The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-09-11
CUSH DAVIS AND THE RAIL-
ROADS.

A friend sends us the following clip
ping from the Moorhead, Minnesota,
Weekly News, and asks us to make
some comments upon it. It refers to
the bill in equity recently filed in the
United States court at St. Paul, by
Thomas w. Pearsall, of New York, to
prevent the cons olidation of the Great
Northern and the Northern Pacific
railroad companies. The Moorhead
News says:
'There is general concurrence of
sentiment throughout the country
served by those two roads that con-
solldation will be inj urious to the peo-
pie. This being the case, how can
Senator Davis justify his conscience
in appearing against them in this
case? He has by his election to the
United States senate been retained in
behalf of the people in all matters
where their interests and rights are
affected or put in jeopardy. 1t is his
duty, under any decent code of morals,
to fight every railroad company that
attempts to encroach upon the rights
Of the people or to gain new powers.
Every United States senator. every
representa- tive in Congress and every
member Of a state Legislature ought
to feel that it is morally wrong for
him to sell his services to any interest
or corporation in any matter in court
or Legislature which would, if carried
out, infringe upon the rights of the
people and to enforce such DISPOSE
tion they should be prohibited by law
from so acting under severe penalties.
Public announcement has been made
of the intention of Senator Davis to
run for the presidency. Is he to be
the candidate Of railway and other
corporations or of the people?
We have been good deal amused at
the lively efforts that are being made
by the Republican papers of Mime
sofa to show that it is of the utmost
Importance that consolidation should
be prevented so as to give the people
the benefit of competition! It re-
minds US Of the order of the Board of
Railroad Commissioners in 1894, before
the election, to cut down rates on the
Great Northern Railroad. Gov. Mel
son was reelected on that issue, and
sent to the United States Senate. We
told the people it was a sham and a
fake, "a good enough Morgan till after
election" but the fools are always in
the majority and so the trick won.
And now stranger, listening to the
hubub, would imagine that all the
railroads in this state were fighting
one another, cutting under each 9TH
er, and all that sort of thing; and that
the only way to perpetuate this happy
state of affairs was to pass laws and
enforce them to prevent competition.
why every ten year old boy knows
that there is no contest, as to the
rates, between railroads in Minnesota,
and never has been since the state
was settled. All the railroads in the
United States are in one grand pool
and Congress has enacted laws which
serve to protect the pool. You can
pass statute books full Of laws, but
different lines of road fixing the same
rates: and nothing can prevent the
same men owning two or more roads.
1t is an axiom among railroad men
that where combination is possible
competition is impossible"
There is only one remedy-that is
the Populist platform-goyernme
ownership Of the roads. Now the
roads are used to make money off the
people, all the traffic will BEAR"
ETC.; then the roads would be used
to save money to the people. There
would be no combinations for the peO-
pie could not combine against them
selves; there would be no competition
between localities, for all would be on
the same level and basis. The pos tai
system illustrates the whole thing
You cannot buy stamps any cheaper
in Minneapolis than you can in Ada
or La Crescent; and that is the only
point wherein the people of Mime
apolis have no advantage over the
people of Ada and La Crescent.
The Silver Knight Washington, D.
c., edited by United States Senator
Stewart, of Nevada, is an excellent
and valuable paper, which we take
pleasure in recommending to our