes, by the sum Of $50, ,76l.S .S3.
| stThe only ground to justify the COmmls-
sion in making this reduction was the belief
that the business Of the road would be largely
increased
would advise any greater reduction on this
road, till the results Of few months would
demonstrate its possibiiity.-St. Paul Dis
patch
And over this speech the Dispatch is
furiously indignant.
Now if the Winona and St. Peter R.R.,
company owned nothing but its road and
rolling stock; and ii its property paid
taxes in the same proportion as other
property, we would be ready to join in
the denunciations of the Dispatch.
But it must be remembered that the
Winona and St. Peter R R. Co., received
a grant OF land from the people, through
their representatives, equal to twice the
cost of the road and that this grant was
made for the express purpose of inducing
t the company to build and operate road
during the period of time when the pop
ulation and business of the country were
, not great enough to pay them remuner'
i ative interest on their investment. Fol
: if it had been true that a railroad
= through tha, region. would. from the first
. have paid expenses and seven per cent
). interest on the capital. no bonus of Lands
Q would have been needed to Undue,
9 wealthy men to build it, with the Ger
> tainty thailtheir business would grow witt
/. the future growth of the country to evel
, higher rate of compensation. But tn
/ land grant was given TO bridge orer
! period when necessarily the compan
!. would lose money doing legitimate bus
D. ness at reasonable rates. And. as "
/ understand it, part of the implied cor
~ ~ sideration for that land-grant was ths
IL they mould do business at reasonabl
p rates. They accepted the grant of land
.. under and in the face Of q constitutions
:. provision which bound them to carry tn
ar agricultural. mineral and other pre-
at ductions of the State on equal and reas
ye enable terms" Ii then Gen. Edgertor
. acting as Railroad Commissioner, ha
!. reason to believe that the terms the
in charged were not reasonable, and if b
be believed that the company was CROWN
ds rich by the increase in the value ofthe
u lands, fan increase due to the labors
the people o wning lands adjoining them
be he had right to reduce their rat,
even though he reduced them belo
b. running expenses. If we hire A. B.
~ haul wheat for us to market, in
is, wagon. s.for reasonable rates." and
he consideration of the fact that the roa'
are bad and he cannot make Twin,
lly wages. at the usual rates. we give hi
He forty acres of land to cover his losse
IN. he has no right to take our land Al
Ia afterwards charge unusual rates, becau
,re ofthe bad roads.
,oa 1t win not do to howl General Edge
ish ton down and persecute him into I
we grave, simply because he honestly tn
rill to carry out the very doctrine preach
ar. in all the platforms. His ostracism sil
We ply means that every man who nol