The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-14
INJURIOUS TO MINNESOTA,
lnsincere Campaign Against Railroads Re-
tards DEVELOPMENT.

The Commercial West has been a con-
slstent supporter of the merger preposi-
ton. hence 1t is Pleased with Judge Loeb
say unpleasant things about those who
have misrepresented the attitude of the
supporters of the securities plan.
GOV. Van SAINT made the strange an
nouncement this week that he is mot in
the least discouraged, that "the fighting
Is going to continue until our laws are upo
held Gov. Van SAINTS weakness in the
merger contest has been that he has made
a PERSONAL matter pitt, and in the above
assertion he continues in the personal
strain. The defeat of Minnesota in the
merger suit cannot in itself be construed
as defeat for Gov. Van SAINT, except as he
makes personal contest of it. and he is
IN error if he regards it in such light. as
ne seems to. He did not make the law
and 1t Is his duty only to execute it. The
courts decide the merits of the case, hence
Gov. Van SAINT oversteps when he de-
e!ares that Minnesota's law is necessarily
right and that it should necessarily be
maintained.
Had Gov. Van SAINT held to an i'm
partial administration of the railroad law
instead OF seeking to make a political is
sue or 1t, he would have maintained his
dlgnlty as the governor of all the people
and his full duty would have been done
But when he attempts to construe law in
an official sense he opens the door to criti-
cism and gives support to the theory that
the merger campaign was instituted for
political purposes rather than for honest
enforcement of law.
But after all has been said ON the more
direct side of the question, there remains
the broader proposition as TO the desir-
ability of competition in the common
understanding of the term. We hold to the
theory that ruinouS competition is unde-
siraole for the Individual. community or
state. The Development of trade calls
for stability, not friction. So long as loose
competition prevails the people as a
WhC!e gain no advantage. Hence our con-
far1tI ion f~ic<1
company was move in the interest of the
people. Besides competition is killed by
the rebate law Railroads must publish
their schedules, and in the same territory
they are alike. Competition is thus made
Illegal.
Because of the chance for an abuse of
the competitive idea laws have been
enacted to protect. the people No other
injustice of the. merger campaign lies in
the fact that It holds guilty virtually an
Individual who Is not guilty. This is mon
tTouS doctrine and if the supreme court
sustains this principle it will surely mark
new departure III legal construction
Minnesota has lost ground unquestion-
ably ably by h her generSlly unfriendly attitude
1t is that this altitude is insincere. Were the
railroads in fact Overriding the people
this paper, with others of truly indi-
pendent strain, would take up the cudgel
of defense; but there is no complaint from
the people. We need the railways and
they should be treated from a broad stand
point They are the great coIonzers, they
are reducing rates steadily and rates are
today at low levels simply because the
ingenuity and perseverance of leaders like
James J. Hill have studied out ways and
means of developing traffic to the point
that has made it possible to reduce rates.
The state of Minnesota has not done this
great work. but the state exists in her
industrial development because railroad
managers did it against the fearful odds
of political -chicaning.