The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-02-17

] n
whichsthe company did its dirty work
/ This circular" he said. was written In
| the office of the street-car company by an
| employe OF the street-car company, and Is
one OF the means of the company OF divert
/ ing the minds of the people from the real
issue, which Is simply whether the city or
/ the company will own and control the
streets of the city L see the earmarks Of
/ the company all over IL. / have no doubt IL
was printed ar the expense OF the COM
| pany. IL the men whose names are signed
| TO this do not know any better they are 10
! be pitied: if they do know better-well
| other organization
/. S. Gordon was introduced by the chair
man. He spoke briefly OF the fact that on
/ many improved streets the pavement in
cludes the street-car track. and that the
| citizens owning the abutting property have
pTovement between the tracks. but for an
extra ballast under the tracks. other
railroad corporations. he said. buy their
rlght OF way and grade and build their own
| tracks, and j cannot see where is any JUS
t1ce i'm this company coming in here and
getting the streets for nothing and then
compelling the people OF the city 10 ballast
their tracks. This would not be tolerated
any place else. In front of my place OF
business is street-car track that was bal
lasted at the expense of the property own
ers two years ago. and since that time
| track"
BOARD OF TRADE RESOLUTIONS.
Mr.. Gordon then offered a resolution.
the legislative committee of the Board OF
| Trade. He first explained that the Board
OF Trade is not political or factional or
ganization, but represents the business OF
| the city, and that all matters were consio-
| cred from a purely unselfsh standpoint
looking solely TO the interests of the city
as v Mole. The resolution indorses Senate
bill No 81 and House bill No. AS. which are
ioenticai; and are the bills over which the
| night Is being made. The resolution was
adopted b. unanimous vote, and is as fol-
Whereas. The complicated conditions and
grave questions now existing between the
city OF Indianapolis and the Citizens
otreet-rdllroad Company, involving the oc-
| cupancy of our streets and rights OF the
city TO dispose OF her privileges by fran
chise or otherwise. with the open and UNI
settled question as TO the termination OF
| the charter of the Citizens Company are
questions that have long been in contro-
| versy and closely affect the growth. pros
| perity and We'll being of our city
Whereas. 1t is conceded by all and be-
yond dispute that the only power which
can AFFORD relief to the city of Indianap-
| Oils restore her rights and again place her
| IN possession of her streets and highways
| spirit of fairness TO all is vested i'm the Gem
| efal Assembly. Therefore. be il
RESOLVED. That 1t is the sense of this
committee, speaking for itself that Senate
bill No. 81 or House bill No. 49, relating TO
the regulation of street car companies in
| passed without delay and this COMMITTEES
earnestly urges the Legislature to take i'm
mediate action on these measures and pass
either Senate or House bill at the earliest
possible moment.
MIR. RAPPAPORTS REMARKS.
Philip Rappaport was the last speaker.
| He was cheered many times for his witty
remarks, especially for his play on the
words of Shakespeare. His remarks i'm full
| follow:
Il am ashamed of the conditions which
make II necessary that L and others have
to stand here. speaking for the rights OF
TINS community against a corporation
which owes everything that it is and has
to the good will OF this community and
which draws every cent of its income from
this community. i am ashamed and feel
II as a humiliation that ii became necessary
10 call this meeting, because We have ac-
tual cause TO fear that the lawmakers OF
| this State Will support the street-railroad
company against the citizens OF this COM
munity.
Il feel ashamed because there are even
citizens OF this COMMUNITY who owe their
name and fame and influence TO the sup
| port and good will OF the citizens and now
| use their name and fame and influence
| against the interests OF their fellow-ctizens.
| not deem it necessary TO go into the details
| of the bill before the Legislature. do
| not deem IL necessary because there are
| no equities. none whatever. on the side. OF
the street-railroad company.
This company entered into a contract
with the city. Shylockwise IL stood upon
the contract when il found that IL was in
its interests to do so. 1t fought against
that contract and is fighting against it
now, because the city intends TO stand upon
il and guard her interests. The company
had franchise for a definite period. At
every step which the company took. at the
outlay of every cent, ii knew when the
| franchise would terminate and knew that
| every minute Of time after that its occupa-
| ton of our streets would be unlawful. IL
anybody acts with full knowledge of the
consequences, he cannot complain of the
| actual coming of these consequences But
haG w A
cided that thirty years contract is not a
| thirty years contract. i have nothing TO
| say against the Judge. especially nothing
| against his integrity. 1 cannot understand
| his decision, but Brutus-I beg your pardon.
l mean the judge, is an honorable man.
was taught in school that thirty means
| three times ten. The judge says il means
perpetuity. but the Judge Is an honorable
| man. ~
The Constitution of the State of Indiana
! forbids the passage OF laws impairing the
obligations of a contract United States
judge, however. seems to stand higher than
| the Constitution of Indiana He changes
| contract for thirty years into a contract
| for period that has the rubber-like quality
or indefinite extension, but the judge Is an
honorable man..
Il have been out of the law practice for
| fifteen years and my law-mind has turned
into a lay mind, my law sense has turned
| into common sense. This Is probably the
WHY en MADE %y o
| thirty years is really a contract forever.
Perhaps L could IL ] were Judge BE that.
/ however. as IL may. all We really ask
| of the Legislature Is, that IL set down the
arithmetic rule that three times ten is
thirty AMI not figure with a tail of ciphers
| OF indefinite length For a Legislature
which has established the quadrature of the
circle this problem should not present par
| ticularly great difficulties
But seriously, IL Is my impression that
we actuated by the fear of corruption
| and dishonesty, and i'm this age OF cor
| poration-ridden communities. seeing every
where the subtle hands and influences OF
| corporations. such fear is well justified al
| though / hope that IL may prove groundless
| i'm this particular case Let IL be said that
| the citizens of indianapolis stand upon their
| right TO manage the affairs of their city
| themselves that they intend to be fair and
| reasonable and just towards everybody,
! even towards the street-railroad company.
but also toward their own city and toward
| themselves. And let il be understood that
| their cause is so thoroughly just that no
| man who does not willfully close his eyes
can fail TO the business OF our cause,
wherefore he who finds the deplorable cOur-
age to stand up against our demands. to
| deny us justice and dwarf the ends of COM
| munal self-government he who is ready 10
hand Us over TO a corporation stained with
fraud. corporation which has cheated
| thousands with it's watered and diluted
| stock n corporation which deserves not the
| shadow of sympathy, will be tattooed for
ever"