The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-10-24


Journal of 1895. March Sd, page 4O7-3,
that the following took place:
"Mr. Coggswell moved to amend the
report of the committee of the whole
by striking out all after the enactlng
clause and inserting the following:
Sec. 3. That section 90 nine of said
ard, he amended to read as follows:
No railroad corporation.shall charge,
collect or receive for the Transporter
zion of any passenger or freight Of any
description UPON it railroad for any
distance within this state, the same
ra greater amount of toll or compen-
alton than is at the same time
charged, collected or received for the
TRANSPORTATION in the same direction
of any passenger or like quantity of
freight Of the same class, oyer great
er distance Of the same railroad, nor
shall any such railroad corporation
charge, demand or receive from any
person, company or corporation, for
the transportation Of persons or prop
erty, greater sum than it shall at the
same time charge, demand or receive
from any other person, company or
corporation for Il like service from the
same place and upon like conditions
and similar circumstances; and all
concessions of rates, drawbacks and
contracts for special rates shall ce
open to all persons, companies or cor
pOrationS alike under similar circum-
stances:
Sec. 4. That section seventeen U7)
of said act be amended to read as fol-
lows: The fines mentioned in the last
preceding section may be recovered in
n; io,, l,n of
of Minnesota. and there may he sever
nj causes of action joined in the same
complaint. as to eXturtion and unjust
discrimination. and as to passenger
and freight IA ties and rates for the use
and transportation of railroad cars,
and for receiving, handling or deliver
ing freigllts, or for the violation of any
other OF the provisions of this act.
Provided that in all cases under the
provisions OF this act, a preponderance
of evidence in favor of the state shall
be sufficient to authorize a verdict and
Judgment for the state.
The question being taken on the
adoption of the. amendment and the
roll being called there were IL yeas
and % nays"
The yeas were Judge Buckham,
Clark, Coggswcll, Conkey, Donnelly,
Finseth, Hill, McGovern, Meighen,
Wells. Wcstfall and White.
Among the nays were Drake, Pills
bury and knutc Nelson.
Here the issue was sQuarely joined
between the people, the producers on
the one side and the railroad compan-
ioc ho ~ A hn Ct;pn mt
asked for was that railroad company
should not charge as much or more
for carrying freight or passengers ten
mile that it did for carrying tue same
freight or passengers 100 miles. Could
anything be more reasonable? 1t was
like saying that farmer should not
ask or receive as much for so pounds OF
wheat as he did for 500 pounds OF
wheat. And yet Knade Nelson roted
against this rely reasonable proposition, in
the interest OF railroad companies and
against the people. And now he asks
the people to rc-elect him governor. to
appoint a railroad commission that is
to make the railroad companies obey
the laws which stand on the statute
books, and break up the railroad and
elevator rings that have combined to
gether and arc robbing the people.
But this is not all.
On the next page of the same Jour
nal, page 400, during the consideration
of the same bill VIC read:
"Mr. Meighen moved to strike out
section seven Of II. T. No. $50, and in
sert in lieu thereof the following.
Section I. No railroad corporation
shall charge, collect or receive for the
transportation of any passenger OF
freight of any description upon it:
railroad for any distance within this
state. the same ora greater amount OF
toll or compensation than is at the
same time charged, collected or re-
ceived for the transportation in the
same direction of any passenger or like
quantity Of freight, Of the same class
over greater distance of the same
railroad. nor shall any such railroad
corporation charge, demand or receive
from any person, company or corpora
ton for the transportation of persons
or property. greater sum than it
shall at the same time charge, demand
or receive from any other person, com
pany or corporation for like service
from the same place upon like condi
tions and similar circumstances: ano
all concessions of rates. drawbacks
and contracts for special rates shall be
open to all persons, companies or cor
porations alike under similar circum
stances
The question being taken upon tn,
amendment. and the roll being called
there were 10 yeas and 26 nays.
Among the nays was Knute Nelson
30 the amendment was lost.
The purpose of Mr. Meighen wa
this: Mr. Coggswell's amendment in
cluded three sections, and it might b.
claimed that senators were favOrabl,
to the third section, but had to vot,
against it because it was linked will
other sections alone; and it was votet
down, Is to 26, and Mr.. Nelson vote,
against it. Thus the issue was square
ly drawn and again Mr.. Nelson tool
the side of the railroads against tn,
people.
THE TAXATION OF RAILROAD LANDS
One Of the gricvous burdens laid uI
on the people has been the fact tina
vast quantities of land owned b
the railroad companies escape thei
Just share Of taxation, not onl
while in the hands of the cOmpanie.
but even after they have been sold t
third partes or to other corporation!
as in the case of the old Sioux Cit
Railroad company, which sold it's raj
road to the Chicago. Northwes tern
Omaha line. and then the lands re
NAMED the property of E. f. Drak