River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-02-10

| 900 of their own or somebody else S
money will represent the state, and it
will be given over, bound hand and
foot, to the moneyed cliques and
powers. No matter, in the future,
how much intellect, learning and
worth may aspire to the office, how
great may be the demand for such a
representative, how vital it may be to
the public veal that such man should
be in the senate to plead the cause of
the people, he will have no chance of
success against the corrupt and cor
rupting influences of bags of money,
and the votes which money can infiu-
ence and secure.
We again protest that these remarks
are impersonal, and the pending strug
gle, with the name of Mr.. Saver. are
mentioned only as an illustration. 1t
is not profitable to the people that the
senat0rship should be bought-that it
should go to the president of anation-
al bank and railroad with all the re-
sources of both corporations to aid
his canvass, as againsta candidate of
superior fitness, who has only the debt
of party gratitude which is due HIM,
the disinterested laDors of friends,
and the unbought and impure hasable
real interests of the people, to support
his aspirations"
CONTROL OF CORPORATIONS.
Though it may not be best for the
general government to separate rail
way, steamboat and telegraph lines,
there can be no doubt that the inter
ests of the people demand that the
government shall exercise the right
accorded it by the Supreme Court of
the United States in the matter of fix
ing maximum of freight and passen |
ger rates and other regulations in the |
management of corporations organized |
for purposes of transportation. The |
right of the law-making power to fix |
the toll for grinding grain is uniyer-
sally conceded, and by parity of |
reasoning the right to prevent extor-
ton and discrimination in freight. |
passenger and telegraph rates should
be recognized The State of Wiscon.
sin has already been instrumental in
securing a decision of the Supreme
Court upon this important question,
which decision Was in favor of the
people. As an illustration of the fact
that a monopoly need not necessarily
be oppressive or even Objectionable,
when controlled by wholesome laws,
we will cite the Union Ferry Company,
which has the monopoly of the ferri-
age between New York and Brooklyn.
The law by which this monopoly was
created prohibits it from watering its
stock and limits the dividends to be
declared, to ten per cent. on the capt.
tai actually invested, after keeping its
boats and ferry houses in good repair.
This gives a fair return for the capital |
and consequently is just to
those who have put their money into
the enterprise, while at the same time
the people are protected from unrea-
sonable charges. This is as it should
be, and shows that while the people
are disposed to be just they also de-
mand justice in return. Railway cor
porations are vlgilant and untiring in
their efforts to prevent the enactment
of laws calculated to limit their pow
ers for extortion, and it behoOves the
people to watch closely the position of
their representatives upon questions
affecting the relations of railway COM
panies toward the public.