Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-12-30

the public has an interest, he in effect grant
to the public an interest in that use, and mus
submit to be controlled by the public for tn,
common good TO the extent of the interest b,
has thus created. de may withdraw his gran
by disseminating the use, but so long as h,
maintains the use he must submit to the on
troll
A prominent railroad manager
while recently arguing against gov.
ornamental supervision and contro.
OF rates, and in favor of the pooling
system DOW so much in vogue
stated, in almost the same breath
that "the pooling system would re,
move the DETERMINATIONS and other
evils of which the public corr.
planned" and that competition
would insure reasonable ratesn-
seemingly forgetting that pooling il
expressly designed to prevent COM
petition. Undoubtedly, the pooling
system does project the public in.
terest against much of tho personal
discrimination which has existed in
railroad management, but as re-
CARDS the more important part of
the question, What is reasonable
rateT it leaves the production and
commerce Of the eonntry-to use
the words of the United States Sem
ate oommittee-"wholly at the mer-
~ OF few men who recognize no
responsibility but TO their stock
holders, and no principle os action
but personal and corporate sggran-
dizement.n
A recent report of the n " York
Board of Trade and Transportation
says:
Honestly and equitably managed rail-
roads are The most benefcent discovery of
the century, but perverted By irresponsible
and uncontrolled corporate management, in
which stock.watering and kindred swindles
are tolerated, and fayoritism in charges is
permitted, they become simply great en-
glnes to accomplish unequal taxation, aud to
arbitrarily redistrbute the wealth of the
country. When this state of things Is sought
to be perpetuated by acquiring political pow,
er and shaping legislation through corrupt
use OF money, the situation grows more seri-
GUS"
The railroad is the Invention of
the last half century; the tremeu-
dous development of corporate life.
attended by the abuses of which the
public complain, has occurred with.
IN this period, and largely within
the last twenty-five years. C1ntiu.
ue for another half century tho
present power of corporations 10
tax the public, and We will have a
noneyed aristooracy ia this country
such as the world has never seen,
and with it all the attendant pie.
nomena of vensl legislators and cor.
ruption in high places, which has
caused The downfall of all The great
republics of history.
These are some of tho qnestiors
which are forcing themselves upon
the attention Of thoughtful Ameri
can citizens individualizsf, they
may be stated
Can Americans, whose forefa.h.
ers abolished the law of prlmogeni-
tnre and entail TO az. id the owl. of
vast accumuistions of veal, h in
the hands f individuals, afford 10
cave uhregulated new agencies fer
more potent 10 that end than anv
which wero at that time dreamed
,f1
When corporate life or trade com.
o!ua'ions develop into organizations
ike that Of the Standard OIL Clm.
pany, controlling staple fourth in
magnitude among our nations ex.
for's, and hundreds of legitimate
traders are driven out of existence.
II not time to inquire wba, steps
should bo taken to protect the in.
-erest of the producing. commercial
AID consuming classes
When, to per2etuate power al.
ready acquired by these orgabiza-
lions, corruption is openly pr1cticed
% our elections, and the bribery cf
legislators gees unpublished, is il nc,
lime that American citizsns should
''nsider where such practices lead,
md insist that the State should re-
ume the sovereignty ard control
'v'r ltS creatures which it has in.
'dvertently ard temporarily relln-
Iuished2
The only answer thus far made
~ the ap' logises for these practices
las been to denounce those who
'rp1.ef them as Communists" or
= cjallsts." So bare Of facts and
= bird pushed for arguments favor
bile to their case arc tbey. tha,
lessrs Vanderbilt and Je wett must
ain adopt this policy. and c)pjure
Up the PHANTOM of socialism to
hl'ii their practices liz their
mt letter 10 the Hepburn Com
nittee they suggest that the staid
md Conservative merchants Of the
New York Chamber of Commerce
ire fast t. nding 10 that direction
heir words beng:
The growth of a disregard Of property
n this country is very marked, and railroad
corporations offer favorable forms of attack.
The encouragement, by such body as the
Chamber of Commerce, TO such ideas will
ot stop at railroad corporations, but will
each all kinds of associated capital and
will not stop before it reaches ali pronerty.
This growing tendency to soealistic princi-
lies is ole of the dangerous agns Of the
lines, and, if not checked, will produce
Genes of disaster that would now appal the
ouniry."
Some months after this, when the
committee had pro-
bounced the principal charges made
~ the Chamber OF Commerce "fulIy
proven" the committee of that BODY
having the matter in charge alluded
% this subject, in their report to the
Chamber az follows:
Your committee beg that the members of
he Chamber OF Commerce will carefully
compare these utterances of Messrs. Wander
MI and Jswett will the findings of the Leg
slative committee. The assertion that the
ction OF this Chamber tends 10 the encour-
cement OF soclasistic or communistic prin-
'iples, IS on parity with much of The other
sasoning OF the presidents Of the great trunk
ines. They seem 10 be entirely oblivlous of
he fact that il is their disregard of public
lights, ard not the efforts which this Cham
Der has made to compel their observation,
which is chiefly responsible for the rowth
VI conn unistic sentiment; 10 this State IL
ailrosds were not public highways, upon
which all shippers, as well as passengers,
ire entitled TO equal rights if the discovery
II steam, and ils application TO the purposes
II transportation. with all Tia at endapt heua