The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-17
PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS.
THE SENATE.
mr.. Van Wyck Makes a Strong Plea for Reg
uIation of Railways.

sylvania from the Chamber of Commerce
OF Pittsburg praying for such improve
ment In the Monongahela river as will develop
the resources of that river; also, one from 5000
cigar-niakers of Philadelphia, setting forth that
ratification of the pending Spanish treaty would
throw out of employment more citizens Of the
United States than there are inhabitants in Cuba
and Porto Rico and protesting against its ratifca
ton. A number of other petitions against rati-
fcation of the treaty were presented and re-
ferred
The following bills were introduced and re-
ferred:
By Mr. Beck: To settle and adjust the claims
of any State for expenses incurred in the de-
Tense of the United States.
BY Mr. Sabin: For relief of settlers under the
homestead law
Mr.. Sewall introduced joint resolution to re-
fer the present controversy between the United
States and Venezuela, in respect to awards, to
mixed commission. Referred.
Mr. Hoar offered a resolution, which was
agreed to, directing the architect of the Capitol
to place in the room in the Senate wing in which
Vice president Henry Wilson died. marble tab
let recording the fact and date of his death
A bill for relief of Massachusetts bank was
A message from the House was received, an
nouncing the disagreement Of that body to the
Senate amendments to the temporary naval APP
preparation bill and asking conference, and the
Chair appointed conferees.
The Chair then laid before the Senate the in
terState commerce bill
Mr.. VanWyck addressed the Senate. He said
that since 1872 all political parties had demanded
redress from grievances in transportation but the
party managers seemed to learn no lesson from
disaster RI md oai n1n
the people The people only demanded reasonable
rates-no discrimination, no pooling, no rebates,
no greater charge for short than a long haul
This, he said, lis no time to delay. The
work of deception cannot longer be carried on.
You cannot pretend willingness to do some
thing and like that obstinate or unwilling House
OF Representatives, refuse. If the Senate fails
now to accept the House bill, an indignant people
Will believe 1t palters in double sense, and is
seeking by disagreement to prevent the legis
lation so long sought and so long denied" The
roads owned and controlled elevators, and the
farmer, if he desired could not possibly ship his
own grain or cattle to market, for he could obtain
no rebates. The power of absolute control by
the railroads was not always exercised in a saint
ly manner. To illustrator The Union Pacific be-
came incensed at Columbus an active interior
city of Nebraska whose citizens were enterpris-
ing, and aided to secure another road The
company determined that they should be pun
lshed for such temerity and rebellion. Rates
were changed and more was charged per car load
from Omaha than to Kearney and points further
west. So the Central Pacific, without the excuse
OF reve nge or Furnishing rebellious subjects in
their territory, actually charge to points east of
San Francisco through rates to San Francisco
and then local rates back. Was it not evident
that the railroads should be restricted from
exacting more for a short haul than a long haul?
Mr. Van Wyck quoted from letter written by
Hon. William Walter Phelps in which he said
the latter showed that senators and representa-
tives purchased railroad shares on the basis of
one to three. Certainly" he said, ''stocks and
bonds, according to this evidence are owned in
this chamber and at the other end of the Capitol
on that basis. That is, you gput down one
dollar and take up three. So it would appear
that even members of Congress learn where the
little joker is. No wonder there is manifested
the same contempt for public clamor as Wander
bilt is said to have exhibited, in language more
forclble and not so reverental as by distinguished
senator's" According to the written and printed
statement or one New Jersey statesman and
Poors manual 50, 900, 900, 900 of fictitious watered
stock was represented in stocks and bonds of
railroads. On this interest and dividends were
collected from the people, 1t was made mort
gage on every acre of land in the Republican
imitation which was paralyZing industry and
laying tax upon the produce and the consumer
Yet we must remand all this to the natural laws
OF trade. To-day the farmers in the West were
working their own farms on shares. the railroads
taking the lions share. They received not dol
lar of profit interest on the money in
vested in lands teams and machinery.
Other industries were equally depressed
yet the American Senate seemed intent on how
not to doit, and determined at whatever sacrifice,
that railroad stocks and bonds should secure lib
eral interest and dividends; and great lamenta-
ton was made if the stock gamblers who had
stolen 81 600 000 900, from the industries of the
Nation, should be disturbed in wringing interest
on the same from an overburdened people. You
stand apologiZing for the swindlers who are
wrecking still more the prosperity of the people
Jay Gould had greater wealth than the assessed
property, real and personal, of both Kansas and
Nebraska, and Vanderbilteoud buy both States
and have forty millions left. Were these mill
lions honestly acquired? The Senator from Iowa
lNlr. Wilson trembled lest too much should be
done, and the Senator from Kansas Mr.. Ingalls,
said he did not stand as an advocate or champion
OF that cheap demagog that appeals to
public opinion against the railroads;
the railroads were entitled to the protection
of law. In Kansas and Nebraska
fifty bushels of corn will not purchase one ton
of soft coal; one hundred and fifty bushels will
not buy one ton OF hard COAL Your sympathy
expands for the pauper labor of Europe and In
dia, while your hearts seem steeled against the
cry for bread, and coming from Americans who
are forced to work at starvation wages or have
their places supplied in the mines. by specially
protected mine -owners, by pauper and convict
labor imported under contract from Europe. So
too, in Minnesota and Wisconsin, the men who
elect representatives and senators on the theory
that they will represent them and protect their
interests, must give nearly twenty bushels of
wheat for ton of soft coal, or forty bushels for
ton of hard coal The corporations, behind
four billions of stolen property, for years con-
trolling State Legislatures, the national Con-
gress, and the Judiciary, remorselessly as did
slavery, need not the sympathy or active sup
port OF SENATOR'S it is the toier, seeking labor in
the furnace heat, in the underground labyrinth;
the settler in the dug on the frontiers
of Kansas and Nebraska whose wives and chill
dren are drawing warmth from corn because
%TNHal nnf,1o 10 &C
freight so the coal of Pennsylvania may be ex-
changed for the corn of the West. For twenty
years these corporations have grown rich, strong
and defiant in violation of law, and now let us
see to it that the protection of law shall be given
to those who are victims of their extortion
Messrs. Mcpherson and Mitchell opposed Mr..
Skaters pending amendment prohibiting railroads
from charging more for short than long haul.