The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1897-01-16

subjected to such inspection as win en-
able you to provide intelligently for thei
needs Economy In Their hn ma ma ences
sity for reducing the cost OF maintenance
IL possible, was never more keeniy lei
than at the present time. In making ap
penses Of the institutions II ~ hoped tht
legislature viii not be less mindful OF tn,
conditions that render appropriations r nee ad
ditlonal dollar appropriated puts on tht
resources Of the taxpayer. j am very
| strongly Of the opinion that supplies fol-
the various Institutions should be bought
| OF Michigan producers. Considerable sums
| of money are annually expended for beei
| and other supplies that come to our institu-
lions from other states, while the farm
| ers of our own state. who are taxed Tor
the support of the institutions. are com
| PEELED 10 so away from home to ma O
| market for their cattle ana produce.
am sure you will agree with rne that this
| is wrong, and IL legislation Is necessary
TO prevent 1t. you may be depended on 10
Permit me to direct your special attention
| to the university. This great institution
| should under no circumstances be crippled.
| It's reputation as one OF the great Amerl-
| car universities should be sustained. II
has been endowed by the people and has
| been maintained by them with spirit OF
! pride and often at great Sacriiiee It's
| teachers should be equal to any IN the
world, and they should he men of indepcnd--
| ent thought, ready and willing 20 meet all
| great questions of modern civilization and
advancement with an intelligent and en-
| liGhtened public spirit.
Tho Lobbyist.
cannot refrain from expressing my
views upon the subject OF the professional
lobbyist. At every session of the leEisla-
turc just measures are killed by the enc
mics OF good government and equal rights
and the means used 10 compass their deaf
are the paid lobbyists who infest our halls.
II the members of the legislature are not
intelligent enough to give independent
hnt p-,1f n nd N 81, nj &C.
ures without the aid OF those who wine and
dine and cajole and Halter and bride, at
least some steps should be taken TO modify
the nuisance. l do not propose to formul IL
rules for the government and control of
those whose business IL Is to obstruct leg
islation. All attorneys who practice before
courts and jurieS must be admitted as
members of the bar and are required TO pay
certain fees and observe certain rules. If
the lobbyist, like the poor. must be always
with US 10 aid in thinking and assist us In
acting and furnishing US food and drink,
there should be some method OF enrolment
and fee demanded as a condition prece-
dent to the right TO practice before the peo-
Pies legislative jury. II has como TO my
knowledge that some of these professionals
have secured large retainers from indi-
yduals and corporations who are inter-
osteu in obstructing honest legislation, and
l trust roll will be made of all such in
order that their particular purpose may be
clearly known and understood. 1t unfor-
tCnately happens that in the past al least
a few of the members of both houses have
occupied the dual capacity of legislators
and lobbyists, being paid by the people
small salary to serve in the former capacity
and being hired by the peoples enc
mics at high salaries. to serve in the
other capacity. 1t has been necessary for
these to be enrolled as their real employers
are generally discovered early in the scs-
sion of the legislature. l trust that there
are no such public servants in the present
legislature and that such evil work will not
be felt or recognized.
Public Franchises
The question of granting public franchises
by the state and by municipal authorities,
be granted and operated is one of the
greatest problems with which we have to
deal. A public franchise. when 1t has
n may become Dover rreater than the
sovereign or municipal power 1t may
become an engine of oppression and
granted the whole people surrender to a
few of their number the right to exercise
a public function, and the question which
that right should be reserved to the people
themselves In the way of regulation and
control.
chise owners in cities are going on all over
the United States These combinations and
consultations are for the purpose of keep
ing up tolls. The amount Of wealth that il
being accumulated in the hands of a few
by these favored holders of special priv
ileges Is appalling. These tolls are indirect
regulate the tolls is abandoned by the SOW
ereign or the local power to the franchise
owner, to that extent the right to levy
taxes Is given away. The state or the
municipality appoints an agent for period
Of 30 years, more than the life of genera
ton, and before the term has half expired
the agent becomes the master and the
master becomes the slave
Permit me to. give an example of the
abandonment Of such power: license is
a street railway in a city Of co. 900 people,
and they are permitted to charge i've
cents per passenger for period OF 80 years.
cost OF carrying passenger was four
cents. and the profit was therefore but 20
per cent; upon the money actually In
vested. In ten years the population has
increased to 10000 and the cost of carry
ing the passenger is three cents, and the
profit nrd is 40 per cent Rather more than
turers and farmers. II the original grant
of the license, for that is all the franchise
fares and the municipality had bee gu ABLE
to keep the profit down to 20 per cent,
even the most radical advocate of vested
rights could not complain that the cor
poration was being oppressed 1t should
be very clear, then, that the right to regu-
late fares should always be observed But
the reservation OF this right is not all that
Permit me to give Another illustration:
The amount actually invested in plant is
is mortgaged and bonded for 81, 600, 600 This
could only be done by executing a mort
gage upon the license itself In other
words, the three men who formed the COM
pany and their associates advanced 81, &C.,
900 and Immediately thereafter placed a
mortgage upon the Industry and earnings
of every inhabitant of the city for 80 years
to come to the amount of 81. O00, 600, and then
when the question of regulating the fares
Is brought up the municipal authorities are
met with the bland statement that the
original owners have transferred their
vested rights to innocent purchasers and
In order to pay the bonus Of 81 600, 900 and
the interest upon II for 30 years the COM
pany cannot live II the fare Is reduced
This system Of indirect taxation is going |
on in every city OF the United States and |
hundreds of millions of dollars OF fictitious
values. which must represent some form |
Of human labor, have been created for n
Few by the simple stroke of the pen and |
In order to pay these immense sums trib- |
ute Is laid upon every man, woman and |
child In the country. II simply means that |
these hundreds OF millions OF dollars arc
to be taken from the ordinary channels Of |
legitimate trade to the injury OF every mer- |
camille and manufacturing and farming |
industry In the land, for no one Interest |
can suner without a corresponding injury |
to all Is II not strange that In the nresence
or this insidious but constant process OF /
concentration learned financiers. wise
statesmen and profound political scholars |
wonder why the few become rich and the |
many become poor?
In order to prevent such Accommodations
q law should be passed which will prevent
the execution OF mortgage upon the IL |