Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-09-02
Mr.. W. W. Williams, of Blue Earth

Mr.. W. w. Williams, of Blue Earth
City Post, addressed and asked him
for an affirmation of the doctrines of
that address and for the remedy he
would apply to correct the evils
growing out of the abuses Mr.. Davis
had set forth so elequently. In reply
Mr.. Davis addressed him as follows:
st. Paul, MINI. June 2, 1893.
w. w. WILLIAMS, ESQ:
Dear Sir-I am in receipt of your
esteemed favor of May 80. My lecture
on Modern Feudalism' does not
profess to touch the question of rem
edy. 1t was written three years ago
before the question had begun 20
receive any political agitation, and
was designed to call attention to the
tendency of the modern corporation
to subordinate the government itself
oily.
Many predictions made in that lee
ture seemed audacious when they
were written, but events have moved
SO rapidly that within three years the
things which to predict seemed ven
turesome have become the stalest
kind of history.
! am satisfied that the great politi-
cal struggle of twenty years to come
will be fought on the question of cor
case, which was decided by the su-
preme court of the United States
years before single rail was laid in
this country, is the really great diff
Guilty in the way of legislative regu-
lat1on of corporations. That decision,
however, merely affected a private
corporation. It does not profess to
touch those bodies which. like rail.
roads, are public in their nature, and
to which certain elements of severe
ignty (such as the power to condemn
property are delegated. Whether
the courts will draw the distinction
Is yet to be seen. NY own idea is that
gle attribute of sovereignty, and that
when the public nature of these insti-
tutions is conceded, the right to con-
troll them follows logically.
l do not think congress has any
power which will effectually remedy
the evils. The power to regulate com
meICe DcuWceA ude uilleIcuG Sldtes
unquestionably gives that body the
right to regulate through freights
but it has no existence in regard to
freights say between Mankato and
Winona.
In regard to the power of the state
the converse of the above paragraph
is true. That is, while the state may
possibly regulate from Mankato te
/ 4 4
from Winona to La Crosse.
My own idea of the practical solu
ton of this question is almost univer'
sal as was the idea of emancipation.
1t is that the federal government
should, under the power of eminent
domain, condemn at least two
the west, keep them in repair just al
the state keeps its wagon roads up
suffer every one who has loconotiv.
regulations only as will insure safety
be struggle to which that regarding
baby play. 1t may be that the rail
road men will be wiser than the slave
holders their prototypes-and wher
4
satisfactory concessions. Yours,
| G. K. DAVIS.
| Now that the spirit of Feudalisn
has become the controlling feature Of
the Republican party, Mr.. Davis, fol
the political power it confers upor
him, acquiesces in the doctrines ant
tendency of this reprehensible featur,
of his party organization. The courts
now send out their ''injunctions hot,
as he predicted and Senator Davi.
acquiesces in this prostitution of the
courts without word Of protest. A:
Senator G. K. Davis asserts, the
party has "debased gifted men to the
capacity of splendid Slaves" and tina
"their pollution of the ermine of tn,
Judge and OF the robe of the Senator
is complete. To which it adds thes,
burning words of truth which apply
with the same force to G. K. Davis a.
to the republican party:
THE permitted robbery of the gov
eminent by the Union Pacific railwa,
combine; the unlawful donation o
vast quantities of the public domain
to corporations. the unnecessary in
crease of the national debt; the cru
SADIE against silver as money metal
the refusal of a ajority of congress
to provide for the expense of the wa
by issuing greenbacks, confirm tn,
strong argument of feudalism by G
K. Davis when he was young ant
chivalric attorney"
| Howard County Fair Attractions.