The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1886-12-30
Gov. McGill's Inaugural.

Inc uCW governor OF MlnileSOtA OelAVSIcu
the following inaugural address to the two
houses OF the Legislature i'll joint session.
INAUGURAL. ADDRESS.
Senators and Representatives. In assuming
the duties of the office OF governor, to which
have been duly chosen by the electors OF the
state. IL becomes my duty, in accordance with
well established CUSTOM to address you on such
matters of public concern as appear TO me
worthy Of your attention and consideration. but
fidelity with which the duties OF the position
| have been administered during the last hve
wears by my Predecessor. Gov Hubbard, !. H ths
closing act OF an administration that nonors
alike himself and our great state which he has
so faithfully served, and entities MIN 10 the
thanks of q grateful people.
POLITICAL PLATFORMS AND PLEDGES.
BY reading the platforms of the two leading
political psrt OF TINS state aoS ss viii he
| observed that liberal promises were made In
| both. On a number OF subjects they seem To
| have been In full accord For instance, in re
| spect to establishing a home for disabled and
needy survivors of the Union army In our state;
| the abolshing OF the contract system Of prison
| labor: the amendment Of our railroad and ware
house laws. where needed. TO secure relief to the
| agricultural classes: the establishment OF
| state bureau Of labor statistics. and In other
matters, there appears to have been no division
| of sentiment. l am bound to believe that both
| conventions were sincere il their declarations,
| and that you as representatives OF Inc people,
| elected on the platform OF one or the other OF
| the two great parties, here in good faith to
redeem tie pledges made. l believe that the
people have right to expect from us strict
| fuliilment of these declarations, ana Tor one L
stand ready to do my part to carry them OUT IN
| coed faith. Ii 1t has been customary heretofore
Tor legislatures to disregard the issues on which
| they were elected let the custom be broken
| Honesty and good faith Ill political party are
| as much to be admired as like attributes IN an
| individual.
| RAILROAD TRANSPORTATION.
| The subject OF transportation-of reasonable
| tariff rates on cur railroads.&c. OF supreme in
| terest to the people of the state. and have no
! doubt will secure your earnest attention Inc
| right of the legislature to pass laws for the
| supervision of railroads has been for number
| OF years we'll settled. This right was not, how
| struggle. well remember that when in $40 it
| was first advocated by the then governor OF this
state, In message to the legislature the propo-
| sition was received with much doubt. Not only
all the railroad officials and capitalists opposed
it, but large majority OF the Lawyers OF the
| state antaconized it as in conflict with the
| fundamental law Of the land, and opposed to the
| genius Of our institutions However. in the fol-
lowing yea- bill was passed by the legislature,
and with the approval Of the governor became a
| law, fixing rates. both freight and passenger.
| About the same time similar legislation was en-
| acted in several other Northwestern states.
Suits were instituted in this state, in Illinois,
| and perhaps in some other OF the North
| western states. under the so-called
granger laws" against various railroad
companies for the vioIstion of those
| laws The enactments were experimental and
| no doubt crude and iil-adapted to the exlgen-
| cies OF the situation, but they served the pur-
| pose OF securing judicial sanction and vlndlca-
| ton of the right Of legislative control. The
| judicial decisions obtained under them, not only
| III the 81 ate courts but in the supreme court OF
the United States as well, settled forever the
| constiiutionality Of such laws, and confirmed
| the authority OF the legislature. Thus was es-
| tablished one of the most important rights ever
secured free people. The expediency OF state
| supervision over railroad and kindred corpora
lions has sometimes been doubted since then,
but the right is no longer questioned.
