Daily globe., 1882-09-30
Gen. James HI. Baker Reviews the
Present Situation.
WHAT THE STATE HAS DONE
And How the Munificence ShoWered
Upon Corporations Has Been
Received.
OF FACTS AND FIGURES
And Suggestions AS to Some of the
Remedies Which Can be
Applied.

applied.
Mcleod county held its annual agricuI-
tural fair at Hutchinson on Thursday of
the current week with Gen. Baker. Railroad
Commissioner of the state.as orator of the
day. There was large attendance and
Gen. Bakers address attracted great at
tent1on. We give it entire below
Mr.. President, Ladies, and Gentlemen:
L have come to discuss complex prob
lem, trust i'll the spirit of caution and
dlspassionate candor. Let us remember
that corporations are a necessity to the
demands of our civilization; that they
achieve results impossible to private en-
terprise, and generally deemed unwise for
the state. 1t is only when they transcend
the bounds of reasonable authority and
menace the safety of the public, for whose
benefit they are created, that they should
feel promptly and imperiously the hand of
power.
Let Us cheerfully remember all that rail
ways have done. and are doing for the ma
terlal development of the state. They are
the speedy architects of empire and the
essential instruments of modern com
merce. No intelligent man desires to
abolish or obstruct such force. Nor can
the railroads complain that they have
not been fondly cherished by the
state. They have been clothed
with extraordinary powers, and
privileges. They have been given lands
and moneys. A system has been encour-
aged which makes possible the most fabu-
lous wealth.
1t IN infancy and poverty we faileR to
respond to alleged Indebtedness, in matur-
or and better days we paid the sum of
their just claims. Nearly all of our citi-
zens who have embarked in railway enter
prlses have achieved vast wealth, far be-
yond the measure of other pursuits. Our
present railroad proprietors have come to
the possession of great railroad properties
they did not create. The people OF the
state have more than $4,000, 900, in those
properties. Others have put in large SUMS
which have gone to make the original
foundation. of these superb properties,
while most of the present possessors have
secured them at far less than cost thus
"inheriting the unearned incrsments of
wealth."
We feel, therefore, that it is not to those
who now enjoy these superb endowments
that we owe anything. It is to the splen-
did genius of George Stephenson that the
lG ind for
is no defense for admitted aggressions
that railroads have developed and enriched
the state. great peopls with muscle and
brain, developing farms and industries.
have rather enriched the railroads. They
can set up no claim for special deserts.
Men do not build railroads from motives
of philanthrophy, but for money. We
have to deal with the present possessors,
therefore, as men who have laid hold of a
new energy. and are working it desperate
ly for their own advantage. They have no
patent on the system; it is tho worlds in
heritance. The oft-repeated plea that the
people are fighting railroads" is not true.
They simply resist the abuse of new and
tremendous power which has appeared in
modern life.
The whole history of the steam engine is
the dramatic event of the age. To tame
that titanic dragon, and harness it down to
its proper place in the economy of life, is
the severest problem of the hour.
The experience of our own State in deal
ing with this problem, is not unlike that of
the rest of the world. To induce railways
to come, we first gave them everything.
which they received without conjunction.
Then came the period in which We thought
they abused their trusts; We became angry,
and wrestled with them; then in q spirit of
generosity we wholly withdrew the exercise
of power; and now that they have grown
rich, strong and somewhat arrogant, we
are studying what is next to be done.
MINHKsorA's ohNHRosITY TO RAILROADS.
II the railroads have done so much for us
We have also dealt generously with them.
Let us examine the books and see hsw the
account stands. We have given them in
lands by congressional grants, solicited by
US and for Us. 1851 ,527 acres. In ad-
dition We have granted them swamp lands
by legislative authority, 1,s11.750 acres,
making a total of 13,963,277 acres, OF
osSSV oCIeS loT SVcIy Auiie VI railway IN
the state. Computing these la1ds at an
average value, as shown by their own re-
ports of sales at $5 per acre, We have $16,-
$50 per mile as a grant in lands.
We have also given in municipal, coun-
ty and township bonds $2,42e. .4O5. To
this large sum must be added the final re-
suits of the memorable Eve million loan
bill which We have but recently paid.
amouHting to S4,251 ,0OO. making a grand
total in cash of $6,6So,oeo, OF a cash bonus
of $2,037 per mile. This gives us grand
total of gifts amour ting 10 e19,346, for
each and every mile of railway in the
state ut the close of the year.
Inelading lands and bonds it makes the
enormous SUM of SIC, ,496, 1886, which the
people of this state have already contributed
of their property and wealth to the rail
roads within our state. This Hunifsent
SUN is not far from the actual cost of some
of the lines.
Again, We have granted them the right
of eminent domain, necessity to the sys-
| tenn, it is true, but nevertheless q princely
privilege, and carries in its very essence
the right of the state to control the roads ia
the extent of the public interests.
| Still further, We have given them char