The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1890-12-31
TO BIZ


middle in this State by hand laid
transportation question without yes
and advocating Government control Of
railroads. In speaking OF the Board o.
TRANSFORMATION and its work he says:
( This board Is composed OF Ave State OH
GERS, including the Attorney General, ans
has power To appoint three secretaries, wh'
are presumed To do the work. The subJec
OF transportation Is one OF the most import
ant with which the people OF this State have
10 deal. have given IL as much attention
as my other official duties would permit
and am free To say that the present sys
tenn Is complete failure. i am thorough,
convinced that the only true solution OF tn
railtoad probiom must be worked on
through "a railroad commission, but an!
system, such "a ours, that requires thre
men 20 do the work and make all reports
only To be signed by certain State officer
who have not had u chance TO examine Int
the subject matter, Is To my mind very un
satisfactory.
IL seems to me that IL the railroad com
panies could be made to understand that 1
was for their interest TO tighten the bur
dens OF the people. and that tho prosperit,
OF the people was thu prosperity OF thes
corporations, this would DO step I'm thu
right direction. But they do not seem {.
look at it In that light and take directl,
on one hypothesis, and that is that tn
managers OF these Western lines must MAKE
as large a per cent. as possible so as to sat
sfy the Eastern stockholders.
The State officer who endeavors TO brin,
these corporations TO an account for opel
and notorious violations OF our fundamen
tai law Is at once branded as a demagOgu
or an ofiice-seeker. The subsidized press 1
turned loose on him, and the officers il
charge OF the road will write letters, or hav,
others do so, concerning him, and publish
them In all the papers throughout the Stat
that they can control.
would recommend a law forbidding an,
railroad corporation from issuing any mort
gage bonds or stock until an itemized &C
count of the cash, labor, or property, duly
sworn TO, has been presented TO some office
or the State for examination, and IL fount
To be a true account of the money, labor. O
property received, TO register and certify I,
the same as issued in pursuance of law ant
rs constituting part of the capital stool
OF all roads now In operation as well a
those To be formed hereafter.
Two years ago in my biennial report
called your excellency's attention to the bill
pending before Congress TO extend the deb
due to the Government from the Union Pa
ckfc, and while my views may not have beer
oouched in the incest language, your ex
cellency criticised the sarke, and refused 4
part OF my report in your messa< 1s1a1
however, attract the attention
as well as the citizens of \thkz
26 900 people of Nebraska han
Congress to vote against the N
the debt due to the Government!
ing that the Government migl
the lien and put the Union Paci
basis.
BY the recent change In the al
Union Pacific, one man. stan
Office in New York City, can, b,
hand, advance the rates over
that no controls, reaching fro
the Atlantic coast. This transad
part played in the formation Of
railroad trust that is a menac
rights, and unless something is
that, too, Immediately, the day
distant when the people Of this cot
be bound hand and foot, and cond
perpetual bondage to these transpS
monopolies.
The people OF this State are cogniza
the above facts. and their appeals yea
ter year for relief have been laughf
scorn, and it now remains for some strj
means TO be adopted, and that is fol
Government 10 assume troll OF al
railroads in America. This Is a ques
that takes precedence of the many inn
tant ones that are now agitating the pu
mind and the question. we ask oursely
whether or not it Is better for the ps
submit themselves and their bust
tender mercies of "a railroad tru5
Government of our country Th5(
objection made against the Go,
control and ownership is that co
Will be destroyed and that the vast
OF patronage of the Government
dangerous TO our republican insfitu
With one man controlling the
roads OF this country, competition
ts,i, dos xrad 4.
Seward and Lincoln, where the G
Burlington and Quincy owns both I'll
OF road. Competition will TO destroy
either case, and IL resolves itself don
the one question, whether or not the PRO
shall go into the pockets OF one man or
To the Government. II the masses were
determine this question there would be
unanimous voice in favor of GOVERN
control. =
The second argument Is absurd. There Z
no corner OF this Union that is free fror
railroad influences In political matters.
enters the door OF the merchant, the sane
,um sanctorum OF TIE press, and the court
of our State and nation, always takin
IN active part, from the election OF
chairman OF board of village trustees {
the election of President of the Unite
States, savagely holding back In its rank
those who would break from its cOrruptin
embrace and deteriorating influence.
IL the Government should take the con
srol, this growing danger to the people
rights would bc forever removed. TIL
civil-service rules could be strictly carrie
out, where removals cannot take plac
without cause. and ability and persona
merit alone, and not political influence
would be the test for advancement Tn
crowned heads OF Europe have operate
railroads in very satisfactory manner
and can 1t be said that government OF tn
people, by and for the people. is so dishon
est and corrupt that we cannot trust IL wit
the same power? Or must we continue Z
trust 90 the Jay Goulds, and Vanderbilts
and Rockefellers? i believe i'm the Govern
ment control. and also believe that n com
mencement should be made by foreclosin
the lien OF the Government against tn
Union Pacific and taking possession of tn
same.
MIR. CAMINETTI who has been awarded
scat In the next Congress-. Is OF Italia,
parentage but native-born Californian