The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1881-08-05


law Of eminent domain, on the assnmp-
ton that IL was required fcrpnbIie use.
They are not the private and absolute
property Of the corporation, which il
can use, or let remain unused, at its
pleasure. The same argument can be
be made To show that the government
could not have a gun factory, OF an en-
craving bureau, or = printing Office.
The Government claims the right Of do
ing for the People such business As the
People see fit 10 have the Government
do. 1t IL Government Of The People
By the People, and what corporations
can do for themselves the People can
DO for the people.
PUBLIC CONSIDERATIONS.
The question Of the railroads is not a
mere question OF finance, or Of the law
Of contract; it belongs TO the domain Of
statesmanship.
These corporations claim {, own our
highways, and that they can hold them
ia spite of anything which the people
can lawfully do. IL England made
snch claims war would ensue. Who
eyer owns the highways Of country is
master of that country, and has it by
the throat. IL these corporations own
the highways, there lis little left in the
country worth owning.
The roads have acquired many mil
lions Of acres OF land, and are land
holders. They own tracts Of land
eqaal la AREA To some OF the great en-
plres in Europe. For large portion
of these lands the roads gave nothing,
ethers they compelled ths owners to
sell At an alr'raisrment. IL Is the the
ory OF these corporations that the stock
holders own the property which belongs
10 the corporation. In many cases the
stockholders put no money iAto the
corl'oration. Bonds azd land grants
built the roads. and the owners Of the
charter or franchise divided among
themselves the stock as their private
property, paying nothing for it. We
beard something Of this matter in the
Credit Mobilier disclosures. This
stock, costing nothing, is put up for
sale, and if some person, like Jay
Gould, buys it for one-ffth Of Its face,
be claims 70 own the whole property,
and TO have the same rights over il
which the farmer has ovo- bis farm.
He claims To own one of the national
Highways, built on grants of national
property and nntionrl credit, and tO
the building OF which the stockholdeE
never contributed one cent of his own
money The English complain of ths
unequal distribution Of their lands as .
great national evil, causing pauperism
and threatening revolution. But NJ
landholder there holds such vast do
mains as our Government has ceded Il
the railroads.
IL has been deemed wise in thi
country To prohibit non resident for
eigners from becoming land owner
here. The stocks of the roads are b
some extent owned by non-residen
stockholders. IL the corporation own
the land and the stockholders own Il,
corporation, can any railroad lawye
explain how it is that stockholders d.
not own the land : He may tell u
that the corporation and stockholder
are not the same persons, but canno
say that the property of the corpora
tion does not belong TO the stockholdeli
: unless he is prepared to admit that
{ belongs 20 the public, or belongs to Mt
body.
n These tockhalders claim that the
) own all the land and other property {
!. the corporation as absolutely rs th
farmer owns his farm. Part Of tn
property consists of highways, whic
' were built by gifts ofnational propert
3 and credit, and were intended to
national highways. Can legislativ
body give away the sovereignty of Il
people over public highways : VIII,
+ is the effect Of our laws torhiddin
i foreigners to be iandholders it co
poration can ben landholder while i
3 stockholders ERE foreigners I Is it
the. interests. of the stockholdera4
manage the roads for the public b
of the corporation What is
Of our laws against primogs
the owner of railroad cam
!. highway in bis family with
!. and thus hold on TO it af
When the State of New
the right of ma11