Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1890-06-21
Attorney General HOgg on Railroads
and the Abuse of Land Monopoly.

date for Governor, outlined his views
on various public questions in re-
cent address, He declared himself in
favor of State regulation of railways,
and showed the analogy of railways
and toll roads, where a private cor
poration maintains the roadbed and
charges a sum fixed bv law to all
persons travelling over the same.
Beginning with common earth
roads, graded and leveled, public
highways changed not in principle,
but in condition and methods of use
and enjoyment. Passing through
many transmutations, from the plain
dirt road to the gravel way, from the
latter to the horse-car line, and from
that to the steam railway, the public
highway developed, as it is now,
into the greatest clvilizer known to
civilization, indispensable to COM
merce and to the wants of the public,
has never escaped the control OF the
power that gave it life. So long as
they were simply earth or turn. pike
roads but little or no question was
raised as to the right of the govern
ment to control or regulate them. but
since they have become laid with
post-oak sleepers and steel rails,
balasted with sea shells, equipped
with fine coaches propelled by steam
engines and controlled by magnates,
pools and combines they are defiant
Of law and revolt at control in all re-
spect. They are now called "priyate
enterprises"
Quite as striking was what AttOr-
ney- General Hogg said on the land
question. He spoke thus:
Our constitution further provides
that, "Perpetuitles and monopolies
are contrary to the genius OF a free
government and shall never be al
lowed" This provision was almost
at corporate power in all respects,
but especially at their ownership OF
lands. Under our present laws land
corporations are not prohibited. nor
are they expressly admitted; though
they are operating in our State by
kind of license and the law of comfy
to an alarming extent They control
and own about one fourth of all the
lands within the State. When title
vests i'm them, as they live on forever,
it becomes perpetuity. In this way
the evils of the English laws of prim-
ogeniture and entailment so distaste-
ful to Americans will be surpassed
by corporate eslates. The control OF
the property in large tracts is equiva-
lent to monopoly. Many Of them
each own and now have exclusive
possession and enjoyment of over a
million acres of land in one body.
Go into the far West through some
of the richest counties OF our State
and you will find great pastures and
corporate estates wired in and con-
troled exclusively from settlement;
their management committed TO
agents their titles in aliens, English
lords, syndicates and corporations.
The like has never been known to- any
country that guarded well its insti-
buttons with respect to the rights,
liberties and privileges of the free
people that compose it. These large
estates, controlled now for pastoral
purposes, will soon be in demand for
settlement. AS time goes OIL, within
"a few years, as the demand for homes
becomes stronger, these princely es-
tates will be cut up into small farms
and rented or leased and operated by
foreign peasantry, uncongenlal 10
our people and under the absolute
control of men who do not understand
or respect the principles of our gov
eminent. In time they will become
voters, and cast their ballots as free
men according to the will of thei:
lind IorlS aud rulprs In this WaX