Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-04-05
Taylor's Greatest Effort.
Full Text of the Speech by the Father o
the Railroad RilI

| 10 consideration OF U06 Taylor railroad
! bill, and adjournment was finally taken
| while a motion by Senator Price to re-
commit the bill to the railroad com
! mittee was before the house Senator
! Taylor's speech in defense of the bill
changed somewhat the current of feel
! ing regarding it: whether it materially
affected the judgment of the senators
| will be seen when vote on the question
| is taken.
Mr.. Taylor spoke as follows.
Mr.. President: | undertake the dis
| cussion of this bill with considerable
| embarrassment. Perhaps no measure
ever introduced into this legislature has
| received more of prejudgment, growing
| out of misconception as to its provis-
! ions and the reasons of its origin, or has
! excited more hostile criticism of per-
sonal and political nature. | introduced
| this bill pursuant to definite and imper-
| ative Instructions from the people who
| elected Ge to the seat | have the honor
! to occupy upon this floor. This fact
! ought to furnish me complete immunity
! from any charge or suspicion that the
| measure was of my own suggestion, and
was presented with other motives than
to promote the public good. But for
some reason or other, certain parties,
| those directly in their employ, or others
expecting favors or fearing injuries at
| their hands, have seen fit to persistently
| attempt to bring discredit upon the
measure by impunging the motives of
the senator who introduced it, This
method of attack upon the bill, which
can only be truthfully characterized as
unfair, if not disreputable, imposes up
on me the necessity of asking the in
diligence of the senate while L make a
few remarks of a somewhat personal
nature. The performance of this task,
| unpleasant as it is, l cannot rightfully
avoid; and while | bring to its discharge
something of earnestness, | hope there
may be nothing of temper. Long be
| fore a line of this bill was written, be
| fore its provisions were formulated, or
its scope decided upon, it was heralded,
throughout the state that the senator
from the Tenth district was to inaugur-
| ate war on railroads. knowing only
that he had pledged the people of his
district to carry out their instructions,
the agents of the railroads assumed the
| agents of the railroads assumed, with no
| shadow of authority for so doing, that
| there was to be an unreasOning and de
! structive assault made on the railway in
| terests of the state. This was charged and
reiterated, and has been studiously and
! steadfastly circulated by railroad news
| papers, by political agents, salaried to
control elections and legislatures by
employees circulating remonstrances
against this bill, and by attorneys and
| lobbyists of high and low degree. Around
this legislature the story has been pour
ed into willing and unwilling ears until
| it would seem like thrice-told tale.
at is said that feelings OF revenge
baflied ambition, a hope of future gain,
all these unworthy and wicked motives
prompted the authorship and introduc-
| tiOn of this bill. So aSsiduous and so
| successful have been the attempt, to
| create erroneous impressions about this
measure, before any of its provisions
were known, that their baneful influence
permeated even the sacred precincts of
the executive chamber, and our able and
honored governor, who comes to us 50
fresh from the people, became alarmed,
and out of the fullness of his misintor-
ton, took occasion in his first official
communication to the legislature to
warn us to tread lightly on railroad
grounds, and against being controlled
on the railroad question, by feeling of
prejudice.
Sir, it is the history of the world and
always will be, that vast aggregations of
capital, organized into cambned forces.
will exercise undue and dangerous in
tUcnCe in business and public affairs.
Good men and true have been at all
| times and everywhere deceived by the
sophistrjes and seduCed by the blaudish-
mentS of corporate power. And it Is
sometimes true, alas, that upon impor-
tant questions weakness is often more to
be deplored than wickedness, and the
errors of ignorance are more disastrous
than the intrgues of design.
"Mr. President and senators, | wish
| here and now TO disclaim any feeling of
| hostility towards railroads. | deny, in
! the aggregate and in detail, all the
| charges or intimations to which | have
! referred. [ have no grievances, person
| al, political or otherwise. In a long bus
| mess intercourse with railway compa-
| MES | have been treated as we'll, and |
| suspect sometimes better, than have
most men. In aid of my political am mbition
! | never asked, expected or desired their
/ support. No senator upon this floor will
! resist more stOutly than will |, any as
saults or unjust attacks upon them. For
thirty years have [ consistently and de
| vOtedly been their friend and defender
! against injustice. | am as much their
! friend today, as on any day before. |
! believe there has been legislation at
! tempted and enacted in this state upon
the railroad question that was prema-
! ture and unjust. But remember, times
! have changed; roads that few years
ago were poor dependent and weak, are
now rich, arrogant and powerful.
Rights TO which they were then fairly
entitled, if exercised now would be fla
grant abuses. Rates they could then
| properly charge, if exacted today would
F.! be the rankest extOrtion.
u have long been in favor of legisla-
| tive control of railroads. / was in favor
of the interstate commerce law. In
1856, when I had the honor to be chair
man of the republican state central com
mittee, | insisted that a resolution must
90 into the platform of the state conven-
ton, pledging the party to protect the
| people from railroad abuses: and al
though several prominent railroad attor-
neys and agents advised strongly against
/ 1t, claiming just as they do now that all
was quiet, and the question should not
be gltated and the people aroused,
drew resolution, and it was unanimous
| ly adopted by the convention, and will
be found in the platform of the party for
that year. l will read the resolution.
THAT the principle of the public reg
ulatlOn of railway corporations is wise
and salutary one for the protection of all
classes of people, and when unjust dis
ordinations are made between persons
and places, especially in the fixing Of
freight and passenger rates between
competing and non competing stations,
they pledge the republican party, II en-
trusted with the power, to correct them
to the end that the people and the rail-
ways shall alike enjoy the fair and equal
protection of the law
THAT is my record. None will dis
pute it. / hope it will acquit me of the
charge that has been so glibly made that
! am a new convert to the cause of rail-
way regulation. l beg the pardon of the
senate for occupying so much of its time
IN preliminary remarks, but it is with
the hope that | may disabuse the minds
OF senators Of false impressions in regard
to the origin OF this bill. and may secure
an unbiased consideration of its purpo-
ses and merits. 1t should make no diff
ference to US who introduces bill or
the motives which inspire its introduc-
ton. We are not here to try men, but
to consider measures A msritOrIous
should receive our support. and
an unmeritorious one our opposition,
with no thought as to its object or source
OF its presentation
Il introduced this bill in the very