The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1881-03-02
ANTI-MONOPOLY.

! days ago q. Cooper Institute, New ork,
Hon. jeremiah S. Black. of Pennsylvania
delivered an address, the keynote of which
was the legal and constitutional aspects of
/ the transportation question. He considered
at length the relations of corporations to
the public He declared ''that the course Of
these institutions had been steady toward
complete monopoly. Their ultimate designs
were fraught with the greatest danger to the
State, and unless legislation should
step in and aid the oppressed, the whole
machinery OF the Government would be
thrown into the hands of monOpolists."
''These men," said the speaker, 'are not now
satisfied with their possessions: they will
still continue 10 water their stocks, to alb
sorb the property OF Others, and tax the pro-
ducers at their own caprice; and by the
consolidation of railroads, the union of tele-
graph Lives. the subverSiOn of the laws and
the insecurity of given corporate properties
by their refusal TO recognize the rights of
the minority of shareholders, they have set
at defiance the rights of the public and indi-
yiduals, prevented beneficial competition
and trampled upon the spirit of the Constitu-
| ton and laws of their country HeadyOcated
that railroad men should be turned out OF
office under the Government, and their duties
compelled, as well as rights observed, through
the interposition of the law. The constitu-
tional methods by which the people might
be protected in their rights were discussed,
and authorities quoted to demonstrate
that the remedy lay in the hands of the
public itself 1t was shown that by the
power of their wealth the railroads had OBJ
/ tanned large share of control OF the SUI
preme and State Courts and various legisla-
tive bodies, and that Judges were elected
and Representatives selected with special
reference to their fitness for advancing the
interests of the corporations they represent
ed. The railroads were rapidly assuming an
influence disproportiOnate to the relative
position they occupied toward other bodies.
The character and extent OF such laws
which should be enacted was explained and
heir adoption strongly recommended
The meeting adopted resolution
declaring that il is the duty of
citizens everywhere TO organize anti
monopoly leagues and endeavor to
secure among Others the following specific
results: ID Laws compelling Transporta-
ton and Telegraph Companies to base their
charges on risk and cost Ofservices. ~ Laws to
prevent pooling aud combinations 6 )Laws
to prevent Determinations against any class |
Of citizens on the public highways. (l)t
Courts to give effect TO the laws placed on
| IL c4of 4n . L.
official duty by officers TO defend citizens |
against corporate injustice. 90 Laws to pre- !
vent public taxation TO pay dividend OF
National stock. Cd Laws against bribery
(s) Laws to regulate the commerce of several |
States, and (9), a liberal policy toward the
water ways. 1t was resolved that independ-
ent journals should be encouraged, and that
the bread, meat and fuel of the masses
should not be taxed to pay dividends on the
| fictitious costs Of construction" Senator
Window, of Minnesota, is not less en-
phatic than Judge Black in his
opposition to monopolies He was
not present at the meeting. but
he addressed by letter in which he treated
at length OF the abuses which exist in the
management of railways and telegraphs and
| laid much stress on the danger of a single
man controlling the educational power of the
press by the ownership of telegraphs, and
strongly advocated postal telegraph, and gov
ornamental restraint to be exercised over
the increase of corporate powers. Without
such restraint" the letter read ''what is to
| fix the limit of eXaction of the corporate
power on the people? What is there to
hinder these men from depressing or intiat-
ing the value of all kinds of property 10 suit
their caprice or avarice : What shall be said
of free people who will submit without pro-
test to be bound hands and foot ~ is it not
well, under such circumstances, for Legisla-
lures to note with special care what is going
on within the States under their control.
The States are as a general thing the birth
places of corporations. 1t is the Legislatures
that give them their power, which when not
properly guarded, becomes a positive and
always growing evil. when men seek to
point the moral of corporate greed and
high-handed plundering of the masses, the
tenure of English land by few thousand
| well-born idlers out of thirty-five millions of
people, is pointed al" says the Philadelphia
Times, "as the unbearable crime-class leg
islation. 1t is true that the history of peo-
pie in slavery TO laws themselves had and
have little or no handiwork in framing.
comes to its utmost aggrayationin England
and Ireland. 1t is true that every guinea
that goes into the pocket of my lord, repre-
sents the toll of a dozen families; that while
a few thousand men born to make laws reyel
in luxury and splendor compared to which
the widest dreams of oriental opulence is
but the tawdry grandeur OF a backwoods
stage banquet the millions are legislated
into deeper and deeper poverty-only re-
lieyed by the late promise of betterment
in the election OF the Radicals to Parlia-
ment. The English masses have been
realizing their condition for a half cen
fury. First, through agitation verging at
times upon insurrection they have been
seeking means to manumit themselves. But