St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-01-29

rates. or protection to the people against ex-
tortionate charges. The senate committee
on Interstate transportation has collected
some valuable information on this subject
which is likely to prove serviceable in
throwing light on the question and in en-
abling congress to reach satisfactory results
in whatever legislation is adopted.
But the most striking and perhaps most
valuable contribution TO this subject is the
speech of Gov. PATTIsoN of Pennsylvania
to convention of farmers at Lock Haven
last Thursday. He poured hot shot into
the monopOlies which have blighted the
prosperity of that state, more particularly
the Standard Oil company and the Penn
sylvania Railroad company. Gov. PATTI
SON takes the view that railroad discrimina-
ton being itself the result of monopoly has
by natural and inevitable law engendered
monopoly. 1t has become sort of railroad
tariff protection whereby one producer is
charged a greater rate of freight
than another In order that he cannot sell
cheaper than the other. The difference be-
tween this sort of tariff protection and that
adopted by the government is that in one
ment and against an alien. ard in the other
by private, selfish and irresponsible specu-
lators, and against citizen entitled by law
to equal treatment with every other citizen.
Thus IL is that Gov. PATrIsoN shows
how railroad discrimination has built
up and established the Standard
oil monopoly which has taxed the
consumers of the country for its benefit,
has debauched Legislatures, corrupted
justice Knocked the law, and is stretching its
arms in every direction to monopollLe other
sources of wealth and means of supply
And in the same way railroad discrimina-
ton has given 10 our new republic line of
princely railroad nabobs and lords of the
soil with fortunes that outrank royalty.
1t has reduced the owners of farms in num-
Der until they are million less than the
tenant farmers. 1t has also given us, in
little more than generation, a mass Of
restless and discontented laborers often eat
ing the bread of idleness and clamoring for
concessions from few great employers.
AS remedy for all these evils Gov. PAT
TYSON proposes that the heroic treatment
be applied. Acting upon the principle
enunciated by Mr.. GREELEY that the was
to do thing is TO do it. he suggests that
without any more hair splitting about
it or listening to the sophistry of the rail-
way officials and their servants in the legis-
lative halls, that the people at once proceed
to put in force their statutes against rail-
road discrimination. According to his opin-
ion an honest court and an honest jury can
do more toward solving the railroad prob
lem than all the essays that can be written
on the subject in the next thousand years.
In his judgment the remedy is not in build
ing parallel lines. He says: Though cor
poratiOns may for a time and for selfish
purposes resist the iniquities OF each other,
1t is only for so long as Il is necessary to
strengthen each other for greater public
wrongs, and then they make common cause
and join hands against the people. Get
thief to catch a thief does not apply to cor
porations. You only set loose two thieves
instead of one to prey upon the public"
So far as his own state is concerned he
suggests remedy in the following manner:
I am convinced after long reflection that
there is only one sure remedy left for the
people Of Pennsylvania. and that is to enforce
the existing laws of the state by penal stat
utes. 1t must be made a crime punishable
by the Imprisonment of the officials, for rail-
road officials TO break the law Since all
other efforts have failed, am now for trying
the efficacy OF the prison law. Why not?
You would punish county official who stole
your taxes by putting him In prison. You
would send to the penitentiary the private
trustee who corruptly profted by his trust,
and why shall not the public trustees of rail-
road corporations be jailed for robbing the
citizen and depressing the community cor
ruptly. There is no trouble at all about the
laws so far as they declare the rights and
duties OF the people and the railroads. The
constitution needs no addition or amendment.
1t is sufficient in all fits parts TO correct every
evil OF railroads from which the people now
suffer If it be enforced. 1t is just, true, law
full. 1t simply needs honest legislators TO
pass the laws to enforce IL, and pure judges
to interpret these laws. Let the next Iesis-
lature pass a statute simply making IL a
penal offense, punishable with Imprisonment
TO violate the provisions of the seventeenth
article. and let a jury OF honest men pass
upon the fact whether that article has been
violated under the instruction of unsubsIdized
judges, and from that day we will have law
obedient railroad corporations in Pennsyl-
vania.
1t is useless TO listen 70 the sophistry of
paid railroad attorneys. either in the legis-
lature or out of il, about the dIfficulty OF
drafting penal statute based upon that ar
ticle. There is scarcely section OF that arti-
Gle that is not sufficiently descriptive for a
penal statute. Leave TO q jury 10 say whether
the South Pennsylvania and the Peunsylvauis
railroad were parallel and competing lines.
and twelve honest men would convict the con-
spiratorswho concocted that sssell-out' without
leaving the box, and an upright Judge would
send them to the penitentiary before the court
adjourned. What difficulty is there about a
jury finding whether pass given TO a legis-
lator or judge, and for which he gave no tan
gfble return, is free pass or notY Where Is
the trouble about a jury finding whether
mining coal is the business or common car.
rying? And so all of the sections
of the seventeenth article; merely attach
the penal clause to each of them and
leave the rest to a jury and an honest court.
AT least let US try this for awhile. Homes,
men, honest railroad ofhcials would not fear
such laws, and as for dishonest ones, we sim.
ply want that there shall be some laws that
they will fear.
Two unknown Boston damseis recently had
street fghL using books, a package OF
which each was carrying, for missiles, AS
one Of the weapons Of war contained an in
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