Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1905-10-19

God shall have new birth OF free
dom that the government of the people,
by the people and for the people shall
not perish from the face of the earth. !"
This was not uttered In time of peace
but 1862 on the battlefield, amid the
terrors OF war. We enjoy so much
that we become careless, IL not indT-
ferent about the government. The
Governor said he came with a mes
sage To the common people, meaning
those who have no public interest TO
subserve, who believe in honest laws
and their execution for the highest
good OF all the people, who cannot
exercise an influence for good Ia their
own behalf without ut the same time
doing the same thing for their neigh
bors. The country Is safe only so
long as these common men determine
who shall make the laws. There are
two classes Of people, one claiming
that everything Is on the road to the
bad, and the other that everything is
so good that nothing should be chang
ed. From Adam To John the Baptist,
the common people cut no figure: no
matter what victories were won, the
dead had no honor, the living no
gain. The first altar to the rights
OF the common people was dedi-
Gated upon our shores one hundred
twenty nine years ago, by the state
ment that all men are created equal
and have the right To enjoy life,
liberty and the pursuit OF happiness.
And that TO secure these rights, gov
ernments are instituted among men
who derive their just powers from the
consent OF the governed. The first
birth OF freedom was the birth Of the
Savior: the second, the adoption of
the Declaration OF Independence
The governor then entered upon "a
discussion OF the great corporations,
stating that they are absolutely nee
essary to carry on our great enter
prises: and that he wishes il clearly
understood that he is not opposed TO
them but only wants TO see them OBJ
serve the laws Of the country the same
as individuals are compelled To- do.
There are 2l0,0OO miles OF railway
track in the United States which we
should protect and support. But the
trouble is that the directors of six
companies who can be convened in
New York in half an hour practically
control all OF IL and can manipulate
matters to suit themselves. They are
capitalized at IL and billion dollars,
when their real value is but 5 billions,
the other 3 and ! billions being
"watered stock on which they de-
mand and receive dividends of about
I per cent. The speaker then told his
experience in Washington before the
senate committee on interstate com
merce and the effort made by the
chairman, Senator Elkins of West
Virginia To break down his testimony
in favor of giving the Commission
the power to fix the rates when they
are considered too high and TO pre-
vent unjust discrimination. The rail-
roads are public highways and there
should be equality of rates and no
discrimination as between individuals
or corporations. The value placed
upon the roads makes an average of
1914 900 a mile, while at Des Moines
last year they claimed that they
should not be assessed for more than
SIS, 900 a mile. But the Executive
Council made it S24 900 for this state.
The railroads are great factors in the
progress OF the country but the people
must be their masters. He then turn
ed his attention to the great industrial
corporations which are capitalized for
10 billion dollars and are just as
active as the railroads against laws
which may reduce their profits. The
U. s. Steel corporation has direct