The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-12-28

Property.
New York. Dec. 27.-The following is
an abstract of the address delivered by
Carroll B. Wright before the American
Economic association today:
The great strike which occurred at
Chicago in June and July last was in
realty combination of strike and boy
colt; it was an epoChal event because it .
emphasized certain principles which are
now recognized as essential in the gov
eminent, management and operations Of
railroads.
1t demonstrated to the satisfaction
of the public at large the right and
power of the federal government to
send troops into a state for the pur-
pose of protecting federal interests
whether that protection was or was not
asked for by the state government. It
has emphasized the power of the federal
government to protect its great interest
in the transportation of mails.
1t Is further epOchal in its nature
and influence because it has shown the
power of the courts in the expansion OF
the privilege of injunction which was a
twin power to that of mandamus; it
has shown that the civil courts have
asserted the right to define what is
crime under certain circumst ances, to
execute their own views 10y local pro-
cesses, to interpret their own acts and
to impose sentence. 1t is epoch making,
again, because it mas cryst aiized public
sentiment upon a question which has
often been argued, that relating to the
quast-pub4ic character Of railroad EN-
ployees.
The chief reason, however, to my
mind, for which the Chtcago strike is
epoch-making even lies in the fact that
it constitutes a subordinate element in
a revolution which is quietly taking
place in this country. 1t is not neces-
sary, in this presence, for me to say
that I approach this part Of my sub
Ject from standpoint entirely oppos-
ed to state socialism as q system. I
have no faith in lit. Nor need 1 assert
that I approach from a point of view
anLagonistlc TO what Is known as COM
pulsOry arbitration, I approach it, fur
Their, from the point Of view that Meth
err the federal nor state governments
can or ought to be allowed, as rule,
to regulate rates of wages or prices OF
commodities.
Notwithstanding these professions, I
am ready to re-eXamine these PROPOSE
tionS to which am opposed and if ex--
pedient. to apply some Of the features
involved in each of them. Let us,
therefore, consider in what respect the
Chicago strike became a subordinate
element in a revolution which is now
going on.
The Strike Subordinate Element.
In 1887, the Congress at the demand
Of the shippers Of the country, and in
their interest as it was supposed, made
the declaration that all charges made
y.e.J 10 no,
dered in the transportation Of passen-
gers or property on interstate rail-
roads or in connection Herewith or for
the receiving, delivering, storage or
handling of such property, should be
reasonable and just, and every unjust
and unreasonable charge for such Ser
vice was prohibited and declared to be
unlawful. This declaration has become
to all intents and purposes a part Of
the Constitution of the United States
because 1T has been sustained by the
courts. But this declaration was en-
phatfcally state socialism, it was en-
phaItically compulsory arbitration, il
was emphatically a law regulating the
prices of commodities through the price
Of services. 1t was the old principle by
which states regulated pixies and
tolls, but here carried in a new form
with new machinery. It was property
sustained by the courts. What is the
consequence of this as another step
in the silent revolution which is taking
place? There is now pending in Con-
gress a measure which is state social
ism pure and simple. 1 refer to the
pooling bill now pending in the SEN
ate 1 cite it only to show the second
phase of the silent revolution to which
l referred. This pending legislation is
demanded at the instance of the ship
pers and the railroads of the country,
and it's passage is being aided by q
powerful lobby in their service. The
railroads base their advocacy of the
bill on the claim that it will be for the
interest Of the shippers to have such
a law. The bill provides for great
trust, with the government of the
United States as trustee. When the
first bill to regulate commerce was
passed the great and powerful wedgs
of state socialism was driven one-
quarter of its length into the timbRy
of conservative government, of that
government which means democracy.
The pending bill, the moment it be-
comes a law. will drive the wedge
three-quarters of its length into the
timber. There will then be needed but
one more blow to drive the wedge home
and that blow will come at the in
stance of business and not of labor
entire government control of all the
railroads of the country, instead OF
partial control under the laws now ex-
listing or proposed.
This blow will be struck in the most
seductive way. 1t will come through d
demand that the government shall take
charge of tire roads, not purchase
them. and out of the proceeds of the
Transportation business, guarantee to
the existing stockholders of the roads
a small but reasonable rate Of dfvi-
dend.
Under such a seductive movement
the stockholders themselves (conserya-
tive men, men in this hall now) Will
vote for the striking of the blow. All
this, as I have said, will be the de-
mand and interest of the railroads and
Of the shippers, and not of the labor
involved in carrying on the work Of
TRANSPORTATION, as the demands CT TO-
day for the enactment of the pooling
bill is alleged to be largely in the in
terest of the shippers and to the pub
lie welfare.
HEAVY SNOW AT CINCINNATI. -
Cincinnati. O.. Dec. 27.-Another snow
storm prevails here tonight. Trains from
tToe east were all late today. Tonight