Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-10-21
FcURE THE RAILROADS.
POWERS" SAYS CUMMINS.
CONTINUED From First Page.).

fCORR The RAILROADS.
POWERS" SAYS cUMMiNs
CONTINUED From First Page).
ness of the soil which you tend and
till to produce your crops.
''This interest leads you directly in
to the province of government. Be
cause, while laws cannot determine
the extent of the production Of your
farms the laws of this nation have al
ways and will always determine in
large measure what you shall receive
Therefore, it is treason to yourselves
to limit your energies and restrict
your care and attention to the mere
production of crops.
Ottumwa's Trust Problem.
This morning l visited the Dain
Manufacturing companys plant in
your city. | was astonished and graf
flied to see SO great, so prosperous
and growing an institution and you
should all be proud Of the fact, which
assure you l will take pains to her
aid abroad throughout this state, that
you have here in Ottumwa the largest
manufacturing plant of its kind west
Of the Mississippi river. 1t Is a mon
ument to the genius and the ability of
those men who established it and who
now conduct 1t. 1t is, understand, in
dependent of all trusts and combina-
tons. But when it becomes serious
rival to the great implement trust that
organization will Immediately attempt
to put it out of the way. Two ways
will be open. The trust must either
buy or crush it. It is crippled now
by Injustice In the adjustment of rail-
road rates in its territory. But when
the time comes for the blow it will
fall through a combination between
which will give to the rivals Of your
firm terms in transportation which
will be denied to your institution.
Then your enterprise will have en-
countered an obstacle that will be in
surmountable, block in the path of
its progress which 1t cannot remove
Nothing but the concentrated, combin-
ed and organized force of society can
destroy this obstacle. It will take
your efforts and mine. And so, you
see, you are all vitality interested In
this question of freight rates.
Railroads Not Malicious.
IT am not saying that the railroad
companies with any malicious design
would destroy SO notable an institu-
ton, but want you all to think of the
overpowering pressure which the i'm
plement trust can bring to bear upon
the railroad companies. Then you
will want an Interstate commerce COM
mission to condemn unjust rates and
you will want that commission clothed
with authority to regulate any rate it
has condemned as unjust. This may
be fair test to determine whether 1t
is wise or unwise to withdraw from
the railroad companies the right to de-
termine for themselves what they will
charge for the transportation of
freight-whether communities shall
prosper or shall fail. In short, the
railroads Of this country, under the
present system and conditions, have 1t
in their power to determine just how
this great republic shall be Industrial
~ developed.
The Questions OF Government.
"That launches us into the field Of
government. Such an issue enlists ev-
cry patriot in the cause of good gov
eminent. 1t Is wonder, when we
consider the facts, that we have been
so slow, for we should have reached
this conclusion long ere this. The
history of the development of railroad
companies in this state and in the
United States Is well known. They
had the greatest subsidies ever con-
ferred upon any private enterprise.
marvel when I hear the representa-
tives of the railroad companies say
that the railroads are private prop
erty when remember the history of
their development.
II do not deny that the policy of the
government was wise one. do not
criticise that policy, but know that
the railroads were granted a great en-
p1re OF land. In the fifties they were
given by the government as much
land as Is included in the states of
Iowa. Missouri, Minnesota. Illinois and
1ndiana-six times the territory of
Iowa. The United States government
asked no return, would not take one
penny. am glad that the govern
ment was generous, but nowadays,
when man says that the government
has no right to interfere in the man
agement Of railroad companies, Il
marvel at his audacity.
History of Commerce Laws.
IN 1872 or 1873, Iowa, Missouri and
Illinois passed laws providing for the
regulation of railroad freight rates in
these respective states. The railroads
declared that the action was unjust,
and they took the matter to the courts
as an intrusion upon their rights
They fought 1t out clear up to the SUI
preme court of the United States and
that tribunal In one of the most vol
luminous opinions ever handed down
UP to that time declared in the most
positive language that the railroads
were public highways and that every
one was entitled to use them for a
reasonable charge, the same terms to
govern in all cases under like condi-
tons. The court declared positively,
that the railroads were public serv-
ants, not public masters. That de-
clslon has settled the question from a
standpoint from that day.
But the ratoc u,{tbi, +I,o ,t.4>.