Willmar tribune., 1899-07-12

zeal With, ana therefore recommended
the remedying of only the most glar-
ing injustices. There was provision
for reducing rates. There was none
for compelling the railroads to bear
their just share Of taxation. He asked
for what he in reason could expect to
get That the republicans we're un-
willing to give even this was natural;
that they should have dared to refuse
it was unexpected.
But when a legislature shall have
been elected to represent the peoples
interests, there are many things in the
law creating the railroad commission
that ought to be changed, or an entirely
new measure substituted. The com
mission ought to have the power to
establish rates for all roads, and en-
force them. The present system is
slow, cum bersome and costly for the
complainant.
The following from the testimony of
Hon. M. L. Lockwood, of Pennsylva
MIA, given before the interstate COM
mission at Washington, gives in sue
cinct form the remedies that can be
applied when the reform forces get
control:
the people, away from the corporations,
make them public property, let the govern
ment own and run them, make them what
they should be, public highways for the
people, over which every man can 60 to
market just as cheap as any other man. Do
this, and these great trust monopolies that
now oppress US will lose their power for
which will arise upon every hand. Make
these highways highways indeed. Declare
to every man that no Standard Oil Company,
that no sugar trust, no meat combine, no
coal combine, shall have any advantage
that is not open to the poorest man in the
pie over the highways Of the republic. When
you have done this, the people will do the
rest.
"Re-establish the equality of our people
over the railways of our country, and there
will be no more coal miners strikes, sol
diers and deputies will not be called upon to
shoot down American citizens like dogs in
order to drive them back into subserviency
to the will Of the coal barons, for then the
coal miner can 60 to market with his car of
coal just as cheaply as the biggest coal COM
bine in the land. Men do not strike only as
a last resort.
"Re-establish the equality of our people
and then the coal miners, when they becume
dissatisfied for any reason, instead Of st,'ik-
ing for their rights, can get together, form
a little coal company of their own, 90 over
and lease McCoomes or McI.oughlan's
farm and open up coal mine Of their own,
and ship the coal, the product of their own
labor, upon even terms with the largest coal
combines of the land
Mr.. Chairman, how could these great,
extravagantly- managed and over-capital
lied coal combinations stand that kind of
competition? They could not stand it at all;
it would be mighty hard on these big coal
combinations, but it would be justice and
wise national policy. With absolute equality
over the railways of the country so that
every butcher could ship a car of cattle Just
as cheap as the Big Four Beef Combine, the
Big Four Beef Combine could not hold a
monopoly of the meat business Of America
twenty-four hours. To-day, under govern
ment management, the letter Of an oil pro-
ducer miner or butcher goes to it's des-
tination with the same speed at the same
cost, and with the same precision as Ghe lct-
ter of an Armour or a Rockefeller. Send
their oil, their coal, their meat to market
upon the same terms OF equality, and these
great trust combinations will soon be getting
rid of their $4,000 year lawyers and their
S25, 900 year managers, upon the PROPOSE
tion that their business will not stand such
high priced men. And these managers will
soon be engaged in building up business,
a property, a proprietorship of their own,
and these lawyers will soon be engaged in a
better business than that Of advising their
principals just how far they can 60 without
hoh nd no hop
"How can these railways be taken away
from these corporations? It is easy. The
public welfare demands it, Under the emf
nent domain of the state the power exists to
condemn these railway properties for the
public welfare. Pay these corporations for
this transaction let US be careful that 10 in
justice is done either to the people or to the
stockholders of these railways. But some
one says, How could the government pay
the interest upon the enormous public debt
which this purchase would create?' The
people, who are the government, are paying
it to-day. These corporations are taxing
the people by exorbitant freight rates to pay
the interest on all the bonded debt of these
roads, dividends on much watered stock, and
in addition hundreds Of millions annually
for the benefit of these trusts monopolies
and favored shippers.
"Under government ownership the people
are only changing the managers of their
highways, for these railways are the peo-
pies highways, and one of the greatest
jurists that this land ever produced has said
that a public highway cannot be private
property And the people have the right
to control their highways and maintain
them on the principles of equality.'
But until that time comes we must
be content with what scraps we can
obtain. The republicans, however,
can not consistently blame the gov
ernor for not asking for more when he
didn't even get what little he asked for.
4 AS a campaign document his mes
sage would undoubtedly have been
more forcible if it had contained a