Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1883-01-11

th0rity, under any law, to interpose the an-
thorlty OF the State, except for completed or
as the prosecutor in the criminal courts OF
by instituting civil suits in the name of
oncers; charges affecting their character
and official integrity, that are groundless.
while they have no means of vindicating the
honesty OF their conduct before the public,
or having the Chief Executive of the State or
the Executive Council in a position to de-
fend the honest and faithful officer or show
that moneys have been properly and legally
expended, or contracts legally and fairly
made without colluSiOn or fraud. The COM
pleue protection OF the interests of the State
sessions of the Legislature that authority
should be vested somewhere for the protec-
Iioh OF Che interests OF the state its funds, its
public institutions, its contracts and public
works; and also to cause investigations to be
made that the facts of any alleged fraud or
misconduct may be ascertGined, and guilty
parties removed from authority
To accomplish such investigations or ex-
amlnatlons, would respectfully suggest that
the Governor be authorized, by a proper law
on his own motion, or on charges preferred
IN writing, to order investigation 70 be made
INTO the management of any OF the State in
situations, contracts or disbursements OF pub
lie funds, to the end that the interests. and
the puDllc IIlndS appropriated for the differ
ent institutions or other purposes may be
properly guarded, and dishonest or corrupt
officials be removed. and fraudulent or cor
rupt contracts annulIed Sueh mower m. an
thoritY should be carefully guarded, so that
no honest man should suffer, or any guilty
is always ready for an investigation, while
the dishonest one may shrink from an exam
nation into his conduct. There is no harm
done, buC great good has resulted, by our laws
providing Tor the examination OF our county
and state Treasurers without notice to incum-
DENTS. No official objects, or can with any
pfetense OF honesty, to fair and impartial in
VeStlSatiOn, and there certainly can be no
valid reason Rhy other officials, than State
ana county Treasurers, who disburse, con
troll or make contracts tor the apprropria-
tions of public funds, should not be subjected
10 the same system OF investigation.
RAILROADS.
1t is a recognized fact that railroads have.
IN a sense, made our State. They have by
means OF circulars and pamphlets extensively
advertised the State, and thus brought il to
the attention of thousands of immigrants
who have settled amongst us, and are now an
important class OF our population. They have
aided in the general material Development of
our resources, and have proved themselves
an Invaluable agency; and all this is thor
oughly appreciated by the pub &c.
While this is true, it is equally true that the
state has made the railroads, so that mu-
tual obligation exists between them. To en-
courage, and promote, and aid the building
OF railroads throughout the State, our citizens
very wisely procured from the general Gov
eminent large grants of land, supplemented
by Il donation from our own State OF 100000
acres of our school lands, and Government
and municipal bonds, with first mortgage
guaranteed bonds, amounting to about S27, sos
OJOs so that millions OfacreS Ofland and millions
OF dollars of money have been donated to aid
In the construction of the various railroads of
our State.
These generous donations of lands and
bonds were made by the people of Kansas
Tor the purpose of building the magnificent
riliroad system of our STATE, and for their
treatment they expected generous
or at least fair treatment in return and for
years this expectation was fully met, These
liberal subsidies at the outset enabled the
projectors of our railroads not ONLY to build
ana equip and maintain the roads in question
IN style second to none in the country but
they also placed the original constructors in q
POSITION to greatly enrich themselves as indi-
v!iuuais. inc actual cost OF building, equip
ping ana maintaining these roads did not e1-
ceed more than one-half of the cash value
OF the lands, mortgages and bonds donated to
them, thus leaving about fifty per cent. OfWhat
paS been donated for the construction of rail
roads to go into the pockets of the manage
ment And yet, profitable as railroad build
ing has been to the construction companies
the State and the people did not complain or
lnterpose any obstacles to the successful con
StructIon OF railroads, until after the passage
OF the consolidation act" authorizing rail
roads to consolidate and lease railroads
Up to this period in the history of the State
mere was q perfect understandin9 and the best
OF feeling between the public and tue rail
roads. Competition existed between the
roads, and fair and generous treatment was
accorded to the public But soon after the
passage OF the "act'' above referred to- the
railroad companies having sold or
new corporations, taking advantage of this
law, projected to cOnSOiidHte their interests,
to- the detriment and injury of the public
From that hour the antagOniSm between
the people and these corporations has stead
Ily Increased until to day we have in our
midst the strange spectacle of Il rich, strong,
influential and solicited monopoly, greedfly
upon the rights of the very Deo-
pie whose creature they are and to whom
they owe, not only their existence but the
very patronage which enables them to WELD
a power whose possibilities simply ap-
Dalllng Steadily have these corporations in
Vaded the rights of the people. They have
taken advantage of the necessities of business
ana commerce; they have, upon the f1imsiest
preteNt, presumed to do high handed and
things; they have ignored the
real interests OF the State, and have simply
used the State and its resources to the detrf-
menG and injury of its agricultural, CONNER
clal and manufacturing interests, so that bTNa
systematic and thoroughly organized method
Jt pooling their earnings" by unjust
determinations against localities and in
iIV1duaIs, by excessive and eXOrbitant
backs secretly allowed, thus defrauding other
as well as by an arrogant and intOl- |
Grant policy, they have made it practically
for our merchants and manufac-
zurerS to compete with the same classes in |
States. The result of this has been |
% make it Improbable to develop the manu-
5ured articles of all kinds made in the far |
EASTERN states are shipped into our State and |
pc manufactured anywhere in the State and |
or the simple reason that our railroads are |
constantly discriminating against our home |
and eXacttnS excessive local |
'ates. under the fallacious plea that a long |
lauI IS more profitable than short one, even |
when Il greater rate is chargedfOr short haul, |
IND the empty car is again readyfor the com |
)any'S use, and the &C. 3 of loading and I'M |
Oading the car is the same in both instances /
rhe effect of this has been to paralyze and /
top the manufacturing industries of the |
state.
Furthermore, railroads are constantly dis
against our wholesale merchants |
n favor of the same class in other States and |
lot content with this they are discriminating
tSainst the purchasing interests of the retail |
tealers, and against the whole agricultural
mercantile and commercial interests of the
,tate. The agricultural interests of the State
~ that form of injustice known as ''pOoiino'i
~ which excessive rates are charged and
competition prevented, are so seriously Grip
'led that in the Western half of the State it