The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1904-11-19


chises from twenty -five to 900 years.
Recent municipal councils have hit on
the eNpedient of selling blanket fran
chises, which give their holders the
| perpetual and exclusive privilege Of
conducting any and all business that
I is left unstolen. Under some of these
franchises the holding corporation has
monopoly OF everything underground
or overhead They cen dig tunnels or
operate dying machines up to a time
when our descendants will be wonder
ing whether or not such person as
George Washington ever lived. The
principal asset Of city is its streets.
and even a fool knows that the streets
have been sold and paid for long ago.
The citizen does not feel the loss of his
streets near as much as the CRATER
does. The citizen can still use the
streets to an extent but the CRATER
seems to be forever estopped AS a
youthful ward heller, he listened with
awe TO the tale of how his predecessor
strobe into the Office OF a street rail-.
way magnate and Numbered an ulti.
matum into the ears of that trembling
millionaire. Today he Is lucky to reach
the sanctum OF the private secretary.
and instead Of crisp bank notes OF pic
turesque denominations he must be
content with an annual pass and a
promise Of employment on the road for
five or six OF his constituents. | am not
overdrawing this picture
1t is the same In the state legisla-
ture- Former rapacious bodies sold
almost everything they could lay
hands on. Corporations have all the
franchises they can use and surplus
supply stored away in their vaults. It
IS as difficult to invent a new and use
full franchise as II is to write an epic
poem. The franchise warehouse has
been Quilted. Our friend Jacob Grasp
or did not know this. but there are
lot of things that he does not know.
OF course he is disappointed, but he
will have to stand IL"
Il did not know that this gentry had
been reduced 10 such miserable straits"
observed Judge Sawyer. You intimat-
ed that there was third reason. Let
US hear it"
There are certain requirements yet
made on legislators and other repre-
senta lives by corporate and kindred In.
terests,' continued Colonel Monroe
These are usually defensive or admin
istrative in their nature and require
certain and decisive action rather than
protracted and needless debate. Mat
tiers Of this kind are beyond the com
prehensiOn OF the average member Of
these bodies. They are a part Of the
higher finance and Of the new indus
trialism.' The trust Is a labor and
time saving institution When our in.
dustries were crude and scattered n
was necessary that each individual
member of a lawmaking body be seer
and convinced. This took time and
sometimes much money There was no
way Of determining in advance how
much given piece of legislation would
cost This tended 10 unsettle values
and to complicate business matters.
Sometimes a bill Of pressing moment
would be defeated or indefinitely
piseonholed. Again, conflicting bills
would be introduced and the lcgis-
lator puzzled as 10 how to vote for
the best interests Of all concerned.
An this has been remedird, and
while the method may seem TO work
hardship on our friend Grasper and hi
fellows he must sink his temporary los.
for the common good Coincidcnt with
the Capitalization Of Industries ha,
come the Capitalization Of grating II
Is beneath the dignity Of a trust To deaf
with mere individual CRATER. even
though he purports TO represent a nu
merous constituency. The trust viii
deal only with one man. and he stand.
responsible to the trust for the action
Of the legislature. The trust or cor.
ooration knows just how much it can
afford 10 pay; the man knows lust how
much each CRATER Is entitled 10 re-.
ceiye. Sometimes the CRATER gets moth.
ing. Perhaps the man has received
nothing, but it IS not for the humble
member 10 ask. Does he not know that .
but for the permission Of the man be I
could not have received a nomination +
or an electiOnF Does he not know that I
the first overt act Of revolt will be tho +
"a sattli t'l t4l1 lfblAl4AAl utsulHs DOCS ne
not know that were he 50 reckless na
to rebel his mouth would be- gagged.
his reputation smirched and his hnan
cial ruin made certainf or course he
does. Grasper knew when he went t.
the state capitol that by no chance In
the world could he get his hands on a
dollar which did not first pass through
those Of his political boss He resent.
the size Of his dividends. what does
be know about business? What does
he know about the state Of the fran
shise market? Nothing. He Is a hired
man. a legislative clerk. SIRE Of one
salary from the state with a contingent
n graft from his political irpss. He IL
cheap thief nt best and Will be cheap
p as his bribers have less use for his
vote"
III he Is a THIEF why does some one
not arrest himT asked the puzzled Jen-
kins.