The Bessemer indicator., 1893-01-14
OUR NEW EXECUTIVE.
GOVERNOR wAlrE's INAUGURAL
A solidly Sensible Document In Which
He Asks for Radical Legisiation
on Several Important
Subjects.

listened 10 with tn closest attention an,
manJ of his suggestions were h earthly ap
plauded. 1t WAS as follows;
Gentlemen OF the Senate and House OF
| RepreJe1 tatlves-We are assembled to wit
ness the Inauguration of the state officers
| chosen at the late election, My honored
| predecessor, Governor Routt, at the openin,.
| of this legislative session, submitted his
bieunlai message, referring minutely TO the
| hnanclal situation OF the state government.
and the condition of the various state In
| sututions, and, agreeing as l do with most
| OF his recommendations, / am relieved in
| cooc part from any extended consideration
| of these subjects. II tho newly elected
! state administration represented policy
! ike that of the preceding state adninistra-
i ton for number of terms this inaugural
address might wet he brief; but, since the
| late election has occasloned a change In
| Men and measures. 1t is but reasonable that
| some reference should be maie to the
! principles and the policy which will innu-
ence tho present state administration.
| THE RAILROAD QUESTION.
I Iherc Is nothing of greater Importance to
the people Of Colorado than the railroad
| question, There is no issue that for a
| longer period has engaged the attention of
| the citizens Of the state. or upon which
| the public sentiment has been so united
| and none in which fewer practical conces-
sons have been made to that sentiment. A
| law was passed in 1855 creating a railway
| commission In this state. but giving to the
commissioner only advisory power. The
t1fth general assembly lSS5l. in opposition
| 70 the recommendations OF Governor Eaton
| not only refused 10 amend the law, so as
! TO give power 10 the commissioner to fix
t-ss1tes, but also denied any appropriation for
| his sappnrort
| Governor a,lams, in his inaugural address
of January, 1857, e..llei attention to the
! railroad question and TriSokcd legislation
such as would be just alike f5>the railways
and the people The following is-from his
| reference 10 railroad matters in thar Ii-
| dress:
"Thero must be no discrimination h..
| tween communities or individuals. ritrC
| must be no favpritlsm which gives p4os
| perity TO one concern. and infiicts bstk.
ruptcy upon its competitor. All pa,rcn& OF
railroad should be treated with absoture
equality. and this equality is to be djter
| mined by locality anl cost of service. Ibesr
! are but the principles of common hojestv
| md business fairness. and TO their OPERA.
tion the railroads should not object. !
| Again IN his message tlSso) lie renew a
| in -ttle strongest terms these recomuicnda-
| tions.
Governor cooncr in his inaugural actress
| Jan. s. 1850. niadr similar recommenda-
| tions, quoting in fun the scyenth plank OF
the Repuhiran state platform adopted IN
| 1ssS. ~ follows:
''T, We favor fair but stringent legis;a-
ton respecting tho railways in our state
1--WE declare that zoos, rebates ana an
Glscriminatcns should he prohibited and
the prohibition ri-idIy enforced by heavy
penalties. Wo also demand legislation
that will prevent the charging of exorGl-
tanu rates,
''Wo also demand legislation prohibiting
all officers. Judicial, legislative and exec
utive. from accepting, directly or indi-
rcctly railway passes or free tickets. and
In his biennial message 1S9D Governor
Cooper renewed these recommendations.
Nevertheless. tho Seventh general assem-
bly, gave no heed to the recommendations
Of either Governor Adams or Governor
Cooper, or to the instructions of the lic-
publican platform OF lsSS.
Governor Routt in his inaugural address.
January. 1871, addressing the Eishtn ruiI-
eral assembly, renewed and cuiors-l IN
the strongest terms, tho rair0nt poHc5
Guoted In fun from the Republican state
platform OF 1890. as follows:
"Resolred. That the interests of the pco.
ple of the state require Of the next LEGS
lature the passage Of wise and judi I'
railroad law. one in its terms. that vii. rt
lust and fair both 10 the people and te
thD railroad corporations, that we believe
the public welfare VIII be best promoted
By the appointment of railway conimIa
sion composed Of three men, thoroughly
acquainted with the commercial ami Geo.
nomc conditions of the state; and that. t.
tho end that tho rights of the people may
be subserved. and the interest of the state
fostcred. we demand that whatever raii-
road law is passed shall invest snch con-
mission with the power TO revise inc ratva
OF the carriage OF either passengers OF
freight"
Governor Routt also quoted the railroad
PAM: of the Democratic party of Colorado
adopted In 1880. which substantially de.
ulnded the same railroad legislation.
Neither the Republican nor Dem
oCrIdc party In this state, to my
knowledge, at any state or even county
convention, has ever repealed, amended OF
changed in the slightest respect this posi-
tion upon the ralroad question. BUi tn
EiEhth general assembly, in defiance Of
both the political and non-parsisan senti-
ment of the state, refusal to enact any rail-
road legislation whatever.
During the past year Il new political par
ty appeared In the field. and with aggrcs-
sivc and well defined political principles
swept the state at the late election. This
new party, represented by the present state
admins rJton Is well known TO be nj
least equally radical with either of the old
parties as To railroad legislation, and tho
accessions Mt tile late election from the two
old parties which increased the party
in one year from about 1000 electors TO
over 52 600, in plrt occasione1 by Il
general dissatisfaction among the voters
for tho reason that both tho Seventh anil
| Eighth general assemblies had ignored the
| Just demands Of the people for reusf from
nations.
The right to make tariffs and enforce
| their collection is inherent IN Hny railway
| system. but the right directly or Indirectly
| for nLo railway to rebate portion OF its
| tariff, and thus discriminate between It's
| customers in the collection of its revenues,
| IL a right which no civilized lsovernmt Mt
| Chains. and no sovereign has dared 70 cx-
| ero.se for centuries. If the congress OF the
| United States should ennot a law which
| established on amy commodity impost
| duty for tho city of New York. and diff.
| feTent duty for other cities or one duty
! FOR one firm and another duty for another
| d-Tn. no mater low slight the difference
| the peopls would roscrt to arms, IL need
| be. rather than submit; yet such has been
| the ooodIt1on Of railway affairs In Colorado
| for years
The right to discriminate is boldly
Claimed and has been wantonly exercised.
| In certain mining districts So p@r ton
| IL chnrget fre1grt silver oS to Denver
| by the carload, and the shipper loads the
| cars. and this is claimed 10 be The lowest
| possible rlts mt which silver ore can be
| fransportoi to Denver at profit. and this
| is rate which cornpes the buik Of tht
| ore OF ordinary sirer mine. across tb.
range "to go over the dump" not paying
| shipping expenses.
At the same time the same railway COM
| pany mines Its own coal Mt Its own expense,
loads Its cars ships it Is miles TO its own
| cose oveps unloads and cokes the coal, re-
| loads and transports the coke over the same
| mountain range and route 1t transports the
| silver ore. and sells the coke at Denver at S.,
| per toni OF course. tho coal-coke transpor-
| tntlop Is at q small profit and the ore trans
| poftsttop at nm crtravagant rate. but what
| right h0 . railway company, upon any COR