The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-09-25
Judge Black on Railroad Determination

menb DcIOfe cOmtDfJJee OF t1e StaJe
Senate in the spring OF 1893, In favor OF
bill enforcing with adequate penalties
the Seventeenth Article OF the COnstj.
tuition, known as the Railroad Article
Whatever he said on any important
| question WAS always interesting, and
said In q way that was peculsrl bis
owR. The concluding portion OF hl,
address was as follows:
We are ofteH told that in this strug
gle for honest government against the
/ power OF the railroad corporations ths
/ inst cause has no chance OF success
l We do seem o. be out on a fOrlorn hope
4 TIE little finger OF monopoly Is thicker
than the loius % the law.
The inhuebce Of our enemies over
the Legislature il mysterious. incalul-
able and strong enough 70 make the
constitution a dead letter in spite OF
oaths 70 obev IL. and popular demand,
almost universal, to enforce il. There
is no other subject upon which the press
/ Is 50 shy as npOn this, the most import
ant OF all. Afraid to Oppose the cor
l rupt corporations, and ashamed TO de-
fend them. il sinks into silent neu-
| trality. Prudent politicians always
| want smooth road TO run on, and the
/ right path here IS full of impediments.
In this state Of things we seem to be
weaker than we really are; for the un-
broken heart OF the people is on the
! side OF justice, equality and truth. Mo-
nopolists may sneer at our laundering
leadership and the unorganized condi-
tion OF our file, but they had better be-
think them that when the worst comes
TO the worst, our raw militia is numer-
Gus enough to overwhelm their regulars,
well-paid and well-drilled rs they are.
They have destroyed the business of
hundreds for one that they have fav-
ored. For every Millionaire they have
made ten thousand paupers, and the in
jured parties lack no gall to make op-
preston bitter.
The people, certainly, got one i'm
mense advantage over the carrying cor
poratlons when they adopted the XVII
! article OF the constitution. That con-
cedes to US all the rights we ask, puts
the flag of the commonwealth into our
hands and cOnsecIates our warfare.
Tbs malign influence that heretofore
| has palsied the legislative arm cannot
last forever. We will continue to elect
| representatives again and again, and
every man will swear upon the gospel
OF God that he will do us the full and
| perfect Justice which the constitution
commands. At last we will rouse the
conscience OF a majority, screw their
courage to the sticking place, and get
| the appropriate legislation which we
! need so sOrely.
| Whenever a majority in both Houses
| become independent enough to throw
off the chains which now bind them to
| the service of monopoly-when frequent
repltitions Of the oath to obey the con
| stitution shall impress its obligations
upon their hearts-when admonition
and Ieproof from Within aud without
Zine upon line, precept upon pre-
| cept, here little and there a little y
| shall have taught them that fidelity to
| the rights Of the people is higher vir-
tue than subserviency 10 the mere in-
terests OF corrupt oTpOration-when
| the seventeenth article shall have been
read and reread in their hearing often
| enough 10 make them understand the
import Of its plain and simple words
then, without further delay and with
DO paitTy excuses, they viii give us
legislation appropriate, Just and effac.
tive tnlerab!Y clear perception o
their duty, complied with a sincere de
sire to do it, will enable them to catcF
sbe shortest and easiest wav, All trif-
ling with the subject viii cease at once
all modes of evsding this great poinr
will go out OF fashion; no contrivancf
will be resOrted to of ways not 10 do Z
while protesting to be in favor of it: Ou1
| common sense will not be insulted b,
the offer of civil remedy to each in
diVidual for public offenses which effec
the whole body Of the people and di
minish the security of all mems right,
at once. The legislative vision, re
lieved from the moral strdbisyl1ts which
makes it crooked now, will see straiph
through the folly of try ing to coIrec
the general evil except by the one an
prOpriate means OF regular punishment
at the suit Of the state. Does this seen
harsEP Certainly not more severe thar
any other criminal law on our statut
book which applies to railway manager
as well as to everybody else. They neet
not suffer the penalty unless they com
init the crime; and they will not com
init the crime il you make Just penalt
of the legal consequence Pass a prope
law to-day and they will be as homes
J as you are to morrow. Every one n
them can be trusted to keep clear O
acts which may take him to the penj
!
their past lives, and will continue il
evil doing for some time to come. be
cause the present state of your laws as
suTes them that they shall go m
whipped Of Justice" But thTeate
them with moderate term of inJris
onment and reasonable 6Oe, and the
will no more rob shipper op the rail
road than they will pick your pocket a
prayer meeting. Your law will d
its work without q siuRle Prosecution
rms you couid, if you would, effect
perfect reform, and yet not hurt a hai
on any head-''a cOnsummation mos
devoutly to pe wished.n
But it is not to be expected that sue
good will come Immediately, Nearl
ten years ago the Legislature was com
manded to carry out the beneficeu
measure of The constitution. For min
years that illustrious body was a dunn
impediment to the course Of justice-a
its faculties paralyzed by some insert
table nce-dead-devoid of sens
and motion, as if its only function ws
: to ''lie in cold abstrs ction and to rot.
{ AT last, when it was wakened up by th
, present Governor and reminded of tt
seventeenth article, it opened its mout
and spoke as one who did not kno
whether he was sworn to oppose tn
= constitution or to obey il. Some men
| bers have shown their utter hostility
I it, some seem willing to defend sma
portions of it, and one Senotor discove
: ed that it was all equally sacred. Bl
] his plan meets no favor. Still, we nee
7 not despair. The people and the col
q stitution, mutually supporting one an
other, will Se triumphant yet. Near
while let al the railroad rings reioic