St. Paul daily globe., 1886-10-01
IT MEANS VICTORY.
Continued From First Page,

the American people. and particularly upon
the farming class. Instead OF building up
American Industries generally, it has built
up few at the expense of many others. 1t
has driven the Stars and Stripes, which
twenty-five years ago was seen in every
harbor. off the sea, and our once-boasted
merchant marine is a thing of the past.
Nothing can be said of it except that IL mas
been one of the means OF building up some OF
the oppressive monopolies that have Fastened
themselves like vampires, upon our country.
1t is nonsense to say that, with our boasted
American ingenuity and enterprise, the
American manufacturer cannot compete with
the foreign importer who has to pay rev.
enue tariff upon the goods which he brings
here, and the cost freight, insurance, etc.
of transportation to this country. He can;
and all he makes, over what he would under
revenue tariff, is clear "steal, perpe-
trated under a high protective tariff
law. The customary dodge of the PRO
tectionist." to destroy the force OF
any argument ia favor of a re-
duction OF the tariff TO a revenue basis, is to
declare such principles to be free trade
This is simply untrue. The people, or party
who are willing to be indirectly taxed, by
revenue tariff, to the atnonnt Of over one
hundred millions of dollars annually, cannot
be called free traders. But this cry of
FREE TRADE
is now well understood to be the pretext Of
the manufacturing monopolist, to divert at
tention from the iniquity of the present tariff.
Our working nen, as well as our farmers,
should know that from 1859 to 1885 our gov
ernment has received the fearful sum of
81, Sl2, 552, 7S3!-all of which ultimately came
out OF the pockets of our people, and that
Notwithstanding this enormous contribution
as protection, labor to-day is depressed and
starved. and our mechanics and laDorerS are
driven, in desperation. to strikes. which are
met by the proprietor by lockouts. system
which can show no better results from such
expensive fostering, should require no argu-
ment to convince any one, not fanatic, OF its
injustice and Injurious effects. 1t would be
the part or wiser and more just statesman
ship to seek to create market for our sur
plus manufactures in the neghboring
republics of South America and
Mexico by the establishment of such
reciprocal relations as will secure the
| trade of these countries. They need our man
ufactures, and we need their raw material;
and there is no danger of either of them com
ing in competition with our manufacturers or
producers. The imports of these countries
amount to $500, ,000, 900 annually, and because
of our nigh tariff upon their raw material
we supply but one-sixth of this, when we
should handle nearly all of it.
RAILROADS AND TRANSPORTATION.
The next question of Importance to our
farmers is that of the cost of the transpOrta-
tion of their products to market. Brought
of Europe and India. they are compelled to
accept what is, at BEST low prices for their
principal product, and hence they now real
ize, more forcibIy than ever, the necessity Of
cheap transportation to the seaooard, for
whether he ships to that point or not the
freight upon his product will be upon that
basis. This being so. the question of regu-
lation of interstate commerce by congress is
one that their representative in that body
should be In accord with them upon. The
regulation of railroads within the state is for
the state legislature. 1t should hardly be-
necessary for me to say that am in favor OF
the passage of such an interstate commerce
law by congress as to compel all railroads.
whether operated jointly or severally, to carry
freight and passengers upon reasonable
terms and without discrimination. L have
always held that 1t was the duty of congress
and the state legislatures to do this, and when
in the legislature OF our state,
VOTED FOR ALL MEASURES
that believed would be effective for this
purpose. I, with others, insisted that the
legislature of the state had the power to con-
troll railroads and regulate the rates to be
charged for freight and passengers. before it
was decided bY the courts, and when able
lawyers insisted to the contrary. With full
confidence in the corr ectness of our opinion,
and the justice of the claim ! assisted in
securing the passage of an act granting an
appropriation to enable Mr.. Blake, of Roch-
ester to prosecute his now historical suit
with the Winona & ST. Peter Railroad COM
pany before the supreme court of the United
States. The decision in that case settled the
question forever, and held that the railroads
were subject to legislative control. This de-
cision was the first substantial victory for the
people over the railroad companies. Since
then continued contest mas been going on
between the people and these corporations.
The individual who expects corporations to
unsolicited or voluntarily consent to relin-
uuish profits, or carry freight or passeners at
a lower rate than circumstances will allow
them TO charge, has studied human nature to
little advantage. do not. The public, hav-
ing the power to protect itself from extor-
ton, should exercise it, or be silent. They
should exercise it, however.
JUSTLY AND REASONABLY;
and when satisfied that their demands were
of that character, they should enforce them.
l am confident our people will not. intention
ally demand more than is just and reasonable,
| and these corporations, if they are wisely
managed, will accede to them. The encrOach-
ments of corporate power, upon the rights of
the public, have become the subject of gen.
| eral discussion, and emphatic condemnation,
| and the persons having the management of
such corporations must perceive that it is I'M
wise for them to compel the people to exer
else the extreme powers which they possess.
AS il can be said, that if the present state
law regulating railroads is defective or faulty,
it is their own representatives that are to
blame so the fact THAT congress has failed to
pass law regulating commerce between the
states, is due to the unfaithfulness or incom-
potency of majority of their representa-
tives. The bill known as the Regan bill
should have become law long ago. If in
any manner defective, it should have been
| perfected. To he senate-a body which is
manifestly more in sympathy with these cor
porations than the peoples due the unenvi-
| To-, l@L.o
passage by it of the Cullom bill in its stead,
was but fimsy subterfuge to evade the
general depunciation that would follow a
refusal to act upon the question. The peo-
pie ''asked for bread and the senate
GAVE THEM A STONE"
and the house very properly insisted upon
bill with effective provisions, such as the
Regan bill contained. When the public learns
to exercise more care in the selection of SEN
| ators than it has done, it may expect to have
more regard shown for its demands for cor
porate control than has been. l do not be-
| lieve in wholesale denunciation of corpora
tions and will not indulge in it until find
them openly defying laws enacted to control
them and to protect the people from their
grasping avarice. When they do this no one
will be more willing than to join in so d cal
| ing with them that they will be an example,
| for all time to come, of corporate folly, and
the terrible vengeance of an outraged and
| Our motto should be to demand nothing but
what is right, and submit to nothing that is
wrong" All legislation should be so reason
| able and just that it will command the respect
| of our whole people, and be sustained by the
courts as such. / know that our farmers
and producers expect no more than this, and
| this they should and will have. The railroad
| companies must be cont.nt with such COM
| pensatiOn for transportation as will yield
! them reasonable return or profit upon the
| actual cost or value of the property employed
There should be no such feeling Of animosity
| between our producers and the railroad COM
| panies as now exists. Their interests are, TO
a great extent, mutual, for they are each
| largely dependent upon the other for
PROSPERITY AND SUCCESS.
Two years ago. in an address before the
| Mcleod County Agricultural society, said
| All laws must be equitable and just to all in
| their operation and effect and if otherwise their
| purpose will be defeated. In the past, when
the railroad corporations of the country took the
pos tion that they were beyond and above legis-
! lative control, and appeal to the courts became
| necessary it decided that they subject
to that control; but it must not be supposed that