The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-02-22
A VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS

MS country, and 1t is evident that in our
own midst we have large element Of
wealthy and influential men who seem
to be moving in concert, by all manner
of subtitle coul ses, for the overthrow of
republican institutions. 1t is, there
fore, a cheering and encouraging thing
to find the attorney general of the great
state of Ohio raising voice Of warn
ing against the aggressions Of corpora
lions and pointing his hearers backward
to the principles Of Jefferson and Jack
son. 1t indicates that there may be a
reserve force in the body polite that
will be able to save republican institu-
tions; and that God will not permit the
triumph of the sordid and brutal element
which now seems so triumphant. We
quote the following report of the attor-
ney generals speech:
COLUMBUS, O., Feb. 16.-Attorney Gen.
eral Monnett was the orator at the laying
Of the corner stone of the state CAPT.
tol today, and in his address devoted con-
siderable time to corporations. He said in
part:
In our constitution of 1851 we made a de-
parture from the constitution of 1902 by
delegating the power, with certain const1-
tutional limitations, to the legislature to
enact general laws creating corporations.
This was an innovation that so years of
experience in this and other states is yet
an experiment. There are Titanic tasks to
be performed. for which the human arm Ia
not long enough and mans life not endur-
ing enough. His mind is not powerful
enough to carry on the great work Of a
tiyor {nl willy oy1l nth tny
prses, and therefore we felt justified in
creating these fictitious entities called cor
porations.
We have loaned to them some Of the
functions Of the government; we have given
them the right to take private property for
public purposes; we have permitted them
to usurp our franchises in the highways, in
the rivers and over the bridges; We have
permitted them, for public purposes, to
string wires across the country. The benefi-
cent results from this modern system Of
developing our country and embell1shing our
cities has been, on every hand, applauded.
and yet, on the other hand, many of the
guardians OF the great sacred trust, these
agents Of the governmental functions be-
queathed to them. have too often forgotten
that these potent functions Of government
so loaned to them, If used, must be justly
and fairly and legally exercised. If they
have governmental functions granted to
them by a state, they must exercise them
for the public and the general welfare Of
the states the same as the sovereign itself
would use them.
For many purposes the income of these
corporations is but another name for taxa
ton. To the extent that they represent
the government, to that extent is their in
come an excise tax. They can no more
discriminate against one citizen as against
another than the state could impose its
taxes upon one to the exemption of another.
If they exercise the right of eminent do
main. they must also subject themselves to
the principles Of a common carrier. If they
occupy our streets they must be amenable
to the rules and regulations Of the municip-
atty wherein they exist.
If they run their pipe lines across private
property, all parties desiring to avail them
selves of this public carrier must be afforded
equal opportunities; or, in word to make
myself understood: this judiciary building
that We erect today, in the near future will
be called upon to dispense justice, to right
wrongs, to reinstate the liberties Of the in
dividual citizen as against the usurped
powers and rights Of certain monopolies 1t
is just as tyrannical and offensive for one of
the governmental creatures having govern
mental powers delegated TO it for public
purposes to suppress public sentiment and
subvert truth to mislead the populace, as it
would be for the governor Of this state, or
the president Of the United States, to issue
an edict from the executive chamber that
only certain matter could be published in
the morning dailies, and that favorable to
some unholy policy or nefarious scheme.
1t is as much a violation Of the bill of
rights that our forefathers demanded be
preserved unto them and their posterity.
to permit special franchises and special
immunities, and these public franchises to
be perpetually granted as 1t would be if
the government itself would repeat the
deeds Of Queen Elizabeth in the palmy days
of English monarchs, wherein She granted
fo how favorit nc the OK Ciya prjyi1apa
to deal in coal, iron, salt tin and sulphur.
that she and her sycophants might exact
from her subjects at their pleasure an un-
natural profit.
We need but leaf back the pages Of his
tory a few centuries and see what our
fathers meant when they demanded and
exacted that special privileges should be
granted to none; for we are told that the
English monarchs not only granted to pat
entees these franchises to deal exclusively
in such commodities but clothed them with
the high and arbitrary powers by which
they could exterminate all competitors, op-
press the people as they thought proper in
the nature of a penalty visited upon all
that inter fered with their patent.
1t will be observed that privileges Of this
character were created not by combina-
lions of individuals of companies but
by royal grants, authorized from the SOW
ereisn state to exercise these diaboiical
functions.
ship Of our state to this great sisterhood
of states. and while 1t may be true and is
an accomplished fact that we have granted
and coded certain rights and powers to q
common and central government to form
our great and glorious nation, yet we
should also be mindful that the state is
sovereign and that she has reserved MANY
valuable rights and powers unto herself:
that however pleasant aluring and almost
enchanting may be the halo of war and
the clangor Of arms and the cry of national
greatness, and the longing for new fields
to conquer, must also remember that
the great body Of our citizens must remain
al home and pursue The even tenor of their
ways and perform the plain duties devolv-
ing upon the father or mother or dutiful
son. The shop, the mine and the farm
and the household gods of our hearthstone
cannot be abandoned for military and
naval glory; we must be mindful of each
However much we love our nation and
when duty calls, yield to her commands
at most these periods are but for a mo-
ment. The development of our minds and
morals and physical comforts in our homes
and in our shops are perennial and forever
whether We will or not.
Therefore, my countrymen. on this mem
orable occasion along with our rejoicing in
the glorious victories abroad, let us also
turn our attentions to the serous prob
lens that affect our homes, affect our
property and affect our liberties to deter
mine in a legal. constitutional and peaca-
full way the destiny of the citizen at home
Shall we forget the precepts examples
the sacrifices and blood spilled upon this
soil for the Inheritance that we have en-
tered into and are today enjoying? Patrf-
otism was not alone confined to fighting a