The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-05-06

against said company, and another
ex-rallrOa6 attorney, serving as judge
of the highest tribunal of the land,
sustained this decision and since then
the prosecutions Of railroad companies
for violations of law have been little
more than a farce.
But these commissioners want to
make show of earning their salaries,
and the railroad monopoly and the
old parties supporting them want to
make it appear just before election
that government contrOP' is not al
together failure, so an accommodate
ing ex-railroad attorney, serving as
judge of the supreme court, has hand
ed down an opinion on the "long and
short hauP' clause of the law that at
first glance seems to be more in favor
Of small shippers, particularly farm
erS.
Commenting on this decision, Chas.
A. Pillsbury, manager of mills in Min
neapolis that produce one-fifteenth of
the flour made in the United States,iS
reported as saying:
"No matter what the decision of
the courts may be, railroad companies
have it in their power and it is to
their interest to ignore the law rela
tive to long and short haul. If they
don't dodge it one way, they will an
other.
Il can deliver barrel of flour from
my mills to Philadelphia or in France
for so cents. and that is what would
have to pay to have it delivered at my
residence, only two miles away"
That is the whole policy OF plutoc.
racy in nutshell.
The Pullmans and the Pillsburys,
the railroad monopoly and every other
monopoly, "have it in their power and
it is to their interest" to run their
business to suit themselves, and our
laws are such that they can snap
their fingers at their employees or the
any other power on earth that may
object.
And though they may not express it
in words, their acts virtually and
insolently ask the question, What
are you mudsill people going to do
about it?,.'
In brief, we predict that this long
suffering and monopoly ridden people
will pay the extortionate demands
and submit to the tyranny of pluto
cratic railroad combines but little
longer before they will arise in their
might and wipe from our statute
books every vestige Of law authorizing
the existence OF railroad corporations,
and in its stead will write in bold let
ters which cannot be erased:
"Government ownership OF rail-
roads,"
Supreme court justices may con-
tinue for time to Smirch their judi
cial ermine through unjust decisions;
railroad corporations may brag and
buster and mock at the law of their
own making; the old parties may
hedge and dodge the issue before eIec-
tion, anc prate about fanaticiSm and
socialism after election; Populist
''leaders" may seek to exclude the de-
mand from the great popular plat
form" they are going to get up Gf)-
but it's bound to come, and that right
speedily:
Government ownership of railroads!
No truer statement is contained in
that grand document put forth at
Omaha four years ago-which all true
Populists swear by and all monopolists
and platform trimmers swear at
than this:
"We believe the time has come
when the railroad corporations will
either own the people or the people
must own the railroads.
When the question is settled, there
will be but this one result:
Government ow nership of railroads!
And that is what the people are 60
ing to do about it.-Clark Erwin in
Chicago Express.