The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-05-01

Gus world dared to declare that kings
ruled by no divine right, that no ruler
has any authority except such as ID
derived from the people, and that I'll
men were created with equal and In
alienable rights, were the same genius
and spirit which bridged the Attain
tic Ocean with, steam 5oaterRkd nlcnN
trio ca bles, the same genius and spirit
which abandoned the stage coach and
spanned the continent with railroads.
1t is the genius and the spirit which
dares to think and dares to act.
To me it seems self-evident that the
railroads. of this country should be tho
property of this nation. Far more
important does it seem to me that the
government own and control the rail-
roads than that it operate the pos
tai system. or maintain q standing
army as a public institution. / have
already said, and say again, that the
time has come when the government
must own and control the railroadsa0s
the railroads will own and control the
government. The vast net of roads
are now already concentrated into no
more than eighteen separate syndi-
Gates. 1t is concentrating every year,
and even we may live to see the time
property Of one single syndicate and
under the control of one single man.
When that time comes, the American
nation will be the slaves Of the Whim
and the caprice Of one dictator, and
he probably a resident of some other
country than ours.
The railroad magnateS are no longer
railroad magnates exclusively. They
are fast going into other lines of busi-
ness, as mining and manufacturing
and make those industries part OF
their railroading. The Rocke efeller
syndicate does not only own the road
from Duluth to the Iron Range, North
Of here, and the most Of the mines, the
effect of which is to shut out of the
market all private mine owners as I
have already shown: but it owns the
blast furnaces and the iron and steel
works. Soon that syndicate will have
complete control Of every mine, fur
mace and steel works in the country,
by buying some and cutting out the.
others. The next step will be to 90
into the milling and elevator business
and the various lines Of manufacture
ing, and operate those as part OF the
railroad. When that is done. every
competitor is shut out just as en-
pha atically as are the private mine
owners on the Mesabe and Vcrmillon
Ranges. The law requiring equal
freight rates for all can have no effect
where the same party, under different
names, is both the shipper, the carrier
and the consignce. / may lay myself
liable to be called calamity hOwlcr,
but is there anything to indicate that
this march of concentration of the
wealth and business Of this country
which has been going on with an ever
increasing speed in this country, dur
ing the last year will ever be abated?
II there is, let those who sec it point
it out.
We arc told that it is silly to discuss
these questions, because patriotism
is going to solve every problem and
bring us social tranquility and pros
perity. [ am not prepared to say
what patriotism may do or has done
for any people. / do not believe that
this country is going to ruin, but
when it is prevented from doing SO, it
is not by patriotism, but by the busi-
ness sense OF the common people, guild
ed by sense Of right and justice. The
one who sits down in his chair, puts
his feet on the table and waits for pa
triotism to right wrong, will have to
wait long while. Those who can't
mcst about patriotism, generally ncv-<
er show this sentiment in any other
manner than by shooting off fire
crackers on the Fourth Of July, and by
marching on the streets blowing on
tin horns. The term patriotism has
become stale and obnoxious. Patriot |
ism is the watchword Of the lobbyist
and the ward heeler and when | hear
the people canting about patriotism.
it reminds me Of the old saying that
no one is SO Indicative Of his honor as
he who has none In all nv exneri-