The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-03-11
MERGER Csc BEGUN.

BY direction of the president of the
United States, proceedings were begun
Monday in the United States circuit court
for Minnesota to determine the legal
status of the Northern Securities com
pany. In the news columns of h
G o b this morning appears in full the
complaint filed by United States District
Attorney Purdy. The document was pre-
pared in Washington under the super
vision of Attorney General Knox, by
Solicitor General Richards. The proceed
ings in the court at ST. Paul were
purely formal, and the case will now
take its course until final and irrevoca-
bic decision is reached.
The legal document speaks for itself.
and is plain statement of the conten-
ton Of the United States. IT is legal
argument, free from the political bonn
bast appearing in the utterances Of Gov.
$500" Mum. The case is in a way now
to be decided as T h G 10 b e has in
sisted from the first it should be decided
by the proper judicial tribunal. 1t is
not a political question, much less a
party question; it is a question of law
and law only. AS such it will be decided
according to the law
simultaneously with the appearance of
proceedings to dissolve the Northern Sc
curities company another merger
comes into view. From Wall street ema-
mates an apparently wen-founded story to
the effect that three important railroads
operating in the Northwest are to be
owned by a common company in the near
future. These roads are the Chicago &
North Western, the Chicago, Milwaukee
& st. Paul and the Chicago, Rock Island
& Pacific.
A story from New York is to the effect
that mysterious movements on the part
of Western railroad men have been taking
place for the past two weeks, and that
''the street. has about settled down to
the conclusion that there is something
doing" The wise ones are of the opin-
ion that the final result will be the or
ganization of another company along the
lines Of the Northern Securities company
which shall sustain a relation to the
three railroads mentioned similar to that
which the company already in existence
sustains to the Northern Pacific, the
Burlington and the Great Northern.
Merger" has lost its terrors as boyle
word. 1t no longer frightens people with
common sense-and that takes in prac-
tically all Of the people of the United
States. It's use by politicians for selfish
purpose was effective for brief time,
but that time has long since gone by.
There is a general recognition of the
necessity Of some sort of control Of rail-
roads that shall establish stability of
to large shippers, end the giving of spe-
cial privileges in various forms, and that
shall at the same time provide full and
efficient service at reasonable charges.
Then give some competent court or COM
mission the power to redress wrongs in
the way OF eXorbitant charges power to
enforce its DEGREES when once made, and
the best interests of the whole public
will be served. To this court or COM
mission anyone feeling himself wronged
by any company could go for redress,
and be sure of getting it.
Whether or not this rumored merger
will ever materialize is a matter for the
future to reveal In the meantime. aside
from the retained attorneys and push
of the $500" road, there is no panic in
Minnesota over the operations Of the
Northern Securities company, and there
will be none if the other roads mentioned
are brought under the control of sim
liar company.
Turkeys sultan probably will not worry