Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1882-08-17
Field. in his work on Corporations,

=
says:
70 corporations - rrs mostly tudrb,ed- for tho
Grc2test physical achirvments Of our age; and,
through thsm, for rapid, social moral and intel
eefu.l adysncsnent q the people. By means Of ths
and talents vhish they have secured continents have
been spanned BY railroads and covered with net
work Of telegraph wires; thus facilitating trans
os...3n' sS ssa p.on3eng eo@Ianicaiion es-
nected countries widely separated by oceans thereby
bringing them into nearer and more friendly rell-
tons md enabling the citizens Of each 10 converse
win ne other, Ike members Of one common family.
Capital viii not aggregate unless the
same protection Is accorded it when ag-
gregated as Is extended to private proper
ty. That the franchise conferred upon cor
porations is frequently abused and en-
ployed to oppress individuals is too true;
but this instead Of being an argument
against such organizations. should serve
only to caution legislators to be careful
and 50 guard the grant Of power as to
sufficiently protect the individual. One
of the great abuses of modern legislation
has been the granting of great govern
mental subsidies to corporations, and the
public lands have been used to fearful
extent for this purpose and even the
credit Of the government loaned for their
creation. This was all great wrong.
and upon the party which has been in
power for the last twenty years and more
must rest the responsibility. But all this,
and acts more infamous, was. in his ac-
ceptance speech at Defiance, endorsed by
Col. Brigham, who now asks to be made
a member of that Congress which did all
this and which he approves of when he
boasts Of having been Republican all
his life.
Our own State Constitution expresses
the true relation which should exist be-
tween the State and corporations:
ART. VIII. SEc4. The credit Of the State shall
not, In any manner, be given loaned to- in aid
OF, any individual association corporation what
ever; nor shall the State hereafter become Joint
owner, or stakeholder, in any company or associa-
ton In this State or elsewhere, formed for any pur
pose whatever.
Public exigencies requiring the grant
ing Of corporate franchises and individ-
ual protection to the citizen forbidding
governmental subsidies and financial aid,
the property and franchises of corpora
tions should sustain the same relations to
the government that the citizen does and
to the citizens precisely the same status
which citizens sustain toward each other
-or that the individual common carrier
sustsins to the community.
This brings US to the much talked about
railroad bill" introduced into the Ohio
Senate last winter by Col. Brigham.
The measure was known as Senate
Bill No. 10, and as originally introduced
and as sent out through the country by
its author, consisted Of 80 sections and
1S pages of printed matter. This bill
was never considered by the Senate and
the sending of it among the people ai
the special measure Of the Fulton county
Senator. was q fraud and low piece Of
demagoguery. The bill was introduced
read second time and on motion Of che
author referred to the committee of the
whole. When called up for considera
tion in this committe, a substitute a
mere compilation of existing laws-was
by Mr.. Brigham. introduced in lieu Of
the bill upon which he was attempting
to manufacture political capital and to
present himself as the great antagonist
of corporations and monopolies. This
substitute came to third reading in the
Senate, was defeated in its passage, re-
considered, and on motion of its author,
recommitted to him for further amend.
ment. He never reported it back to the
Senate and it remains in his pocket to
this day. 3llis5
As Col. Brigham by this bill, which
was by himself withdrawn from the Sen.
ate and never by that body considered,
seeks to convey to the public the inn.
preston that he is the champion op
ponent of monopolies, it is well to con.
slider the distinction between corpora
ton anda monopoly. A corporation il
defined to be "a body polite or corporate
formed and authorized by law to act al
one person; a society having the capacity
to transact business as an individual.
A monopoly is an individual or associa
tion Of individuals to whom is granted
'the sole power of vending any species
Of goods. obtained either by engaging
the articles in market by purchase, or by
license from the government confirm.
ing this privilege A monopoly can, o1
course, be had in the transportation Of
goods, in the manufacture of certain
articles protected by letters patent, or il
may be secured by prohibitory tariff
It is rflonopolies. not corporations, which
oppress the people and trample upor
their rights, and Col Brigham may con.
sistently fight corporations, and yet, al
indicated in his Defiance speech, be ar
advocate and defender of monopolies.
And now t6S. B. No. 10--the one sent
through the country like a quack doc.
tors advertisement.
The first section proposes to invade
that constitutional provision which pro.
vides that no State shall make any Law
s'impairing the obligation of contracts
and imposes obligations and restrictions
VI 1.