Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-02-24

road corporation around 1t, and would
people Of this State, and il may 60 from
Kittery to Quoddy Head, that am no
candidate for Speaker of the House e
Nsp 81 the ann Next ao sena an
not to- be and am not now a candidate to
fill the place SO recently vacated by the
lamenaed man from the Second district of
Name Neither am a candidate for. the
Cover norship of the State Of Maine. AMI
theref ore say with free lance that.
Rave Nobody to account for but myself.
l say to you, gentlemen that the people
of this State, not only tonight, not only
in the past three, months and SINCE this
Legislature convened. are demanding a.
embodiment of this general court, rights
which they believe they are entitled to
and which I stand here for the people of
this State without any collar about nv
neck, thank God, to try to have them get
If they CAM If they cannot get them at
this general court ask you to watch ths
next gener al court convenes in this state.
| and you will see whether or not some
thing drops in this State Something did
| in Portlan Il, the other night.
! My brother said that the Legislature OF
this State had granted great privileges to
! the railroads. They have. agree with
remedy it, because the hand that creates
can DESTROY; the same hand that creates
can regula te. We look back here TO the
great things for the railroads, but they
lid great things for other corporations.
The city q Portland is clamoring TO-
paying $3.50 per 1900 feet, that could be
/ obtained f2r SO cents but this general
court which has done so much for the
people of this State said in 1895, before
making. gem rating electricity, gas. or
both, may b., organized under the provi-
sions of the law, etc
Yes but there is a snapper 1t goes OF
and says: 'Rut no corporation organized
hereunder shall have authority without
special act. of the Legislature to make.
in or to any city or town in which an
other corporation, firm or company are
doing business without first obtaining
their consent. What do you call that but
monopoly? That is one Of the privileges
granted to the citizens Of this State.
Now i say. gentlemen. that it is time
in one of Webs ,er'.; celebrated speeches.
when the mariner has drifted for days
and days upon sea that has been over
cast with storm and cloud, and there
comes IA rift in the heavens, it is time to
stop and take our bearings. l say, To-
night, it is time that we should stop and
take our bearings and see where we are
Now it has been said by the learned
| counsel. and that is plural, gentlemen
aan efef 70 w 9%d e o what the Is ra
roads had done in this State. A beautiful
picture was drawn, than which no finer
one can De drawn by any artist III lIliS
State. than that drawn by the learned
counsel who closed the argument on the
other side, as to what the railroads mad
done IN this sate has been ,b the Key
side and they number 10. l ask you to
take - view of the other side of the pie
ture. Turn it to the wall and let me paint
Whose land has been taken through
which these railroads pass? Who has
rail de- nv two
ton of freight and passengers, even II
they went at cents a mile?
l ask YOU who if it is not the ctizens
railroads and helped them in the develop
ment of the State of Maine?. Has il been
all upon one side? Have the railroads
people of the State have helped develop
these railroads. And for that reason they
come here 1900 strong asking you to give
them some of the rights which they be-
lirve they are entitled to, and if from
what has been said here, because there
has no. been any evidence on the other
learned counsel on the other side, you do
not feel that they have any rights, it is
simply for you to say so ana you VIII ma
| the people knocking at these doors two
wears hence, if they do not knock before
that time.
What are we asking for here? I should
been presented here by these 10 learned
gentlemen, that We We're demanding
something that was exocbitant; some
thing that was different from what was
being done in the State, today. But they
admit and the evidence shows it on our
side that, today, anybody may purchase
a railroad ticket of 1000 miles at Genes
to be used simply by the purchaser; If
! can do it and my wife can do it and my
child can do it, and the same is true OF
every family in the State Of Maine. and
| let us suppose that every family in the
State should purchase four or five Of
these railroad tickets of 1000 miles apiece.
If such theory is good it can be put
set up here is that that would ruin the
railroads, yet they admit that the same
thing can be done now. Anybody can
them Yet they say that If such was the
fact it would be the ruination of the rail-
| roads. We only ask if you don't believe
| that we are entitled to tickets payable to
bearer, although ii is a thing that is in
| practice today, in the State of Maine I'M
| til these railroads have brought them
up by a round turn through the conduc-
| tors. then say. give us a railroad ticket
| payable to a man and his family, to the
head of a firm and his employees.
| DO we ask for Il 1k-cent rate? No. We
simply ask that the same rates that are
| in vogue, today, in the State of Maine
with one exception-tlis poor road up
here in Rumford Falls with It's 100000
| watered stock. and the Portland & Roch-
| ester which sells for 21e-
! Mr.. BISBEE of the +. & Il. f.: We sell
them
| Mr. FOSTER: | didn't know that.
should think you could. We ask that IL
man may be allowed to pay the railroad
$40 for d ticket good to bearer or good to
| himself and his family The railroad
would be receiving his money and putting
1t to such uses and purposes they saw
fit, and the man having paid his money
is entitled to the travel until that ticket
is used up. what is there about that that
is inequitable. unjust or illegal?
You neednt trouble yourself about
any constitutional rights here. The
supreme court is the tribunal to decide
whether these rates are equitable, not
this Legislature. For instance, if you
should put it down to l cent a mile and
the railroads should appeal to the SUI
preme court of this State, that court
upon Il hearing is the ultimate and
.mal tribunal to decide whether that
rate is equitable o. just. They are the
tribunal to say whether you have taken
by your action the property of a cor
poration without paying just compen-
sation therefor. You are not that tri-
bunal 1t is for you to say upon all
the evidence in the case whether you