The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-10-05
EAD SHOT REMEDY CO., Boston Block Minneapolis, Minnesota

tion) should be permitted, thus placing
a double tax upon a patient and op-
pressed people. In other countries the
postof1ce has parcels delivery branch,
which collects and delivers by wagon
parcels at residences like other mai
matter. Up to one, and in some coun-
tries 16 pounds, and at II cent to l cent
per pound, small fraction of express
charges in this country. In Austria
and Germany more than $1OO,OOO,OO of
good are annually sent by the parcels
post. In these matters the United
States Is back number. The corpora
tions dwarf us. AS long as the express
business remains for private emolument,
ror for public convenience, it should be
noted that the rates charged by the
postofice department abroad show that
there is large margin for reduction
of rates under public control here.
MAIL CHARGES.
In no particular are railroad rates
more exorbitant than those charged for
the carriage of United States mails, 8
cents per pound for an average distance
of 44O miles, with further charge Of
200 per cent per year on their cost for
rental of postal cars, while the charge
to express companies is Y cent per
pound or less. This is Of interest to
the public, as it is the sole cause Of
deficit in the postal revenue, and there
by defeats a reduction of letter postage
to one cent and further reduction on
other matter. In fact, railway rates to
the postof1ce are often SO per cent high
er thanthe charge for freight by wagon.
This, however, should he remedied by
congress, which has full knowledge OF
the facts, and hardly comes within your
Jurisdiction. The corrective power OF
public opinion may effect something.
THE MATTER OF VALUATION.
Most of your boards, if not all, are
charged with the valuation of railroad,
express and telegraph and telephone
property for taxation. This is a gov
ernment function and it has been decid-
ed by the United States supreme court
In Kentucky. Railroad Tax Cases Is
N. s., already cited that the action Of
such boards is due process of law and
final. But there are federal judges who
have issued their injunctions notwith-
standing; esteeming their own opinion
of the value of such property superior
to that of the boards authorized by law.
In North Carolina the railroads are tax
ing the public rates high enough to pay
four per cent net above taxes and all
other expenditures, upon $4,000, 900,
but when the board appointed by law
for the purpose of assessing their prop
erty and franchise at $42 100000 (about
one-third the value) those corporations
which were owned by non-residents
promptly secured an Injunction from a
federal judge. I do not know whether
such fragrant cases occur elsewhere,
but the result in that state has been
universal indignation, except among
the newspapers and other agencies In
corporation pay. Such action gives an
impetus to the growing demand for the
election CT federal judges by the people
and for term Of years instead of the
present unrepublican life tenure under
which they are neither responsible to
public opinion nor anything else, and
hold their will superior to that of the
law. The acts of state legislature are
apparently held in sovereign contempt.
THE BIAS OF TRAINING"
In saying this wish to be understood
as casting no reflection on my brethren
of the federal bench as a body. Among
them are some of the ablest and purest
men and best lawyers in the republic.
But unlimited power without RESPONSE
bility, such as is conferred by life ten
ure, with certainty of no liability to
impeachment by busy congress, is too
great temptation for most men-and
when, as now, the federal bench is
largely recruited from those whose lives
at the bar have been spent as railroad
attorneys, and who know that they owe
their promotion to the influence Of the
great corporations who have formerly
employed them, it is net strange that
some of these judges should yield to
the bias of their training.
THE CARDINAL MISTAKE.
The cardinal mistake is in assuming
that railroads are chartered for a priv
ate purpose-the emolument of their
managers. They are chartered for pub
lie purposes, the convenience and serv-
ice of the public. the profit of the man
ayers being only incidental to procure
the service. When railroads were own
ed by the original subscribers to the
capital stock living along their lines,
and the counties and cities which were
large stockholders, public opinion exer-
cised through the annual election Of the
officers was sufficient public control.