St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-04-09

SABIN ON RAILROADS.
The Junior Minnesota Senator Asserts That
Western Railways are Cursed With
0ver-OompetitiOn,
And That the Recent Strikes Have Re-
suited From General Financial
RottenneSs.
Western Commercial, Agricultural
and Industrial Interests Demand
Railway Reform.
a Washington Territory Doctor Of
fers 500 for n Position Under
the Government.
snbin scares the Railways.

Special to the Globe.
WASHINGTON, April S.-Senator Sabin
surprised good many people to-day by
brief but vigorous speech on a railroad
bill, in which he showed clearly that the
idea which many people have that he is a
railroad man and stands in with corpora
tions on all their schemes, is a mistaken
one The bill under discussion was one
granting certain railways right of way
across the Indian territory. In the course
of the debate Mr.. Sabin said:
Mr.. President. l understand the senator
from Kansas 10 state that this charter is in
the hands of a strong and conservative cor
poration. | should like to ask the senator
from Kansas what corporation owns this
charter and proposes to build this connect
ing link. Mr.. Ingalls,, the Athison, Topeka
u Santa Fe railroad company.
Mr.. Sabin-The senator's statement con-
firms the information that has been given
heretofore on this subject, that the Atchison,
Topeka & Santa Fe railway is TO build this
$40 miles of railroad. Now, should like 10
ask the senator from Kansas If he thinks
this strong and conservative corporation.
Dne of the strongest in this country, as i
understand. viii be deferred from building
this connecting link, as he states it. This
most
IMPORTANT CONNECTING LINK.
by the adoption of the amendment offered by
the senator from Connecticut!
Mr.. Ingalls, am not authorized TO say
ANYTHING about what they will do, for L do
not know; but l assume that they would not
accept a charter that was burdened with
conditions which were imposed upon no other
corporation. l am not authorized TO speak
for them, for l know nothing about their
purposes.
Mr.. Sabin-''It strikes me, Mr. President,
that if the AtchisCsl, Topeka Santa Re road
will be prevented from building this $40 miles
of railway by the adoption of an amendment
xrhfp sim, ,1xr ftftnn tnnn
ton of building an honest railway. tone that
shall be bonded and stocked so that the inter-
est OH the bonds and stocks in the corpora
ton shall be paid from the earnings OF the
railway, which earnings are secured to that
road by the freight and traffic that is given it
by the overtaXed and languiShed agricultural
interests of this country to-day, it is certainly
not link worth binding under the eircum-
stances. MIR. President, far be 1t from me 10
Law in the way of any railway construction Ia
the West a single straw that will prevent that
construction at as early day as practicable.
am
A WESTERN MAN.
and have seen the necessities of railway con-
struction We have suffered from the lack
OF that railway construction, and we have
been greatly benefited and built up by the
construction of railways, but we are to-day
suffering and our agricultural interests are
suffering. Our farmers are compelled TO sell
their wheat at 80 or go cents bushel,
burdens, one of the most potent reasons for
which is the large amount paid for transpor-
tatiOn of their produce by corporations re-
uuiriDg excessive and arbitrary charges TO
secure the large revenue necessary TO pay
dividends and interests on properties, the
bonded and watered stock Of which aggregate
from two to four times the actual cost of
property. In the construction of this
railway, undoubtedly bonds will he placed to
the full amount of the cost. Therefore it is
10 haxr
the part of the representatives of the inter-
ests of this country Incorporated in this bill.
think the great trouble which is agitatiug
this whole land to-day and causing honest aud
thoughtful men to pause and consider the
question of our labor and our
LABOR STRIKES.
would have assumed much less threatening
PROPORTIONS. if indeed not been averted en-
tirey, if the railroads on which those strikes
have occurred were simply bonded and
stocked for any reasonable amount of their
cost. Corporations paying reasonable olVl-
dends on a fair and honest construction ac-
count, instead Of attempting to
pay them on a large amount OF fictitious
and watered capitalization, would then be
in condition to pay reasonable and living
wages to that large and deserving class of our
fellow-citizens who are furnishing the bone
and sinew of the land and earning their daily
bread by the sweat OF their brow. do not
wish my vote to place any obstacle in the
way of construction, and the early construc-
ton, of this link Of railway or any other rail-
way, or for a minute unnecessarily delay any
section of this land from the great privileges
and benefits acquired by railroad communi-
cation but for myself / think it high time,
when any great corporation comes to this
body and-asks special franchises, that such
conditions shall be imposed as shall protect
the commercial, industrial and agricultural
interests of the people who have sent us here
as the guardians of their interests and for
/ cboIl or or nf
this amendment and every other of like pur-
port that is presented.