The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-01-30
GONG FOR THE RAILROADS.


winter There is a very brilliant little
star Of the east from Blue Earth eoun-
" that wilf not twinkle ia this ses-
sion unnoticed. who viii struggle hard
to divide the honors with his L D.
leader in the Senate. Ia fact he has
really taken the initiative in the
great work While [. .. was holding
prolonged wrangles over Senatorial
protests. this young luminary got in
''the first lick with a bill to 'Regn-
late Railroads, . as long as the Koran,
and almost a literal copy Of the Iowa
confiseation railroad act. and if pas
sed it may be reasonably expected to
produce the same effect in Minnesota
that the original has in Iowa. IF Mr..
Currier viii carefully examine the
railroad laws of this state. he viii ind
that al that is really meritoriOus in
his bill is already incorporated in the
laws OF this state. and only need en-
forcement to be efficient for practical
purpose. and that the balance of his
bill would be more Injurious TO the
State as they are ruinous to the rail-
raid companies. Noone questions the
honest intention Of Mr.. CHrrier; they
are said TO be common and useful in
warmer chimes than Minnesota: but
the man who confounds discount on
bonds sold for construction purposes
with wa1ered stock in his prediction
arrangement of railroads and parties.
may or may not be the best equipped
man in the Minnesota House of Re
representatives. to formulate a code of
state laws for the government Of the
railroads. But his nearly literal copy
Of the Iowa confisca1ion acts cuts
no figure in originality. A compare
son of the Minnesota and Iowa laws
would satisfy any reasena bic man that
the Minnesota law now confirms all
the features of the Iowa law that is
necessary for the protection Of the
people. honorable TO the state. or
just to the railroad companies
Then had Mr. Currier given some
earnest. intelligent consideration to
the effects Of the Iowa law upon the
progress Of the state and its railroads
of that state. and fairly considered
the comparison. it is just possible he
might Lave considerably modified or
perha y left ont entirely the confisca--
ton part Of his Iong code. w1irh must
have occupied "a great deal of his time
that might better have been devoted
to more important matters. No state
has gone farther In despotic legisla-
tion respecting railroad rights during
the past two or three years than Iowa.
and in no other Northwestern state
is there such a complete stagnati0n Of
al railroad enterprise and life as in
that. Nr. Robinson Is a thoroughly
reliable and very cautious man in his
statistics. He says of all the thirty
four companies reports Of their lines
in Iowa there are only seven that paid
digidends. and thev were parts Of
great systems having terminals in
Chicago and other large cities outside
Of Iowa. Not a single company de-
pended upon Iowa for business profits:
OF the other p companies four were
in the hands of receivers, Is Others
had been operated at a loss aggregat-
ing nearly s.. 600. 600. and the amount
Of stock involved in loss was s117, 695,-
ia The result Of such a state of at
fairs is fatal to any progress in rail
road Improvements to the state, an
injury to business Of all kinds. It is
impossible for railroad corporations
under such conditions TO furnish first
class or increase their facilities for
doing business. Under the operation
Of the Iowa eonfiscanon policy al eZ-
tensions of lines are rendered impos-
sible. Capitalists viii not invest
their money in Improvements in any
state where the law denies them any
voice in its management, or virtually
takes the control from their hands as
soon as completed and places it in the
care and custody Of some politician
who knows no more about managing
such an enterprise than he does about
tneology The suspension Of I'M
provements in Iowa has compelled
thousands of laboring men to look
elsewhere for employ menb and reduced
by SO much the home consumers of
farm products and general business of
the state. The same policy in Mime
sofa will have the same effect. II
well followed ply the time Donnelly
and Currier have to their own hearts
content shaken the railroads over
h = they viii have given Mime
sofa Improvements and business the
same scorcl1ing it has had in Iowa I'M
der the same dispensation. Enforce
the laws now in existence TO prevent
discrimination. TO regulate freighfs.
hold the railroad companies as you do
other people responsible for every
violation Of law and Justice at every
point. and the people viii be satisfied
Pimples boiIs and other humurs. are liable