Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-02-22

composed very largely. of congressman
and their families, almost all OF them
plain honespun folks of the best Ameri-
can type. There are at the house | stop
at i've representatives and three senators
from New England, New York. Penn
sylvania, Illinois, Michigan Wisconsin
and Kansas, and their families. all agree
able and entertaining people.
Interest in legislation in Washington
since my arrival has centered in the Pa
clic railroad funding bill and in at
tempted legislation on finance. vote
was reached on Saturday in the house on
the railroad bill with most satisfactory
results, the passage of it being refused.
| am sorry to say, however, that the Yer
mont representatives. Mr.. Powers and
Mr.. GrOut, were in favor of the bill. 1t
is safe to believe on the other hand that
our senators would have both been
against it,
1t is very strongly charged and there
seems to be the best reasons to believe
that the managers of these roads built
up their immense private fortunes by
looting the property ana at the expense
of every one interested except them
selves The feeling in California against
them is well. nigh universal and very Bit
ter. The main object of the bill defeat
ed, it is understood, was to relieve the
management and their estates from per-
sonal liability.
The charter of the Central Pacific was
taken out under the laws of California
and their laws made the stockholders
personally responsible for the debts OF
: the corporation to IA certain amount, that
amount in this case being equal to about
the whole of their property. The vote
of the house was 20 majority against the
bill. 1t is signal triumph of the right
and there is reason now to hope that the
ultimate result will be a restitution sc
far as is possible of all property stolen
from the trust, and the foreclosure by
the government of its mortgage OH the
roads.
This will give an excellent opportunity
l to see how government ownership of rail-
roads in Sthis country will work. The
signs of the times point to government
control as the probable solution of the
MANY difficulties that now surround thi
subject. If the railroads were run for thu
benefit of the people, instead OF as nov
= largely for the profit OF managers, ther'
= would be no strikes, no unjust discrimi
IA nation III rates, no unnecessary annoy
I ances to travellers. Strikes alone ma.
force government control Some solu
} ton certainly must be had to quell tt
disturbances that arise from the unius
II and selfish conditions by which raj
y roads now are owned and managed.
The railroads are in truth a part of tn
, highway system of the nation. Thei
: creation is made possible through the la'
II of eminent domain only for the publ
: good. and therefore they should be OF
u Grated solely in the interests of the put
lie. But it is difficult to see how tn
It can be done except through some kin
> of government control. Constituent
y sentatives on this subject in the neg
ii congress, and if they go for the benet
AZ of the rich as against the rights of tt
'e people see that they are retired at I'll
y first opportunity. So the people wi
want to hold parties responsible al
e. turn down any party that dares betra
III them again IN this matter.
As regards finances the more loo
into the question the more am col
WINGED that the decentralization of silv,
by congress in 1873 was IA colossal blu
der, from which has come that d
preston of prices that is iniuring a
business and bringing poverty al
suffering to millions. and the end is n
!" yet.
Vi With the throwing out of one of Il
=" metals, silver, used as money, an ineXor
i'' BILE law was set in motion to force up Il
vi value of the other, gold, and so far as v
rs know must continue to act, until bime
Tic allism is restored. Messrs. Dunn q CO
oy business reporters at New York, high a
.et tboritv inform ne thar rho nricee of co,
luOTllys lnloTln us llldt tile prices Vi Col
modities are about 81 per cent lower tn;
ss in 1860. Senator German said the 9th
~ day in the l.. s. senate, in his verv alt
Ut speech on finances, that prices were
lis per cent lower than ever before know
ny 1t cannot be too carefully remember
at that the explanation of this is that 90
'e- by which we measure values has gone Il
as not that other things have gone dow
u Land is really worth just as much, 0
Oh crops just as much, most things that \
p have to sell just as much, some more, O
Iat ~ by our laws we have raised the val
III of our money so that it takes more Ian
''u more produce, more labor to get II doll
zee than it did. OF course this is to the We
Isl great disadvantage of the debtor cla'
- fs,Is fI..axr haK fIftiH Hal I'M