Omaha daily bee., 1883-03-06
SHIFTING THE RESPONSIBLE
ITY,

ITY.
\ Now that the legislature has ad-
| iourned and the railroads have de-
feated all legislation tending to com
pei them to bear an equal share OF
the burdens of taxation aud to re-
duce their oppressive exsctions, the
monopoly organs, both democratic and
republican, have the impotence to
charge the nti.monopolists with the
responsibility for this outrage upon
the people Of Nebraska. The way In
which they seek to mislead the public
Is by stating that the Legislature was
anu.monopoly and that the anti.mo.
nopoly legislature was a sham.
Now, while 1t Is true that before the
legislature met the impression Was
that 1t would be an anti-monopoly
legislature, this impression was cur.
rent, not because the anti monopolists
were in the majority, bat because all
parties In Nebraska had committed
themselves to the policy which the
anti.monepoly party had originated
and advocated. 1t was because this
policy was SO just, and the demands
made by 1t voiced the senti.
ment of the vast majority Of thepeople
that both the republicans and demo.
Gratis In their CONVEX lions bound them.
selves to carry 1t out. The fact that
IL, 900 voters had left tho democratic
and republican organizations in dis
gust at their failure to do justice to
the people by regulating railroad traf.
fc, was moreover taken on all hands
as such an emphatic rebuke to
the republican party that no
leader of any standing In that party
dared to oppose anti-monopoly prlnci-
pies OF to svow himself as q monopo.
list.
But the legislature failed to enact the
that were promised, and straight.
way the cry goes forth, can't. monop-
Is q sham, a base delusion, q hypo.
faction, 9 political myth, an
enemy to fair railroad ~leglslation. :"
Let us see how far this charge is true:
OF the 1873 members of the legisla-
ture, 26 were straight out and out
anti-monopolists; 81 were democrats,
and 70 were republicans. This
division gave the republicans q
majority, and the leading
republican organ at Omaha
proclaimed to all the world that re
publicans would dictate legislation and
take the responsibility. 1t declared
that railroad legislation was a necessi.
~ and being recognized as such would
be granted by the republican majority.
How have the republicans discharged
the sacred trusts which they took upon
themselves at the opening Of the ses-
The senate was organized by
the combined opposition on an anti
basis. The very first bill 10.
troduoed In the senate, Mr.. MoShane's
file No. l, was . revenue bill
to compel railroads to pay city and
county taxes on their machine shops,
headquarters, depot buildings and
other local improvements.
That bill passed the sonata and was
strangled In a republican house. The
second railroad bill passed by the
senate was one compelling railways to
pay taxes on their franchise, and this
was promptly pigeonholed through the
republican speaker and W waa
discussed at all. The only meas,
ure that responded to the de-
msnds of the people for ,
reduction of railroad tolls wal framed
by the railroad committee of the sen
ate, and passed by that anti-monopoly
body nearly two weeks before The
close Of the session. This bill reduced
passenger tolls to three cents Q mile
and made a uniform reduction In
freight tolls Of 20 per cent from the
January schedule, subject only to re.
vision by ths state officers acting
as commissioner. The house railroad
committee, packed by the republican
speaker with cappsrs, held the bill
for more than ten days. Meantime,
after manglipg and killing every rail
road bill that had any merit, they pre-
sented and forced through the house
an abortion that promised no relief,
and which they knew the senate couli
not endorse without stultlfylng itself,
Having surrendered entirely to thu
monopoly lobby, and become simply
IN engine of oppression and plumber
the republican party In the house
added Injury to insult by voting
through that body q whole raft Of Jobs
and steals.
Where were the twenty.six anti
monopolists all this timer Every one,
without exception, In the senate, sup
ported the senate bills for railroad 70
gulation and In the house every on
recorded his vote for the senate bill
when 1t was under consideration. On
of 26. onlv fye mr. six a~unnortad III,