The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1906-01-27

TIE IRIS
o. liok~ ~, tho.
TIE Amer:eca roc~e ought to paw only
upon the g, sEal re % the property
cSSd not Gi.cn the imitation.
Keosevelt's Great Flight,
Turing the rast decade we have
hecn shown by Illustration after Illus
tration that the American people. alb
solutely within the power OF a few
individuals, have been compelled to
pay. both in the matter of transporta-
ton and upon industrial products, a
rate of profit altogether out of har-
mony with natural and just conditions.
And this condition has become so ex-
aggerated and the financial autocrat
has exercised his tyranny to such IN
extent that those in authority have
been forced to undertake the cause Of
the people and today the president Of
the United States, disregarding all
other issues, Is concentrating his ener-
gtes to secure the power for the peo-
pie to tx and establish just rates of
transportation upon all common car
riers.
We are told that these things are
impossible under the law. A half cen.
fury ago the people were told that the
sovereign right Of q state could not
be interfered with. They were also
told that human chattels were prop.
erty. the right to hold which could not
be interfered with. And yet, by the
single stroke of his pen man do.
stroysd three thousand million dollars
worth Of property and created three
millions Of free citizens Of this repub.
lie.
I believe In the obligation of con.
tract. believe that 1t should not and
ought not to be impaired. But BE-.
lieve that when the chartered corpora
ton, going beyond its chartered rights.
refuses to abide by the laws under
which 1t has its existence and receives
protection, can be regulated and, II
necessary, can be secured to the peo-
pie who have given 1t life.
People May Rise In Their Wrath.
There are vast numbers of people in
this country today who believe that
the government of the country should
own and operate its common carriers.
Certainly the time is not ripe today
for government ownership, but want
to say now that If the right OF tho
government to regulate and control
common carriers In the exercise Of
their functions is too stubbornly re-
sisted by those who control the cor
porations the pendulum will finally be-
come loosed and when 1t swings 1t is
apt to pass by the central point and
6y as far to the other side.
I cannot believe that the chartered
right of a corporation IL greater than
the constitutional right of the citizen
and do not think 1t is American in
policy to tax the American people
into poverty In order that great divi-
dends can be paid to the English and
German capitalists who have invested
in the stocks and bonds of the securi.
ties of this country. It is settled
principle of the common law of the
country that all railroad rates shall be
Just and reasonable.
No uniform rule has vet been adopt
ed and in my judgment no rule viii
be adopted until the power is given
the government to itself fix rates that
are reasonable and to establish those
rates and maintain them until a court
Of justice has declared that the rate
is unreasonable.
Railroad operators claim that in the
operation of railways railroad men
should be allowed to fix their own
rates of transportation, because the
matter of railroad ratemaking is such
an intricate and complex subject that
the ordinary individual does not I'M
derstand it. Perhaps he does not un.
derstand it, but the ordinary individ.
ual does understand that between hu-
man beings, between the citizens Of
the state, between capital and labor,
between the business man and the
man who works, there should be a
community Of interest which makes
the rights of one citizen as sacred and
important as the rights of the other
that there should be between US all
that fairness which is absolutely nee.
essary and imperative in order to pre-
serve domestic tranquility.
Power Of Railroads Unfairly Used.
You, my friends, have more than q
political interest in this great ques.
ton. 1t is question coming with 4
force and interest that ought to appeal
to you as does no other question now
before the American people. It IL
within the power Of q railroad cor.
poration to build up one city and tear
down another city. It IL within the
power of railroad companies and rail.
road systems to favor one community
at the expense Of another community.
It seems to be the function and the
desire Of railroad corporations to build
up the great centsrs Of population
from which they radiate. No great
center of population can flourish and
thrive except it hourishes and thrives
upon the smaller municipalities and
upon the agricultural communities.
The railroads of onr own state and Of
the Northwest have not shown to the
rural communities the consideration
to which they are Justly entitled. Cor.
porations doing business In this great
state have grown prosperous and have
thrived upon the common peopls. It