The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1882-09-14

The area Of the United States, In
GLIDING Alaska, is 3,OOO.OtN)a 900 square
miles. This il MI attractive field for
the growth of this power. Ohio has M
area Of 10000 square miles. with 6,O64
miles Of road. The same ratio would
give 5OO,OOO miles Of road to the whole
area. Mr.. Poor argues TINT our railroad
system must eventually increase to
Loo, 600 miles, or fifteen times greater
than ii il now. With such concentra-
ton Of capital, and political power IN
private hands, NIL bound together in II
private interest, who can estimate the
results If 1t IL permitted to continue
outside Of the Government?
What are the dangers which menace
popular liberty and our free institutions?
On the 9th day Of January, 1850, Mr..
Gowan, President Of the Philadelphia
and Reading railroad, made the follow
ing statement to a Congressional com
mittee:
Il have heard the counsel Of the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company, stand
ing in the Supreme Court of Pennsyl-
vania threaten that court with the dis
pleHattTt vi Ills CIicHth ~ ~ uecIlrl
against them, and all the blood in my
body tingled with shame at the humili-
ating spectacle
The Attorney General Of the State Of
New York, commenting upon the power
Of these corporations over courts, said :
Amazed now at the power that cor
porations seem to have to embarrass
necessary legal proceeding taken against
them: that the increase Of the influence
Of corporations in this country, and
their ability to thwart the supervisory
proceedings taken against them by the
public authorities to prevent great mo-
nopolies or subject them to proper re-
straints, are among the most alarming
characteristics Of the time, and consti-
tnte danger to which MI the people
must he aroused before long II we
would preserve our free institutions"
Even the New York Times is
alarmed at the neglect Of the people in
allowing these monopolies to he law
unto themselves. It said in its issue
of May 10, 1881:
1t is not only absorbing to itself the
fruits Of labor and the gains Of trade,
anu pilIHk UP WchitH Ill tile HHHus VI TIE
few, but it is controlling legislation and
endeavoring to sway the decisions Of
the courts in its own interest. We are
now ut q stage in the contest where the
people may vindicate their authority
and place these corporations under the
regulation Of law"
And Judge Black, one Of the most
eminent jurists in the United States,
sounds the following alarm:
All public men must take their side
on this question. There can be no neu-
trails. He that il not for rs is against
us. We must have legal protection
against these abuses. This agitation
once begun, and the magnitude Of the
grievance being understood il will force
our rulers to give us remedy against
it. The monopolies will resist with MI
their arts and influence. but 10000, OO0
Of people in process Of time will learn
the important fact TINT they are $1,000.
600 strong"
The only way to meet this danger il
through the upbnilding Of new party
pledged to control by law and bring
into subsection to the interests Of the
people all corporations and monopo-
lies which have corrupted the public
service. and by combination and extor.
ton have established absolute domin.
ion over money, over transportation
over invention, and over land and labor
-(Licn1O ErDreSS