Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1904-12-27
Control Transportation Corpora
tiOnS.

What question can be more
important and pressing for action
aud redress than the unjust treat
ment of the whole people by
the transportation corporations?
These corporations have bee n
created by law and they operate
under charters which are inter-
preted by corporations to have the
force of letters of marque and re-
p1isal as though our people were
alien enemies to be plundered by
sea and land as mercilessly as
though a state of war actually
existed in every state in the
Union.
This is not question Of public
policy but question of private
right,-no corporation chartered
under the laws of any state shall
be permitted to practice fraud or
extortion upon the people of the
United States with impunity.
1t may certainly be expected
that a Republican congress will
consider the effect of granting
chartered franchises by states to
corporations which trespass upon
the private right of every citizen
in this Republic, such investi-
cations must be conducted with
that candor and justice which be-
longs to the high character of
that body.
1t would seem to be the duty
of congress to examine the char
ters of transportation corpora
tions and ascertain with the most
scrupulous good faith what the
real facts are with a most solicit
tous desire to prevent the occult
piracy perpetrated by transporta-
ton corporations under cover of
charters issued by state govern
ment.
Congress has power under the
constitution to provide for the
general welfare, aud it state gov
ernmenis nave chartered a spe-
cies of pirates who prey upon the
commercial rights OF citizens OF
the United States, it is manifest
ly the dntv of that distinguished
body to intervene in the exercise
Of its ample powers in the prem
ises and revoke such charters by
penal statute which our courts
Can enforce.
Congress has utterly failed SO
far 10 give adequate relief to the
people in the matter of unjus'
rates of transportation, and there
is sincontrovertable evidence which
shows that it will ever fail tc
govern unruly transportation cor
porations by any of the methods
applied under the recommenda.
tlons of the President.
Congress must either provide
for the surrender Of the charters
of corporations which wilfully
violate the laws of the govern
ment Of interstate commerce q
build a double-tracked railroad
from ocean to ocean and estab
lish rates of transportation which
shall be just to all the people, O
both.
There can be no question a:
to the efficiency of these reme
dies for unruly corporations, -
they interfere with 10 vestee
rights whatever.
Corporations must be con
trolled. They are the creature:
OF the law, aud the law mus
contr.1 them either directly Q,
indirectly. All attempts to con
troll corporations by exDles:
statutes, have most iguominious
ly failed, aud it is a 1eproach ,e
our party which has irresistible
power 10 Go justice to ali c4tl
zens.
Further tampering with th'
gross off~ Uses OF transportatio.
! coIpoTat.obS will be resented IL
The .Iv,. al ',,sallc mannor u,
oscEy 4-.w.ui means in the hand
OF the people without regard t.
party affiliations. The time ha
come for action, for the rugged
manly and couragions action O
statesmen,-every state in tn