Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-11-25
An Opsniag Fer Usefulness and
Ambition.

will these Legislative bodies do i?
The HERALD has on occasions point.
ed out some of the blunders and ex-
tortions Of past legislation. There
are thoughtful men in every section
Of this country wondering how many
Of the thousands Of Legislators chosen
20 act 10 the name of constituents,
will this winter set themselves to the
task of correcting the evils brought
about by legislation, and of anchor.
ating the condition of the people.
The civilized world is now looking
upon strange scenes in Ireland. Last
winter representative of the op.
pressed people Of the green isle visi-
ted the cities Of America, found uni
versal sympathy and went home with
ship loads of stores for relief. But
Ireland still cries. Why are not the
people of that island aa prosperous as
their neighbors IL it not because
the laborers upon the farms-tbat is
to say, the working fafmers--fail to
get the proper share of the labor of
their hands? Millions of them are
working from hand to mouth, while
comparatively few wealthy land.
.ords are luxuriating and boarding
immense riches out of the toll of the
poor tenants. There is an example
of the poor, though they are the
workers, growing poorer, and the
rich, though they are the idlers, grow.
ing richer.
lie Ireland the only or the worst ex.
ample? What if America is a worse
example of the poor poorer and the
rich richer! A few years ago a
firm in San Francisco were doing bus
mess in moderate circumstances
They came into possession of rail-
road franchise. Legislation gaze it
70 them. Now the wealth of one
of the members of this favored firm is
invent0ried in court of justice at
upward Of twenty five million dollars,
two others upwards of thirty four
millions and the fourth is estimated
higher yet. Their names are Hop
kina, Stanford, Croker and Hn0ting-
ton. twenty-five years ago the ell.
der Vanderbilt was worth $5,0O0,.
900 to $l0,00o,0oO That was great
wealth, and it was the partial and
crude legislation Of this country that
gave him the power to accumulate it.
For the nexs twenty years he was
engaged in railrosding, aud when he
died he was counted worth eighty to
ore hundred millions. Jay Gould
has piled up his wealth the last few
years to forty or fifty million dollars.
Hundreds Of others have become
millionaires through the advantages
which legislation by the peoples rep
resentatives have given them. We
venture to say that Ireland presents
no such instances where the rich
have piled up millions 80 rapidly.
This country is going to the condition
Of ireland with five fold the rapidity
that brought the Irish 10 their pres
eat condition. And railroading is
not the only profession through which
the few are becming the masters and
owners of the toll of the many. 1t
the monster power Of this country
and suborns all others, but It is not
alone.
There must be relief. There will
be. We live in time that will call
into action men destined to fame in
the legislative arena Men are wan.
ted, and the times will produce them.
If not this winter IL may be rext. It
will not be long, II not in Wisconsin
soAe Their State will have the honor
and the glory. In 1874, . report of a
U. ). Senatorial committee. after a
summers investigation, declared that.
SIN the matter Of taxation there are
to-day four men representing the four
trunk lines between Chicago and
New York, who possess, and who not
untrequently exercise, powers which
the Congress of the United States
would not venture to exert. Thew
may at any time and for any reason
satisfactory to themselves, by a sin.
gle stroke of the pen reduce the value
of property in this country by hun
dreds OF millions of dollars. An ad.
ditlonal charge of five cents per
cushel on the transportation of cere-
ala would have been equivalent to a
tax Of forty FIVE millions Of dollars on
the crop of 1873. No Congress would
dare to exercise so vast a power OK.
cept upon a necessity Of the most i'm,
perltive nature snl vet these gen.
tleman oxercise It whenever it suits
their supreme will or pleasure, with
ont explanation or apology" No less
distinguished men than Senators
Window, Conkling and John Sber.
man had their names attached to this
report. But six years are past and
no man has appeared to lead the way
to reform. Yet every dollar that the
railroaders handle is farmers or
miners, or other trademarks dollar
Gentlemen, you who have Teen chos.
on tO seats IN tha Teo;sIat,.o