Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-10-13

AND WHY LONG JOHN WENTWORTH OF CHICAGO
FRElERs ANOTHER MAN FOR PRESIDENT.
From a Recent Speeeh.

AND WHY LONG JOHN WENTWORTH or CHICAGO
rRErERs ANOTHER MAN FOR PRESIDENT.
From Recent Speech.
Now, some years ago was started rail-
road toward Galcna, called the Galena and
Chicago Union railroad 1t was the first
ever started. 1t was the peoples road.
1t was made by the people and for their ben
eft Every man along the line took share /;
if be had not the money he worked it out
himself The road was great success.
We got it As far as FreepOrt in one Girec-
tion to connect with tbs Illinois Central,
and We had got it well to Cedar Rapids IN
another direction. That road paid dividend
seni-annually all along. 1t was considered
As good as Government bonds now are
Trust funds, the funds of widows and or
phans were invested in its stock. The men
who managed it were an economical set of
men. Their salaries were very low. The
president got about 81 900 for his services,
and the lawyer, who did the whole business
of the road. now your corporation counsel,
Elliott Anthony, he had g 800 year, and
everything else was done upon an econOmi-
cal basis. | was member Of the auditing
committee. Every bill that was contracted
on that road passed through my hands, and
had no pay for my services. II there was
a cause for complaint along the line of the
road the people knew exactly whom to speak
to, and when there was an annual election
every man who had one share had a free ticket
for his wife and family, and came here and
voted. The vote got to be merely matter
Of form, and no attention was paid to the
collection Of proxies. At one time whilst
We supposed the thing was all right, on
complaint was made from any quarter. But
on came Samuel j Tilden with lot Of men
from New York city and stepped into the
Office, and about fifteen minutes thereafter
the road was wiped out, and was ever after
wards known as the Northwestern. lCheers
and laughter The documents were drawn
in the handwriting of sam Tilden the
whole thing was manipulated by him: and
now il YOU want To see the merits of that con
soliiation, how it was that those men had
claims upon the trust iunds,-Ihe funds Of
the widows and orphans that were invested
in that road i Will read it to YOU Tilden
bought up. for mere nOmieal sum. first.
the bankrupt concern, called the Illinois
and Wisconsin railroad company; another
bankrupt cOncern-the St. Paul and Fond
du Lac railroad company another One-the
Pennsylvania and Marquette railroad com
pany. Now the beauty of that consolidation
with the Galena road that was that whilst
it run out to Chicago, yOu had to 90 about
100 miles and large distance over the lake
in steamboat to get it. Laughter.
Whether they consolidated the steamboat or
not don't know. Laughter. Thev had
also got the Hamilton Extention railroad
company and then the Chicago and North
western company. They had bought those
up for a nominal sum. and stepped right in
and took ours. We had not the least idea
there was any opposition to the read. and
made no efforts to collect the proxies. They
went around purchasing stock AMI took 4
little up here and 4 little there until they
got a majority. What did this great reform
er do ? The first thing was to declare diyi-
dend of three per cent. on the whole of the
road, the most Of which they stole from our
treasury. Applause. The more the bet
ter. And having made the dividend of three
per cent, it put their stock up and enabled
them to unload and they sold back the stock
at an enormous profit. | have never heard
the profits OF Mr.. Tilden's estimated at less
than quarter of a million of dollars in that
operation. Applause Now, what else
did they do? | am talking to the farmers,
and am g lad to see some farmers here. and
| am glad to see some of my Indiana friends
here. The first thing they did was to put up
the tariff on wheat - per cent, upon coarse
grain u per cent, upon flour : l per cent,
upon lumber 50 per cent, upon live stock
13 per cent. upon merchandise IS per cent,
upon passenger tralhe y II per cent These
tb.. raf,rrnarf- xrfrh tho Iilf-
nois and Northwestern railroad. Laugh
ter Now look at the enormity of the con-
cern. 1t took every road running out OF
Chicago to the north, clear up into the up
per part Wisconsin, Lake Superior, Iowa,
and everything, and there was
nothing that could come to Chicago from
that direction that hadn to pay toll to them.
And my opinion is, if Mr. Tilden is elected
President of the United States, there will
be but Just one railroad in the whole Union
Applause and langhterl, and that railroad
will consist of all the Others. lAughterl.
This thing succeeded so well that he then
went into the Fort Wayne railroad. and
2 billed that up for the benefit of he Penn
>ylyania Central. Not content with thIt,
he then went into tie Terre IIaute and Alton
road, AMI can safely say that he has been
in every operation to consolidate railrC ad'
that has taken place in the Northwest.
Jadge Trdmbell says he is the superior of
General Hayes in point Of ability. lie is, in
just one respect. lie can sit down to his
table and draw the parer that will draw
more money out of the peoples pocket and
put in his own than any man living.
[Laughterl.