The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-09-04
what the Great Corporations Demand.

what the Great Corporations Demand.
Col. THOMAS A. ScoTT has spoken through
the present number Of the North Am,ricdR
Reri,C in behalf OF the class interest of
great railroad corporations, of which he may
be regarded as a fit representative. Alter
recitiug the events connected with the re-
cent strikes. and coloring them To suit his
necessity. without any Investigation Of the
causes that led 10 the strikes, he boldly out
lines plan to prevent their recurrence, and
t. suppress summarily the first sign Of dis
content on the part Of suffering labor.
His project is to disregard constitutional
processes because they are slow, to super
scdc State authority to create a strong cen
trail power at Washington, and. necessarily.
in order to support it's DEGREES, TO maintaina
largo standing army in time OF peace. whose
chief duty it should be TO protect railroad
companies against revolt of their en-
ploycCs for any cause whatever. Stripped
of fine phrases this il substantially the
proposition which Col. Sco1T Celebrates and
coolly urges rs n remedy for the alleged
grievances OF oycrgrown aud arrogant cor
porations.
The cllrontcry Of a scheme for virtually
turning the Government over to a railroad
monopoly. and running it in that interest
alone, does not seem 10 occur to this agent
of corporate capital and we'll watercd stocks.
Accustomed to ouforcc demands by the
abuse of purchased power, AMI to procure
local legislation 10y means that are well UNI
derstood, he seems to suppose that Con-
gross may also bee easily captured to do the
bidding of formidable combination, which,
in its grasping ambition, seeks to seize the
machinery of Government, and to employ ii
as personal property.
Though these roads are chartered by the
States and controlled by their laws, Col.
SCorr thinks, since they have grown into
great proportions, the local authority is in
sufficient to guarantee them against harm in
times of starvation wages, and therefore,
they ought to have patcrnal care at Wash
ington. Hear him on this point:
The autto ri,y Of the United states, now potent to
protect commerce moving on the waters should he
equally potent when te same commerce l. exposed TO
greater peril the land mi. brings MS then. 90 the
practical question what shape can this PREDICTION DE
pu, 50 A. t. lie extended efficiently and with the
least delay The present regulations all favor unrien
uonaly the ro,r. AMI the moi In the FIRST place the
Mayor of cty must exhaust his power the sheriff %
thc county must essay bic strength t,n while precious
time /. cNfen'n--ior uo' t0n'iHnnF attracts danger
Gus elements ami grows with immunity and success
- 49, = - 80
effective military organ xauon which At the present time
tile perhaps mot more Than hfe out the thirty.
seven stits the the Governor cal the
military forces ant suppress the Il the has
such ni1uou or u the military forces cot the state
prove inadequate 10 the emergency, the Governor Is
paray ,d and must call upon hc United States for assist
II the authorize, Of any state should. for any
cause, fail or refuse t. call upon the United sa'e, Gov.
trnmcnt what possible remedy protection l. LETT TO
life anil property within the limits OF that common
wealth
What Col SCOTT and the railroad kings
want Is that the Federal power should stand
guard over this special property Of theirs,
lrcat il as an exception oall other interests.
and furnish troops to h" ready on instant call
to shoot down strikers, driven to desperation
Mt the sight of starving wives and children,
whom they cannot feed and clothe with
wages cut down toa pittance, in the interest
of big dividends.
The protection for life and property on
which every community relies, through a
just. and, If necessary. a stern administra-
ton of law, Is not good enough for these
huge corporations. They demand moro
than that, and Col. SCorT, in their behalf, is
not at all backward in defining what is re-
qured. Hero il is in his own Words
"Thc able lawyers Of the Senate and House will per
hAps frame law which will l,o to ic owners OF every
highway carrying inter state commerce. whether by
land water IN which c,ulsn. oi drcen states arc in
tercscd or carrying the lnt'd states mails or other
Government property tie usht - appear by petition
properly verified before the tribunals OF the United states
In order to show that Tie mos cnent o such trafc has
been interiorcd with ny unlawful combinations rs
threats or by violence. and VIII. upon suc show vii
give these Tribunals tho reht when necessary. 10 all up
the United states in the form nov authorized Dos hw
10 enforce their process hy nrre ting the oio-. ant h,
suppression OF nil such unlawful comhinttons tn
magnitude ~ te evil to bc met ami dealt with harl
" be o,crstaicd The remedy 10 be provided shoul,
be equally prompt ana eneouyc'
The corporation would mako the "pcti
ton properly verified" for their own bono
IT. and then the process would issue io
troops TO suppress what they would cal
"unlawful combiuatonsw This would be
convenient arrangement for SCOTT, GAR
RETT, Vanderbilt. and the other magnatcs
who would demand nm army whenever the!
Were inundated"
i seems mon-trous that any sane mn
should dare, in cold blood to propose
scheme Ike this, which is nothing less than
radical revolution Of our whole republican
system Of government. II only shows L
what pass we have come, through militai!
rule in civil affairs, and tho corruption brc'
by corporate power and wealth.
But we thank Col. ScorT for his candor II
exhibiting the demands Of the railroad cor
poratons. In five years Republican Con
crosses voted away by iobbery over tw
hundred millions OF acres of the best publ
lands to railroads, to say nothing Of ON
hundred millions Of money in bonds and nc
cuuwlatcd Interest. Rings in the Scnat
and House levied toll on every bill the.
passed, and Credit Mohilier companies die
tho rest, That day has passed and whcl
SCOTT and his associates appear before Con
gross with their bills and jobs they vii
Mud public opinion reused which even th
vcual traders Of both parties will hardly b
willing TO confront
IL.