St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-08-23

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cent? There would be riot In that town.
And yet we sit patiently by and see, year
after year, in our newspapers, reports of
great conventions of the railroad men to pre-
vent competition. to pool earnings, and keep
up the cost of transportation of our produc-
tons. The impotence of the thing is as col
lossa as the injustice. Vainly, it has been
said, is the snare of the fowler set in the
sight of the bird; but here the fowler calls the
attention of the bird to his little game.
WHAT COMPETITION MEANS.
We are entitled to competition. If one
railroad can carry cheaper than another we
are entitled to that lower rate, on our wheat
and corn and pork, and dry goods and grocer
les. 1t means higher prices for our COM
modites and lower prices for what we buy;
it means more money in our pockets: more
wealth in our community; more prosperity
for farmer, merchant and artisan; more
home comfort and higher civilization.
REAGAN's BILL.
For years past an attempt has been made
by some patriotic men to obtain congress
sional legislation to prohibit this pooling bust
ness, and give the people lower rates. The
railroads have focked to the Capitol and they
have defeated Congress after Congress, any
such legislation; they have, with one excep-
ton, prevented it from even obtaining a
hearing. On only one occasion did it reach
a vote. That vote, to my mind, was one OF
the most important taken in congress since
the close of the civil war.
On June 5, 1881, Mr.. Regain, Dem ocrat),
of Texas, an able and honest man, finding
that the monopolists had gotten control of the
of the Committee on Commerce, to which his
bill had been referred, moved the adoption
of the following resolution
Resolved, That the rules Of the house be
suspended and the Committee on Commerce
be discharged from the further consideration
of Il. R. bill, No. 1,655, entitled. "a bill to
regulate interstate commerce and prevent
unjust discrimination by common carriers, :"
and that it be set for consideration on Tues
day, 18th day of December, 1881; and that
its consideration be continued from day to
day until disposed of, not to interfere with
the consideration of appropriation bills, or
bills for raising revenue"
This resolution led to fierce fight.
Observe how little Mr.. Regain Asked
He asked that the bill be taken out of the
hands of that packed jury, the Committee on
Commerce, who refused to report it back to
the House, with any kind of recommends
ton; determined that it should not come to
a vote in any form. This resolution was
offered si9 months after Congress met It pro-
posed that after Congress had adjourned,
and had returned home, and had come back
to Washington, sig months after the date Of the
resolution, that The bill should haze q heariag,-
nothing more. The bill would then be open
to debate and amendment. 1t did not COM
nit the House, or any member, to any special
plan; it simply provi1ed that six months
from that day the subject of railroad COM
binations and determinations should be con-
sidered in open house. Was this not fair
and reasonable propositiona
WHAT WAS ITS FATEl
The Republican members of the Commit
tee of Commerce, led by W4sabu,7s Of Mime
sofa, fought the resolution.
Mr.. Townsend Democrat, of Illinois
said:
''This Is decidedly the most important
undisposed of question now pend
ing before congress. i
! am satisfied the sentiment of the
people throughout the country, by an over
whclming majority, il in favor of some leg
islation by Congress, looking to their protec-
ton from railroad monOpolies. But if you
wait until all these various bills are discussed
by railroad presidents, and the attorneys of
railroads, before the Committee Of Commerce
the people will have no hearing whatever
THE VOTE ON REAGAN's BILL.
paoron,c resolution wac dafaatad II
failed to receive the two-thirds vote neces-
sary to suspend the rules. The vote stood
yeas 121; nays rs. Politically, the vote stood
as follows: Yeas,-Republicans SO, DINO
Gratis 10, Greenbackers 6; Nays-Republic-
ans IS, Democrats 10, Greenbackers none.
MAJOR STRAIT VOTES NO.
Where did Minnesota stand on this votes
Mr.. Washburn, We have seen, put forth his
feeble powers against it, in one ofhs eloquent
speeches. Mr. Dunnell, to his honor be it
remembered, voted in favor of the resolution,
and Hr. STRAIT voted against 1t.
1t was the best he could do, as the boy
said of his father on certain famous occa-
sion, and he did it. daughter and applause.
That is to say, Mr.. Strait was even OPP
a.
the consideration of railroad poolings and
Determinations. He worked with the rail-
road presidents and attorneys to prevent q
: vote upon any bill Of any kind, and he sue
ceeded, for the subject has never been heard
, of, to my knowledge, from that day to this
on the floor Of the House.
Is this the kind of man to represent an
, agricultural constituency
THE REASON FOR DEFEATING THE BILL.
, What excuse did the men give who voted
, down this resolutions They said, that tc
prevent poolings would lessen the dividends
of the stockholders of the railroad companies
Granted. But were they sent there by the
railroads or the peoplei And are not the
dividends of the people of just as much con.
sequence as the dividends of the stockhold
ers! Who protects the farmer, or the mer-
chant, or the mechanic Of the Third Con
: gressional District of Minnesota, and keeps
their dividends up to renumerative
point! No one. If they cannot stand the
inevitable pressure of competition, regulated
| by the law of supply and demand, they mus
go to the wall.
MINNEsoTA's INTEREST IN THE BILL.
If Reagan's bill could have gotten out Of
that man-trap of packed committee there
were votes enough to have passed it through
the House, and If it had survived the ordea
of the Senate not 9 man in the Third District
but to-day would be richer by its passage, in
lessened freights and increased prices. Bu
Mr.. Strait stood at the door, with sixty-eigh
other Republicans and ten Democrats, ant
kept II back. And now he asks you to re-
elect him
Ez peds Herc,tlem. We know Hercules By
the size of his foot. Laughter and APP