Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1901-12-27
TURNER'S ADVICE.
A LONG LETTER ON THE RAIL-
ROAD COMBINATION.

i hNEh y Adv lCE.
A LONG LETTER ON THE RAIL
ROAD COMBINATION.
Advises Extra Legislation Law
to Bar All Transcontinental Lines From Do.
ing Business in the State Until Combination
is Broken.
UNITED STATES SENATE.(
WASHINGTON. ID. c., Dec. 2, 19Ol.}
Hon. JOHN R. ROGERS.
OLYMPIA, Wash.
My Dear Governor:
l regret that my absence from this
city has prevented my sooner giving
attention to your telegram inviting an
expression concerning the best course
to pursue in view of the consolidation
between the trans-continental railroads
serving our State and the Pacific
northwest, which has been accomp-
lished by means of the formation Of
the Northern Securities company, and
the vesting in that company of a ma
jority OF the stock of each of our rail-
roads.
The fact of consolidation referred to
cannot but be injurious to the inter-
ests of the people of our State. What.
ever specious reasoning interested per.
sons may employ to soften or justify
such action it is true as it always has
been and always will be that competi.
tion is the life of commerce. With
out it transportation and traffic are
not commerce but monopoly. And
while monopoly may sometimes sig
nalize its virtues by the decency and
moderation of its exactions and inva-
riably does so when struggling 10 gain
or maintain foothold. it has the same
power to wither and destroy that it
has to foster, and such is the extreme
selfishness Of man that it will be
found pursuing the former rather than
the latter course in the end.
Besides, if the fact were otherwise.
who is there in this country that
would hold his prosperity and happi-
ness as benefaction at the hands OF a
few individuals rather thad as an invi.
olable inheritance from the govern
ment his fathers framed and he inher-
tied?
Therefore. if there be any power in
the federal and State governments to
destroy this attempt to fasten = mo-
nopoly on transportation on the Pa.
cific northwest. . monopoly 90 power.
full and drastic that it can build up or
destroy 1t pleasure, and therefore CON.
troll the fortune OF every individual
living under its sway, that power
ought to be exercised. Such . mo-
nopoly if it once gain recognition and
. foothold, it will not only be power
ful to affect the material fortunes Of
our citizens, but il will be 20 powerful
in its influences, that if it do not ueurp
governmental functions, it will be, be-
cause Of its ability 70 utilize and con.
troll at win and for it's own purposes
the governmental institutions now a.
ready established and which the peo-
pie imagined they were establishing
for themselves and their posterity
alone.
This monopoly is akin TO and sup
plements the steel trust, the Standard
oil trust, the sugar trust and the
countless other manufacturing trusts
which have established monopolies in
all the necessaries Of life.
A moro helpless. dependent COM
munity than ours, when all these
combinations shall have gotten under
full swing. does not exist on the face
Of the earth. The killing effect OF
such paralyzing instrumertalities can
not b over-sstimated. They will
deaden energy, stifls enterprise. blot
out individuality and destroy public
spirit. A people contented under
such . regime will be devoid OF patri-
otism aud will sink deeper and deeper
into the Slough bf Despond, and in the
end will be the victims Of some tyrAnt
on horseback, who covets the liberties
which they have neither the intelli-
gence to comprehend nor the virtue to
preserve.
Our people are not such people.
They will never consent TO live under
such conditions. You are their chief
magistrate. They will look to you,
and have right 70 look 10 you, for
protection, and 20 far ~ you are
clothed with power, it is your duty to
give them that protection. II the
power be in the STATE, but not vested
in you or some other department Of
the government which you can set in
motion, In other words II il Be dor.
mant, then it seems to me the gravity
OF the situation is such that the law.
makers ought to BE- called together,
the situation explained 70 them and
their action invoked in the shape ol
proper and necessary legislation.
/ have before me . copy OF the arti-
cles Of Incorporation Of the Northern
Securities company. It is . very in
nocent appearing instrument. The
company created BY it il authorized "a
acquire and hold any bonds or other
securities or evidences Of indebtedness,
or any shares Of capital stock created
or issued by any other corporation OF
corporations, association or associa.
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