The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1884-02-01
naut to common sense and ,ntolerablc

nant to common sense and intolerabl'
: to sanity.
What is it, then, that supplies TIN
; mstivc for the proposed revolution
,, Has the growth and development %
the country gone forward ut IN unsat
isfactory pace. or with imperfect anu
unsatisfactory results! Happily for th,
people and the railroad, no country has
ever advanced IN wealth and power
with like rapidity us our own, and none
accomplishcd results more substantial
and enduring. Have the railroads. beei,
AN hiuderins obstacle III the path al
progress aud development, or their
charges been burthensome and orprcs
>ivc! The general prosperity at the
country is in itself refu,ation oil such
a charge and an evidence OF the broad
sagacity and liberal spirit with which
they have been conducted. Have they
employed their power IN Increasing
from time Ia time their charges Tor
transportation and thus disturbed ana
ovcrthrown the calculation and plans al
those who transact III: business, and
conduct the exchanges q! the country:
On the contrary their charge Tor ser
vice has been steadily reduced since
the day OF their first introduction. and
the cost of transportation for both per
sous and property gradually ana coh-
stantly lessened under the management
now sought to- he displaced. Let we'll
enough alone WAS formerly thought to
be Il wise as well as a pruden, maxim
But none az these things come quite
up to the real question We are consld
erine. Our inquiry is not Us I" whc,h
er the ioias have been satisfactorily
managed in the past, or whether they
are likely To be under the same man.
a.cmrni in the future, but whether
conticl Icy II legislature is likely to i'm
prove their service. | am leaving out
of the discussion all questions OF right
involved in the proposition Of STATE
control al property that does not beion::
To- the State, aud oi the virtual coniiS,
cation Of private property under IL;
! pry;cnsc If improved management,
and combining the inquiry IL the cold
! question oi policy and cNpcdicncy. Is
| there ground to expect that any man
! a1emCnt cmanaiing from Il legislature
will he superior Ia ,hat'to which we
| have Ecen accustomed
For one. ! am opposed on broad grounds L"
any enlargement ~! the legislative function.
aud IL any extension of it, jurisdiction and
power. Confidence in the integrity Of car
puhliv men is not always inspired 10y an OK
animation of their official acts nor confirmed
10y the greed displayed by them for II rc-clcc-
ton IL an Office already disgracc'i by their in
cumbcucy. | have not. Mr.. President, been
encouraged b. anycNpericncc or observation
uf the past, IT, look among the politicians oi
the country tor examples nj that immaculate
purity and lofty patriotism Cf whichwe hear
so much and discover So little. Nor can
help feeling that the average legislator is far
more likely to become distinguished 10y the
absence than by the presence of the virtue he
boasts Legislatures have become, and are
known tn have become the abode of crime
and corruption, colleges whence rascality
and trcachery graduate with honors. The
Tweed, OF the legislature are not dead, nor
the methods f that great crusader forgotten
ar neglected. His successor holds Il seat in
every senate AMI assembly in the land, guilt
less only, Of the high crime of discovery.
And il the plausible and cunning scheme we
are considering shall be carried through, the
iunoccn ut who have become his dupcs. or the
helpless who have become his victims will
hear repeated The au,iaciouS ii.s.icGcc cen
tanned III the Old time inquiry, ''What are
you going to do about it, This is the feast
and fate u which In" people are being 10y
dcmagnguc- snG rogdcS. this day escorted
But, without laying stress upon the cor
ruptiOu iinciy 10 h. encountered, il must ap-
pear that ~ iii things legislative we have
more than enough already. Too many laws
and In" many Lawmakers. Too many offices
and too many officers. What with our ma
tion"l, and State and municipal cnactmcnts.
nc must II very v,giinnt and active inqui"-:-
loo who Keep, pace with all his s:.tutory
rights mad obligations. Oiii't getting has he
4. ,uc Al industry. and ,:iicc holding II pro-
i.->igI, and tGc general habit of politics now
: - create offices for icrdy men, rather than
seek men :pr needed Offices. The officials of
EIIr general government aiO:lc. 10 say moth
ing Of the state and municipal, have grown
to an army an hundred thousand strong, and
capable. when united by common purpose,
and melted by common temptation of Ce-
ty!ngthc law they were appointedto enforce
and defeat the will of the people, whose sell
want, they are.
But these considerations, Mr.. President
Gre perhaps too remote in their consequence
To be of much avail in influencing present
opinion and immediate action, and will
briefly refer To- one or two others, more I'M
mediate in their operation and more likely
In mi i.f nj interest
In the fist place appointments by a legisla-
tive body viii not give us experienced and
efficient men for the positions. Work will
Always bc best done 10y III sc who under
stand 1t best. We do not put smiths to the
making of shoes, nor a matchmaker to
weave. nor can we successfully put men
whose business j politics tn the perform
+ aGCc of the intricate and responsible duties
of railroad management. We shall inevita-
bly, fai. 20 get thu best man for the place. and
are almost certain to get the very worst man
for the place. il this patronage Shall become
Il means Of political reward. Every man
can sec this, ami can also see that the furth-
III We Keep from this danger the safer we
arc.
Another ever present and ever operative
S'-J'tta'''s IL SAtn -
the !act That the incumbent in such a case
vii! Ee responsible to no one, and may not
only dc.y the owners of thr road hut the pa
irons a, we'll, 80 that hc continue. by i;iiI
means or I III, II satisfy or silence the pow
er that appointed him. His allegiance will
yg aGu not H. tac road but II this party. He
". bo chiefly concerned in Ilaintaing rc!u-
tivl- w!th the appointing power, without
i..uca regard IL the road or its traffic. HIS
chief inquiry VIII bc not It's to the outlook 81
the incoming crop, ami the prospective
irC. .,hts OF MS rad, but what party will like
iy be ia power on next appointment day.
AM how manage 10 retain position ne holds
not uy virtue Of his personal fitness ami
ability, nor yet 10y the things accomplished
~ his Office. bat by the strength he may dis
pay and the votes he can control on election
Jay. Their inquiry as t. him viii be, not
as 10 the tonnage and revenues of his road,
bat bgT doc, n staGd on the tariff. And 50
10y fore" ot tn" siru1tion the rlan - divorced
from HI, duty and provision made in advance
for b., abandonment vi Il. Aud 50 10y the
plan prDpos ] we are pretty sure not only to
-,cg the orSt instead OF the best man Tor the
place, but t. get the very worst service o:
the very worst man f. this what sou wouid
30 IA your own affairs: No, Mr.. President.
II We are to have ii railroad manager, we
want him 10 manage the railroad and not
politics. II /, a business matter and not II
polite matter. and we need business men
and .I0i politicians 10 direct it. We may
wel. nave paiit!ca! presidents. governors. SEN
atog-, etc. for this j. the domain af politics,
uI.!, since il mas become the fashion, don't
care Il they continue 10 have political post
"ihce clerks, lrttcr-ca:ricrs, bridge tenders
AM scIuD-r oIncn, hui who ever heard oi
want, 10 hear Of Il republican freight agent
or u democratic traffic manager? a green
back conductor or Il prohibition brakeman!