Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-02-24
THURSDAYS HEARING.
(Continued from page So
n the discussion of this case, but IT was

practicing at the bar to discuss case y
upon their merits and upon the ev ~ anS
introduced on the part of the pla1ntlI d't
the defendant, but If we were 70 DISCUSS
this case on the evidence introduced mere
upon the part of these raiiroads rep.s,
sented by 10 of the mos eminent counsei
I'm this State, employed by these RAILROADS,
|if l had been presenting case iike tnat
to the court / should say ! think TIE
plaintiff is entitled to verdict. Sehtle-
men, because the defendant has intro
I will come to the evidence that has
been introduced very soon, OF me Lla r.. lo ..
and who is president OF this great cor,
poration. the Maine Central Railroad, AMI
/ treat him with due respect as | did ~
ment, let us see what this is, what Is ts'e
cause of this. wha is the cause Of th;3
immense audience. here, tonight? It
is the age of progress, and 10 man shall
vie with me when stand before this au-
gust tribunal. as you are constituted by
the highest court of this State: the ger
me in maintaining the rights and obliga.
tions which are due to the railroads If
this STATE but there are Two ,h sides TO
have been before: will do the be-. |
can to show you that this picture has wo
sides to it. AS have said. this was the age
of progress. Go back with me moment,
gentlemen; there was the old sailing YES
sci, when it took three or four weeks TO
go from here to England, that had to give
way to the steam vessel which ploWs the
ocean and plows 1t, today; the progress
of nations and the progress of the CEN
fury demanded the change.
What next? There was the old stage
coach that / can remember before the
Grand Trunk Railroad came to my home
in 1851 there was the old fashioned stage
coach that took you two days TO 80 ito n
give way to the progress of the times ana
of the century. and the steam railroad
came there and it usurped she old ldeas
there was time, you will remember,
some Of you, when you had to pay to
10 cents postage upon your letters that
you wrote. The progress of the times ana
the demands of the Deon.e of tins great
nation said that there will be more rev.
enue come to this government If you re-
duce your pos age to cents, ana can
remember when we had to pay cents
upon our ctters. The progress of the
country af rward demands and the peo-
pie demanded through their representa-
tives That il be cut down to the present
rate of cents. and more revenue is re
ceived, today, and ! stand here without
fear of contradiction, with that 2-ceht
greater revenue than was ever receivH't
in this broad republic before. Now again
this country, the telegraph came so hat
we can talk thousands If miles in mo
ment; it was and it must pc by the pros-,
ress of the nations. The people demanded
first invented. Then came the telephone,
and these have all come, gentlemen, with
the progress of civilization, and the peo-
pie IA great many Of whom i see here. %
night. will say that Wat am saying
they remember to be true and remember
to be facts.
/ am not speaking from ancient history.
And there are other facts that | might
alludc to. And ! see here Developments
in this hearing. and developments that
have come up IN the progress of The run.
Maine, which demand Still further prog
ress that while the railroads of our State
have developed 1t, and ! say that am not
second to any man in giving due credit .
our country, there is another side to this
picture The railroads of this country,
gentlemen, have neen grani"d prlvileges
by the people OF this country.. and those
privileges and rights are reciprocal
They are not private corp4rat!o1s with
private rights solely. as | shall show TO
this land. While they have been granted
great immunities and the right to take
your private property without your con
sent. ANA unon which they must pay due
consideration, they owe a duty equally
great 10 the citizens, not only of tn $
county but of this State. The high court
State. has granted them privileges. and in
return privileges are reserved to the peo-
Pile of this State. What are they? They
are allowed to regulate the maximum
rate of tolls or fares upon the railroads
of this state, and ii isn't unconstitutional,
and | stand here without fear of CONTRA
dIction and assert TT ,h,a fact; | have have
nal; such is declared to be the law
And not only this State but for the
whole United States. wherever this ques-
ton arises and where the interstate COM
merce has nothing to do with the ques-
ton. And while the railroads of this
State have done so much, and upon which
beautiful eulogy was pronounced by
eminent brother in the closing OF this
case for the respondents, l will tell you
something; that while | agree with him
If the people of this Stat. haven't give
up some rights to railroads.
Go back and remember the time, if you
can. before the railroads came into this
state What did You receive then for
your corn? One dollar a bushel. What
did you receive for your potatoes? Fifty
cents bushcl. | remember within my
own memory when You raiSed your own
pork, your own oats, your own corn. Bu.
with the progress of the time, today the
railroads have brought the great ana
growing West to compete with the State
of Maine, and. today, the State of Maine
receives its potatoes from Michigan 20 a
great extent: they receive their apples
from the West. and the beans which you
eat on Sunday morning come from Cali
fornia. Thc oats come from the West and
the lumber comes from Michigan. 1t is
the railroads that have brought this com
petition to the laboring man of this State
and to the man who Is Obliged, today, 10
raise ms IlldlptS lOT - cents II he cannot
get any more. He raises his corn for ;5
cents instead Of 81 he raises his pork for
5 cents instead of Is cents: he raises his
beef at such Il price that he cannot make
il pay, all because he has to compete
with the West The farmer. the merchant
and the laborng man have been brought
one of the admirable privileges that the
railroad has given to the State of Maine
Now | say, gentlemen, who Is 1t thai
pays the taxes in the states Of Maine? II
is these men who have been brought int
competition with the West 1t is tht
great farming community in this State
1t is the men who have petitioned here
13.000 strong. asking you to give then
equal Fights With these corporation,
which have been incorporated by tn
general court. They Simply ask tina
their rights may be protected and that
while this railroad has brought these mel
in competition With the great West an
with all these things | have spoken of
they have to compete with the West il
everything they raise, and almost every
thing they eat and drink-and yet they
say on the other side that the railroa i,
only have the right to regulate our fares
and demand, of us the Drawn and thu
muscle Of the State OF Maine, the me-
who made the. railroads and the met
who support the railroads by travelling
upon them. We have "A right to dem.,n al
OF them enough to pay dividends on uui
STOCK although II may have been Naieret
from 100000 to slo00,0oo
Now. gentlemen, nave had som, ex
perlehce. as a railroad LAWYER but
maven mad one-half or one tenth of tn,