Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1906-08-31

been for sale to the highest bidder, and
legislators, judges and governors have
been the servile creatures Of the Gang
You remember the Quay speculation
in treasury funds, which sent "Old
Square Timber" Noyes to an untimely
grave a broken-hearted man, caused
Cashier Blake Walters to commit sui
eide and brought Quay to the verge oi
self destruction. You recall the manip.
ulation Of the funds Of the Peoples
Bank by Quay and Cashier Hopkins
how the latter committed suicide, how
President James McManes paid $780,.
600 out of his own pocket to keep of
q scandal. and how Quay escaped
prison stripes by pleading the statute
of limitations.
need not multiply instances Of pee.
ulation, graft and juggling with state
funds and banks, nor refer you to Rip.
per bills. contract manipulations and
covenants with vice; nor need refer
you to the packing Of juries with Grim.
inals In order to save Gang followers
from the penitentiary. The great
crimes against the state lie along
broader lines.
Cameron early allied himself with
the corrupt Philadelphia Gas trust
This gang. like its successors. dictated
local nominations. It controlled every
department Of the city government. II
named the members of the legislature
and made commercial politics a regular
business. Every nominating conven.
ton was composed almost exclusively
of Gas Trust men. and tickets thus
named by the bosses became the regu.
lar nominees of the party whom every
good party man was expected to sup.
port at the polls.
The successor OF the Gas Trust was
the Quay Martin Gang, the Quay-Dur.
ham Gang, the Penrose- Durham Lane.
McNichoi Gang. which under it's sue.
cessive leaders has proceeded from one
stage Of criminal audacity to another,
and In all stages has been the main.
stay Of the state Machine. But under
what guise or name soever 1t has been
known, It's purpose has been graft and
its methods criminal.
The conspiracy with the Pennsylva.
MIA railroad was the beginning of the
trust evil and the Inauguration of cor.
poration rule In public affairs.
Railroads are not now and never
were private property. They are public
highways. by right Of eminent domain
which empowers them to take private
Nd
therefore in essence and by express
grant common carriers. In considera.
ton of their services as common car.
riers they are by charter granted the
right to tax the public in the form OF
freight rates This tax bears upon ev.
cry individual who uses any article
that has been transported either as
raw material or as finished product
and according to every sound principle
of law and justice this taxation should
be imposed without discrimination.
But when political corruptionisti
Join hands with greedy corporations II
is for the purpose Of preyjng upon the
public. Since the beginning Of boss
rule In this state the state Machine
and the Pennsylvania railroad have
been accomplices, and when the Stand.
ard Oil company forced its way Int
the conspiracy, the triumvirate wal
complete. BY collusion OF the stat
Machine. the railroad ceased to be 9
common carrier and became a carrier
for a special class. Under agreement
with the Standard OIL company, tn.
Pennsylvania railroad introduced
system of rebate and discrimination
which crushed competition, ruined In
dependent coal, iron and oil operator.
and others, and laid the foundation fol
the first the biggest and most rapa
cious Of American trusts.
When the Standard Oil company
went to Fisk and Gould with the prop
osition for special secret rates. the
proposition was turned down by the
Erie magnates, although neither o
these railroad wreckers was over-scru.
pulous in business. When Vanderbilt
was approached, he declared that the
scheme was fragrant violation of the
law and ought to land its promoters In
prison.
scruples nor fear of consequences.
had It's own ends to serve, and 1t wal
at the same time placed in a position
in which 1t found 1t more profitable te
acquiesce In the Standards plan thar
to fight that powerful corporation. Sc.
cure In their hold on the state Machine
and therefore masters of the law.
making and law-executing powers
this pair of precious corporation scoun.
drels entered upon q career Of public
plunder which up to that time had hat
no parallel In magnitude Of design
insatiate greed and cold-blooded atroc.
ity.
need not dwell upon the details
You are familiar with the story. The
fruits of this conspiracy against trade
against the people. against the nation
are seen In the many gigantic trusts
which hold this country by the throat
The Standard was the first Other
combinations OF INSCRIPTIONS mer
copied the methods of the Standard
and adapted them to their own use.
The predatory spirit first appeared
in public affairs under the Cameron
dynasty. The system of spoliation was
brought to perfection under Quay ant
1t is still in force under his bunderine
successors. Secret rebate and discrim.
nations have enabled the trusts te
throttle the country. The Steel Trust
controls Independent iron mines BY
means Of iniquitous discrimination
The farmer is at the mercy of the
Harvester Trust and the Elevator
Combine. The coal roads either OWE
the mines or control the output aut
It's price by means of discrimination
either In freight rates or In the distri-
button Of cars.
Common carriers refuse to carry
anything but their own or their asso-
ciates' commodities, except at rates
prohibitive of competition. 1t has been
fruthfulIv aaid that trnoto rafIrnod