The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-12
Tammany's War on the Man.
haitian Elevated Road,
TAXING OF FRANCHISES
Great Issue Is Taking Form in New
9ork-Democrecy Leads the Fight
for the Basic Principle OF
Free Government

against corporations.
The Manhattan Elevated railway,
owned and controlled by George Gould
and Russell Sage, has been ordered
| from Battery park, which it occupies, in
violation of the law The contest is
made doubling interesting by the unan-
unity with which the press has gone to
the defense of the corporation, simply
because Tammany Is making the fight
for the people.
Out of the discussion has grown a
demand for the taxing of franchises
and "a great issue is taking form.
1t is an issue which, in time, will Gre
! ate a political revolution in every city
in the republic. 1t is of interest to cities
dence has insulted the public with
propositions for the operation of freight
| trains on the street railways.
| No discussion Is of deep concern 10
the people unless based upon funda-
mental principle. No conflict is vital to
the interests of a community unless it
have, upon one side or the other, sin
| cere desire to establish or defend
right
| In this battle between the people and
rapacious corporations is involved the
| basic principle Of free government. the
right of the people to govern their
highways, protect the interests of the
many as against the desires of the few,
| and retain control Of the arteries
through which flows the commercial
| lifeblood of the municipality
The question. Should a franchise be
| taxed?' is best answered by the ques-
| ton:
Should "a corporation be taxed upon
| it's most valuable possessions?
Call upon the special pleader to an
swer that question and you force him'
| to meet the issue.
Compare the rolling stock, the sta
ton houses, the rails and machinery of
railroad corporation with it's fran
| chise and what do you find?
| On the one hand, temporary wealth,
on the other, permanent wealth. Here,
| destructfble. there. indestructible prop
erty. On one side collection of inn
| PIGMENTS, on the other, the everlasting
| soil upon which the implements may be
used. Nor do l mean that we must con-
slider the mere strip Of land occupied by
| the road, for that strip represents the
| value of every foot of soil within the
| limits of the community.
| Every man, every woman and every
child in the city contributes to the
value of the streets.
Every stroke of industry and enter
prise, every thought and impulse which
adds to the community's strength, adds
| to the value of the franchise.
| Every railroad corporation especially
within the confines of great cities,
should pay tax upon its franchise.
No matter whether the corporation be
a railroad or any other class of organi-
cation, it should not be given that
which the labor of all the people makes
valuable, without adequate compensa-
| ton in return.
Not only should we appeal for just
| legislation affecting street railroads.
| but we should see to it that those who
are accommodating great fortunes by
| supplying the people with light should
be compelled to deal fairly with the
| public.
| The people should be protected
| against the attempts of the railway
corporations to transform Amsterdam
| avenue into an avenue of death; they
should not be compelled to labor early
and late, year in and year out, to en-
rich men who accumulate vast fortunes
! from the possession of the streets They
should not be robbed by gas companies
which are paying divldends on millions
| of watered stock which represent moth
! ing save the value of the franchise
| which they possess.
Why should not the people of New
York have 80 cent gas?
| Will some corporation attorney an
| swer that question?
1t is all very well for the corporations
to come to the people with requests for
| rights to occupy the streets or tunnel
| the rivers, but the people must be dull
| indeed if they do not stand upon their
rights and demand just compensation.
Say to the railway company: THE
1T. II
| session of it. we must have a guarantee
that you VIII bear your full share of
the burdens of government
| Tammany says to the gas company:
| You desire certain privileges which we
! and we alone have the power to grant.
| Tunnel the river if you desire, but be-
| fore you take possession of the neces-
sary franchise enter into contract to
| give the people 80 cent gas
Speaking about the defiance and in
science of corporations. what spec
! tacle is presented in this great city.
| We find corporation holding a per-
petual franchise of the streets having
the legal right for all time to occupy
the public thoroughfares with insight
| ly structures, having absolute possess
| sion of privilege, the value of which
is almost beyond computation, defiant
| ly resisting the citys demand for I'M
| obstruction parks, cleanliness and COM
| mon comfort.
| Think of it. The Manhattan Elevated
has a perpetual privilege to disfigure
| and obstruct the streets of New York
a right the value Of which must in
| crease with every year of the city's
| growth. a concession which during one
genera ton represents more in money
| than the most fabulous fortunes of an
Client times. yet it brazenly denounces
as unjust an order compelling it to
loosen its grip upon one of the city's
historic parks, for the use of which it
pays not one cent into the public treas
| ury,
At least once a year for a decade 1t
has solemnly promised improvement
only to violate its pledges and crush
the hopes of its patrons
1t has allayed Indignation by promis-
ing the abatement OF notorious ntlis-
ances, only to play upon the credulity
OF the public and make the nuisances
more obnoxious
1aI rrt,