, 1885-01-17
Van Wyck, Of Nebraska, Talks
on Railroads.
he Makes Some Vivid Remarks
to the Senate
Which the Country viii Heal
With Pleasure.
Vigorous Van Wxek.

0(lAhN ' al w VI - 1gA
ate. He said that since 1872 all political
parties had demanded redress from griev-
ances in transportation, but party man
ayers seemed to learn no lesson from dis
aster, and were still trying to amuse and
cajole the people. The people only de-
manded reasonable rates, no discfimina-
ton, no pooling, no greater charge for a
short than a long haul This he said,
is no time to delay. The work of decep-
ton cannot longer be carried on. You
cannot pretend willingness to do some
thing and that ~obstinate-or unwilling
house Of representatives refuses. If the
senate falters now to accept the house bill,
an indignant people will believe it falters
in a double sense, and is seeking by disa-
greement to prevent the legislation SO long
sought and long denied.
"The roads owned and controlled the
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 railroads was not always exercised in a
sanity manner. To illustrate: The Union
Pacific became incensed at Columbus, an
active interior city of Nebraska, whose
citizens were e~nterprising and aided to Sc
cure another road The company deter
mined they should be punished for such
temerity and rebellion. So 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 revenge or
furnishing rebellious subjects in their ter
ritory, actually charges to points east OF
San Francisco through rates to San Fran
cisco, and then local rates back. Was it
not evident the railroads should be re-
stricted from exacting more for a short
haul than a long one?"
Van Wyck quoted from a letter written
by VIM. Walter Phelps, in which he said
the latter showed that senators and rep
resentatives purchased railroad shares on a
basis of one to three.
Certainly" he said, stocks and
bonds according to this evidence are owned
in this chamber and in the other end of
the capitol on that basis. That is you
put down 81 and take up So. So it
would appear even members Of congress
learn where the little joker is. No won
der there is here manifested the same
! contempt for public clamor as Vanderbilt
is said to have exhibited in language
more forcible, but not SO reyerential, as
by distinguished senators. According to
a written and printed statement of one
New jersey statesman and Poor's Man
ual, $4,000, 900, 900 shares of fictitious
watered stock was represented in the
stocks and bonds Of railroads. On this,
interest and dividends were collected from
the people, made a mortgage on every
acre of land in the republic. An imitation
p~aralyzing industry, laying a tax upon the
producer and consumer, yet we must re-
mand all this to natural laws of trade. Jay
Gould had greater wealth than the
assessed property, real and personal, Of
both Kansas and Nebraska, and Wander
bilt could buy both states and have $40
000, 600 left. Were these millions &C.
CURED? The senator from Iowa (Allison)
trembled lest too much should be done
and the senator from Kansas (Ingalls,
said he did not stand as the advocate Oh
champion of that cheap demagoguer,
that appeals to public opinion agains
railroads. y = = Railroads were entitled
to the protection of law. = In Kan
sas, in Nebraska, fifty bushels of corn vii
not purchase one ton of soft coal. On
hundred and fifty bushels will not buy on
ton of hard coal. Your sympathy extend
for the pauper labor of Europe and India
while your hearts seem steeled against thu
cry for bread of Americans who are forcet
to work at starvation wages or have thei
places supplied in the mines by special.
protected mine owners, by pauper ant
convict labor imported under contrac
from Europe. 1t is the toiler seekin|
labor in the furnace heat, in the under
ground labyrinth settler, in the dug on
on the frontier of Kansas and Nebraska
whose wives and children are drawini
warmth from corn because the great cor
porations refuse to reduce the rates Q
freight SO that coal from Pennsylvani
may be exchanged for the corn Of tn
West. For twenty years these corporu
tons have grown rich, strong and defiant
in violation of law, and now let us see I
it that a protection law shall be given I
those who are victims Of their extortior
Senator McPhersonI and Mitchell OF
posed Senator Slater's pending amend
ment prohibiting railroads from chargin
more for a short than for a long hau
. also Senator ingalls,. Senator Van Wye
. addressed a question to the senator frol
r Kansas, Qngalls) WAS it right to charl
the same rates from Chicago to Kansi
City as to Leavenworth ?" ingalls, mad
no reply. The inquiry was repeated, bu
still without e~liciting a response. Va
9 Wyck said hat while the senator fro
Kansas was bordering over his reply l
would PROFOUND some quest:
I to the senator from low
(Allison). AllisonA said he did NJ