The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-01-23
ExIGENCY EXISTS,
SAYS Mr.. JENKINS
Right of Government to Seize
Mines and Railroads Is
Undoubted.
FUEL A PUBLIC NECESSITY
chairman of House judiciary Commit
tee Explains Purpose Of the Re-
markabie Resolution Intro
duced Wednesday.

Washington. Jan. 19.-Representative
Jenkins of Wisconsin,. who is no tyro in
legislation, but who, on the contrary, is
chairman of the judiciary committee OF
the house, and who from that fact is
presumed to be q good constitutional
lawyer, offered the remarkable resolu-
ton of Wednesday which provides in
Drlef n a the government of the United
states shall both seize and operate not
only the coal mines, but the t~ransporta-
ton companies which carry the prod
net, and in this way distribute coal to
the people.
Such a proposition coming from an
OBSCURE member Of the house Would not
nave attracted any more attention than
dozens Of others quite as radical. But
a bill of this kind offered by the chair
man of the, judiciary committee upon
the members of the house like a lash
OF cold water, and seemed to bring
them to a realization of the fact that
the country has reached a condition
where ordinary constitutional methods
must be succeeded by extraordinary
and almost SocialiStic eXpedients.
Mr.. Jenkins did not offer his resolu-
ton in an idle moment, but after care
fully thinking it out. He is undoubt-
eddy a good lawyer, and his position at
the head of the great committee which
80 vi ollllllS liz ool
legislation entities him to more than
the usual credit for his actions.
Crisis Demands Action.
That his proposition is radical in the
extreme every one must concede, but
1T is also apparent that nothing but the
presence of a great crisis could have in
duced him to father such a proposition.
Mr.. Jenkins has previously gone on
record as asserting that the government
could NOT rppD19Tn he fri StS without a
constitutional amendment.
Not only does Mr.. Jenkins assume
complete responsibility for his actions,
but he justifies them by the gravity OF
the crisis which the country is now
facing, and in an interview he gay an
exposition of his reasons for introduce
ing a resolution which he fully recog-
nizes will be denounced as socialistic.
He does not propose to supply the cOun-
try with free coal, but he does believe
that the time has come when TO pre-
vent widespread famine and hardship
1T hasbecome necessary for the govern
ment, as an act Of supreme sovereignty,
to give the people an opportunity to
provide themselves with coal at a fair
price.
SO far as his resolution is concerned
it is not prompted by the high price Of
coal, and. he does not necessarily de-
sire to correct that. What he is after
~ SiS ~ utoN IAiS poNS1 III liz ld-
tional government to see hat all the
coal possible to be mined is mined. and
thereupOn also to see that il is diStrib-
uted on an equitable basis to all sec
ions n all classes in the country.
Right Of Government to Act.
"For some time we nave been calling
attention to a want of w on the
part of the federal government to deal
with the many perplexing questions
confronting our people," said Repre-
sentative Jenkins, in discussing his
proposition. by this resolution I am
calling attention to a power that | be-
ieve exists and should be developed. 1t
is one of the sovereign inherent rights
of the government. The situation is
not as favorable for the exercise of that
power as during last September, but
conditions are much worse. Coal is a
necessity Of life. The people cannot
obtain it and are suffering greatly for
the want of it. Therefore, it is within
the power of congress in such, a case
TO declare that an eNigency has arisen
for the exercise of the power of eminent
domain, and this declaration is not open
to inquiry by the courts
1t is not the price OF coal that Gre
ates the eXigency, but the fact hi the
people cannot obtain it, and that con-
ditions are growing worse daily. Hence,
it becomes the duty of the government
to exercise this attribute of sovereignty
and relieve the distress not by buying
coal for the people, but by providing
that they an buy it.
This is the first time in history this
nation could justly exercise that right
OF control. Unquestionably the power
exists, as certainly as the exigency is
present.
immediate Relief Wanted.
1T is a painful condition of affairs
wharp thnF h1Dna q nj 'cjnayr nf tho -,
ton are suffering and freezing for the
want of fuel, when money and fuel
are plenty. The people are not inter-
ested in who is to blame, but are en-
titled to Immediate relief. Some steps
must t-e taken to improve present con-
ditlons, or, in addition to ~aggravating
the suffering. we certainly will have a.
condition Of affairs that will be less well
ONE
w cannot sit here idly and listen
to the cries of pain and suffering from
all parts of the country without doing
something. The powerful monopolies
sapping the life blood of the people to
add&to their wealth must allow con-
science to control them, or in a short
time a suffering people will be aroused
SO that no power will control them, for
they are not going to suffer longer and
submit to this continual robbery. They
know that the coal question is but an
index to what is coming.
Ihe greed. of the monopolies is so
great they overlook everything but the
acquisition of wealth at the expense
and suffering of a nation of people. Let
II n m~onopolies treat the people as fair
~ as they do the almighty dollar, and
there will be no complaint.
Ills 10 ~beSregretted that in an in
telllSent nation like this, controlled by
Christian influences, where the people
are the government, such a radical ex-
ercise Of power is even deemed neces
Asary. 1t is not a step in the direction
sof government ownership, it can only
be justified by the exigency Of the sit
nation; and it can only remain in force
until the cause for the condition is re-
moved,
SHEER AT CONGRESS.
Coal Presidents Regard Jenkins Reso.
luton With Contempt.
New York, Jan. 19.-The coal presi.
dents in this city treat with contempt
the resolution introduced by Represen-