Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1881-02-26

nau sung, Inc fresluenC introduced
Judge Jeremiah Black of Pennsyl-
vania as the statesman, the profound
lawyer, the eloquent advocate, the
unpurchasable friend of the people.
AS the venerable Judge advanced to
the front he received cordial welcome.
Judge Black, after few prelimi-
nary remarks, said that he would tell
what he knew about railroad monop-
oily. There was one fact underlying
the whole question. 1t was alleged
that the railroad corporations, being
put into possession Of the public high
ways Of the country, and bound o run
them in the interest of the people, to
whom they belong, are but public Scr
wants and trustees. But they have
violated their trusts grossly and shame
fully. They are clothed by law with
power which do not belong to them.
They have perverted, misused, and
abused these powers for the basest
purposes of private gain. They have
, a right to be reimbursed all that it cost
them, and to receive reasonable prof
it. The allegation is, however, that
they don't stop at all, but they go be-
yond and take unhounded millions of
money. 1t is alleged that these men
in doug this are doing an unutterable
wrong, that cannot be borne, because
it is greatly to the detriment of the
public interest. 1t retards the gener-
al prosperity and cripples the indus
Try Of the country. If the allegation
be wrong, the railroad companies are
much wronged. lit is wrong the
newspapers are libelling them. A
voice" They tell the truth If it
be false, the league ought to disband
and cease its attacks on these disinter-
ested gentlemen. Laughter. But
rather think it is true. Nay, fur
Their, | am convinced it is true. The
proofs surround you everywhere. The
voice Of complaint comes on the wing
of the wind from every quarter of this
vast continent. The public records
are full of the evidence. Compression.
al committees lave put the evidence
on record. Legislative committees
in different States have done the same
thing. All agree that these accusa-
tons are true. The accused parties
do not deny it. A voice-"They
boast of it." Some of them hang
their heads in silent admission Of their
guilt. Others brazen it out. They
claim that railroads are not public
highways, but are private property;
that any attempt to control them is
conhscation, and that the Supreme
Court in its decision against them was
guilty of communism and Kearnyism.
Others admit the wrong, and yet say
that they cannot see any way to safely
control them.
Mr. Charles Francis Adams, Judge
Black continued, is the al lest advo-
cate of railroad monopoly, and he dep.
recates any legislation that would
rob the companies of their power.
Yet Mr.. Adams would admit that the
charges made by the companies were
wrong and that their determinations
in some cases were cruel. Mr.. Adams
was even amazed that the general in
dustry of the nation had not been
crushed by railroad corporations. Mr..
Adams, in fact, pleads guilty. Are
not these people convinced?
Another authority, that Of a states
man, Gen. Garfield mingled applause
and Misses ], had spoken on the ques-
ton, showing how the railroads had
got land equal to nine States as large
as the State of Ohio. Gen. Garfield
warned the people that the railroad
corporations might overthrow tho
government of the country unless
they were throttled. If Gen. Gar
field should act upon those convic-
tons, there would be blast in the
Presidential trumpet that would rally
all parties. But if Mr.. Garfield
should not act upon his expressed
convictions, he would be as untruth
full to his trust az the monopoly had
been to them. There could be no
neutrality. The agitation, once be-
gun, would 60 on until 100000
people would.learn the important Sc
cret that they are 100000 strong.
How much have these corporations
taken out of the sweat Of the people :?
A voice "Four-ffths." That does
not answer the question. | want to