Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-04-04

OF senator's OF false impressions in regard
to the origin of this bill. and may secure
an unbiased consideration Of its purpo-
ses and merits. II should make no diff
ference to US who introduces a bill or
the motives which inspire its introduc-
ton. We are not here TO try men, but
to consider measures. A meritorious
measure should receive our support, and
an unmeritoriOus one our opposition,
with no thought as to its object or source
OF Its presentation.
81 introduced this bin in the very
early days Of the session in order to give
the legislature and the people ample
time TO read, consider and digest it. |
have employed no doubtful methods to
secure for it support. There has been
no trafficking no opportunities, no solicit
tations. Senators will bear me witness
that have not even requested their
aid. | have-not asked, and shall not ask,
a member of this legislature to give this
measure his support. | only ask that
you give it unpreIudiced, thoughtful,
contentious consideration / believe
that it has merits that of rightly under
stood will challenge your better judg-
ments and induce your support 1t is
intended to right wrongs to correct
abuses, or redress grievances, and 10 pro-
mote equity and establish justice, There
is no polsonin il. 1t aims TO njure
nobody. 1t grants no dangerous
license, and imposes no undue hard
ships. 1t seeks only to secure such con
cessIons and impose such obligations as
will work equal justice to all interests.
There is not line nor a work in senate
al.
conclusion, which if enacted into Jaw.
and rightly interpreted and fairly en-
forced, viii not promote wiser policies
and better relations between the railway
companies and the public.
81 come now to consider the objections
urged against the passage of this bin.
| shall conhne myself mainly to the
arguments and statements made 10y tie
able gentlemen who appeared before the
joint committees in opposition TO the
measure. / must of necessity be brief,
but if | omit any important points and
any senator will call my attention To
them, l will explain them as best / may.
Is there a demand for such a law:
Mr.. Miller, president Of the Milwaukee
~ st. Paul road, says there is not. Let
us see. There has been scarcely a day
since the bill under discussion was in
troduced chat numerous petitions have
not been presented IN each branch of
the Legislature praying for its passage. /
have received hundreds of letters my
self in support of the measure. and
many other members have received
them. Shortly before the legislature
convened. the commissioner at the head
of the bureau of labor and statistics in
this state sent out letters to shippers all
over the state, seeking information on
the railroad question He received very
many answers that are now on file in his
Office. | have before me extracts from
the answers of some fifty concerns, Sc
lected from the pile at random, repre-
senting all branches Of business, and
every section of the state. They are all
of about the same general tenor ! will
read only few. The speaker here
read complaints from large number of
shippers.
"Now, remember that have read only
few of those in my hands, and that
this bundle is only a fraction of the
mass of letters making complaints. Do
not these petitions and letters indicate
that there is a demand for railroad leg
islation? There were no hired agents to
circulate these petitions, and no
inducements offered to secure the
writing Of these letters. But Mr..
Miller says, look at the remon-
strances against the passage Of the
bill. Very well, let's look at them, and
see how thcy we're secured and who
signed them. make the assertion, and
call upon any opponent of this bill TO
contradict it, that not remonstrance,
resolution, or memorial, has been pre-
sented to this legislature that is not
traceable to the efforts of men in rail
road employ or under their pay, Every
station agent in the state and there are
more than thousand of them, was fur
nished remonstrances and ordered toget
out of their offices and get all the sign
ers they could. Special agents, lumber
agents, freight agents, the whole vast
retinue of railway service, were set at
work, and swarmed through the manu-
featuring districts to induce shippers,
q leave you to imagine the inducements
offeradl to write letters aud adopt reso-
lutions, and sign remonstrances against
the bill. The only wonder IS that they
didn't get ten times as many names. !
wish the senators would take time to 60
TO the railroad committee clerks and
look over those remonstrances Some Of
them have only two names, the station
agent and telegraph operator, | pre-
sumo. Others have the section hands,
evidently. and to avoid making crosses,
the agent has kindly signed all their
names, as the handwriting shows. Then
again. our clever railroad friends, TO
show the popular uprising against this
bin. did what | never heard of before.
they had their petitions signed in dupli-
cate, SO that they would show double,
and presented in both senate and assem-
bly,.
80 for ways that are dark,
And tricks that are vain"
MIR. President, not one in a hundred
Of these railroad singers ever read a line
Of the bill What a formidable, intelli-
gent. and disinteres;ed public sentiment
these remonstrances do reveal 10 US:
The ought not to have the weight OF a
feather with any thinking man.
is there a necessity for such law! II
we are paying too high rates and dis
examinations are being practiced against
either persons or places then all Will
agree that some remedy is demanded.
The letters which | read and the many
P. All . J. Hs.a