The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-02-18

spirit declared the war and won the VIC
tory, and when the last traitor in the
distant islands Of the Orient shall sa-
lutte our flag IN surrender and submis-
sion the Lincoln spirit of this people
will give to the conquered territory the
same Just and equal opportunity for self
SoVerImenC, Tor progress and develop
ment in all the paths Of peace that Lin
coin and his fellows gave to the stricken
states of the rebellion when the rebel
non surrendered its sword at Appomat-
Let epithets and catchwords not alarm.
but when patriotic and well-meaning
men men shout Imperialism fet us remind
them that George Washington was
styled by large and influential part of
his eountrymen the 'sStep-father OF his
country" that Thomas Jefferson was
ing the Louisiana purchase and that
Lincoln might have failed of renomina-
ton in 1854 had not the victory Of An
tietann made opportune the emancipa-
As to the Merger.
Recent combinations of capital and of
various industries have alarmed many
observers, and we are frequently told
tnat We are entering upon an era of plu-
ICcracy at variance with the SIMPLICITY
ana equality Of the days of Lincoln. In
your own city, a few days ago distin-
gulShed and eloquent men at the Lincoln
celebrauonS INDUCED in gloomy prophe-
cleS of disaster based on recent alleged
computations of railroad interests center
Ing IN this state. 1t seems to me- how
ever, that the situation is neither hope
less nor serious. 1t is the undoubted
power and duty of the governor of this
state to enforce the laws of Minnesota
and to prevent their violation If the
so-called merger is a violation of our
statutes there Is simple and common
sense way of preventing this violation
ana that is to repeal the statute forbid
ding the consolidation of railroads That
law is relic of the early days Of rail-
roadiEg, When 1t was thought that rail
road competition regulated railroad
rates 1Wenty-one years ago Arthur T.
Hadley demonstrated that railroad rates
are commodity whose price is not regu,
lated by competition, and Minnesota is
one OF the few states of the Union which
still carries on its statute books law
based on the error which was exploded
even before Mr.. Hadley demonstrated It's
absurd1ty to the students of Yale coli
Iege IF the governor and legislature
or Minnesota desire to confer a great
benefit On the people of the state let
them repeal the law which forbids con-
Solidation, and memorable congress to
establish tribunal with full power to
Tx rates and to punish unlawful discrim-
1nauon and other abuses. This remedy
would not only save to the state the i'm
mense cost Of the pending litigation, but
would relieve the absurd situation in
tempting to prevent the natural and logi-
cal organization of units which were be-
tOre dlScOrdant and hostile, to the injury
OF the public service and the public pros
per1ty. For my own part | do not share
In the apprehension expressed by some Of
your citizens few evenings ago. In
the great and prosperous states OF the
Southwest a similar merger has not as
vet produced financial or political disas-
ter, and the people are as free and pros
porous as they were when each county
had it's railroad and each county seat its
railroad president.
In the present somewhat disorganized
condition of political parties in this state
it may not be inappropriate for one
whose standing with neither party is
good, to express the thought that the
honor of the state of Minnesota can be-
attacked covertly as well as openly Ii
would seem to me that the features of
the merger contest which most loudly
calls for immediate and searching in
vestigation is the charge openly and pub
llcly made that the power and name of
the state of Minnesota are now being
used against our home railroad interests
by hostile and competing railroad cor
pora tons. some of them even foreign to
cur territory and our flag. The people
of this state are not willing to loan
their name, their treasury to their public
officials for the purpose of handicapping
the enterprise and genius of Minnesota,
and feathering the nest of outside COM
petitorS, whether they are dominated in
other sctionS of this country or are con-
trolled by men and influences foreign to
our soil.