l do not take it to be the policy Of the state to
needlessly interfere with or to harass any great
| interest. and more especially the railroad inter
ests of the commonwealth. That railroads have
become Indispensable to commercial and agri-
cultural prosperity, if not to the very existence
OF tho civilization of the century, no enc needs
any longer to be told To eliminate them would
be to turn back the wheels of progress to the
| very portals of the dark ages. But their supreme
| impor,anc makes it only the more essential
that they should be SO judiciously MANAGED AND
controlled as to develop the highest efficiency
and usefulness Of which they are capable, not
simply as wealth producers to their managers
and proDrietors. but as engines powerful foi
good to the masses Of the people as well .-,,,..,
strives for the most ample railroad facilities is
tribute to their value which no one can gainsay
Any movement to Cypress or cripple these inter;
ests, simply to satisfy a popular clamor would
not only be unjust to the roads, but ru1nous to
the people themselves. There is often wids
masses who use and desire to profit by the roads
and their managers and owners. They view
matters from different stanopoints and otter
each does the other injustice The duty Of she
state is TO find the middle ground-the happy
| mean between the extremes-and having found
! it, there to establish, with firm but Impartial
hand, the great and often intricate relations be-
tween the railroads and those who furnish then
business and pay their dividends.
| The policy of this state, after some legislative
| huctuation, has settled upon a board of com
missoners as the best instrumentalisy witt
| which to accomplish this end. My judgment
concurs in this policy, and that safety to both
sides lies in board Of able, incorruptible men
fearless in the discharge Of public duty, ans
!. with ample powers to enforce their DEGREES
Though railroads in this country are not bull
with public funds, they can not be classed as
| private property They are common carriers
! and, even under the common law, are undo
certain obligations and owe certain duties tc tn
| public. Their franchises are grant from tn
state, and they possess no essential powers no
| conferred by the state. Therefore it is from tn
people that they obtain life and authority, an
their accountability to the people logically fol
lows The public interest in such corporations
though not one OF invested capital is real ant
substantial, and one that the state cannot in 1t
| of control On the part of the state Is but q fai
| retnrn for tho powers and privileges conferred
This right indeed would seem to be inherent AM
infeasible in the state. 1t is even to be doubles
IL the state could dtvest itself Of the duties AM
) responsibilities implied. were it so disposed
J There is but little or no organization anon
} the farmers of the state for mutual protection
| and in the matter Of freiGhts and the inspection
and grading Of grain their interests are special
: committed to the railroad and warehouse com
. missioners. As a rule, other Industries hav
more complete organization and are much bet
ter qualified to care for themselves. The rail
roads, as is well known are under the manage
ment OF able men. capable Of protecting them a
every point. 1t follows that the farmers feel an
1 have deeper interest in the matter Of railroa
t supervision than any other class OF our people
| and 1t Is not only the privilege but the duty Q
the legislature to make that supervision clost
| watchrul and effective.
Il is especially desirable in this state. wher
<In ind ia fhA fra 10
port alton rates be as low as Is consistent with
fair return on the actual capital invested in th
; cost Of a road furnishes a certain criterion !
! | what it should be allowed TO earn, or by whic
{ to fix its rates Values Of orher kinds Of PROF.
( ton to the rule II railroads can be constructe
and eq tipped at from 80 to SO per cent les
: now than prior to 1873, does it follow that II
| to SO per cent more than the new ones, con
D | structed at much less cost, could reas0nabl
charge? 1t should be the policy of the state I
: secure for it's great producing classes the cheaI
| est rates possible with consistency and justit
: | to the other interests involved
The railroad and warehouse commissioner
have reported to you certain proposed legisls
= ton Of great Importance already referred I
n and commented on by Gov. Hubbard. which
y doubt not will receive your earnest consider
: ton. am sure you will be glad to adopt IN
! | changes or amendments in the railroad an
| grain laws which will contribute to their eff
= cheney and to the usefulness OF the commission
and shall not trespass on your time to call a.
| tention to them in detail.
TAXATION OF RAILROADS.
It appears plain that new and definite legisl,
l. ton Is needed on the subject of railroad tax;
ton. The commissioners seem to be in doul
9 concerning the liability of any railroad compaI
Y which has not formally accepted the provision
:. of the law of March, 1878, relating to the ta1
V alton Of the st. Paul. saltwater & Tsylor's Fal
Railroad company, to even pay per centum
o its earnings, in lieu OF taxes. under existir
: legislation This liability should be so d.
! finitely eettled that there could DO no questte