The Topeka state journal., 1897-11-12
J0BBlNG OUT.
Governor Pingree' Addresses the
18th Century Club
On Results of 10 Years of
Municipal Progress.
THE PEOPLES RIGHTS
Are Being JObbed Out to Spec
ulatOrs He Says.
Only Remedy is Municipal Own
ership Of Utilities.
THE PEOPLES RIGHTS


New York. Nov. 12.-Gov. Hazen
Pingree of Michigan delivered an ad-
dress last night before the Nineteenth
Century club at Sherry's. There was
a very large attendance at the meet
ing, the Sherry ball room being filed
with men and women in evening dress.
President Taylor introduced the
speaker of the evening at $50 o'clock,
and Gov. Pingree at once began to de-
liver his address,, reading from manu-
script.
Gov. Pingree spoke of''The Results of
Ten Years of Municipal Progress"
The governor stated that it was the
duty of every good citizen to take an
/ active interest in the politics of his
municipality, not only to vote, but to
take part actively in caucuSeS and pri-
mary elections. Then reviewing his
connection with the municipal affairs
of Detroit as mayor, during the past
seven years, he told how, under his ad-
mlnlStrauOn, the city had acquired Its
own electrical lighting plant and was
now splendidly illuminated at less than
half the old rate; how gas had been re-
duced at least One-third in price; how
| the toll roads had been made public
thOrOughfares; how the street pave
ments had been wonderfully improved; ;
| how the public STOOL facilities had
been bettered; how the street car ia
cilities had been greatly increased, and
the cost of transportation leSsened so
that now one company sells six tickets
for quarter with transfers, and an
other eight tickets with transfers; how
all street car companies had been COM
PEELED to sell wOrkingmen's tickets at
3 cents during certain hours, and how,
by the starting of an opposition COM
pany, telephone rates had been reduced
more than rs per cent.
Continuing he said:
This period has been to me more
like one of war than peace. 1 was Sc
IectR0 a n
ftuential people. J discovered after
election that the railroads were pay
ing less than their share of taxes. I
said so, and the railroad support i'm
mediately left me. 1 discovered that
the gas companies were charging ex-
hOrbitant rates. I said so, and the
owners of the gas stock turned their
backs on me. I found the bankers
specializing with city funds. 1 de-
nOunced the practice, and they de
nOunced me as unsafe. 1 attacked the
turnpike roads, and their owners call
ed me an anarchist. Every time 1 at
tempted to correct an abuse, I lost a
large and influential class of support
ers. 1 was four times elected mayor,
but in each campaign was made pain
fully aware of the loss of old friends,
although my majOrities crept up from
1900 to more than 10000. When the
influential classes turned their backs
upon me, the common people always
stood by me. You will not be surprised
that I have come to lean upon the
IOunQaJlOn
, upon which good government must
rest.
LAS to a remedy for these evils, my
experience has brought me to the con
clusiOn that the streets of a city belong
to the people and that no mayor or
common council has a right to barter
them away. The remedy against many
of these evils is municipal ownership
and entire abolition of mOnopOlies, or,
if mOnOpOlieS must exist, which depend
upon public favor, their absolute con-
troll and dependence upon the people.
This remedy will not only solve many
municipal problems, but will bring
other agencies of commerce under
proper subsection. We are jObbing out
the sovereign power of the people. to
spectators. My experience is that
those who stand foremost in the syn
agOgue of a Sunday, and are enga ged
the rest of the week in bribing alder
men or getting up stock jObbing
schemes to defraud the widows and or
phans are the most dangerous mem
bers of society.
How long can a government last
which increases constantly the burdens
of the industrial classes, and gives to
those who prey upon the bone and
sineW of the nation 2Here in New York
l fear that my remarks will not be well
received, but 1 hope and believe that
self government by the people and for
the people has not reached that stage
which all men who love liberty hope it
will eventually reach.
1T is the duty of the government to
protect the weak against the strong,
the poor against the selffshness of
wealth I say right here that until the
Republican party comes out as
champion of the average man and his
welfare, and unless it ceases to cater
to syndicates, trusts and monopolies, it
will be buried in oblivion. We must
begin by advocating municipal own
ership of natural mOnOpOlieS and take
away from them the item OF profit and
relieve the wage Garner to that ex-
tent"