The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1906-12-27
RAILROAD ExToRTioN.

that has occupied the attention OF
the business world ever since bust.
ness has been transacted. Probably
ninety-nine men out of a hundred
consider themselves victims of ex-
tortion In some form. Men who
have things to sell generally think
they are compelled to sell too
cheap and men wac buy as regular,
lily think they pay too much for
their purchases. We have seldom
met a man who was working for
another who thought he was getting
what he ought t" receive and an
employer who does not think he is
paying too high wages 10 rarity.
1t has always been considered a
function of government to regulate
business, when necessary, so as to
prevent extortion. There are two
remedies for the evil of extortjOn,
. natural remedy and legal rem
edy. In business where free and
full competition exists it regulates
itself. If for example man gets
''snap" in some business the
eagle eye of capital is sure to dis
cover it and the field of the man
who has the 'sgood thing" il in
vaded and lie is forced to share his
large gains with another and the
natural law of competition brings
about condition of natural and
legitimate profits In the modern
evolution of business. however,
the field of competition is very
much narrowed and it is becoming
more and more limited each day.
In the farm machinery, the
coal, the steel and the trans
portation business and many
others that might be named,
competition is a thing OF the past.
Owing to the stupendous capital in
vested and favoring legislation no
competitor can get a foothold. 1t
is in this class of business that ex-
tortion manifests itself. The stu
pendous fortunes of the multimil-
lionairs are all practically built up
by extortion, by the taking of
greater profits from the people than
they are entitled to receive. Where
there is no possibility of the natur-
al method of competition entering
into the field and preventing Excess
sive profits it is proper matter for
the people, through their represen-
tative lawmakers, to take the mat
ter in hand and regulate it them
selves. This right has always been
recognized by every government on
earth that even makes a pretense of
being a civilized and enlightened
municipality. In enacting this
kind of legislation capital should
not be oppressed nor should capital
be allowed to Cypress the people.
By az stupendous community
of interest,"" whatever that may
mean, the element of competition
has practically been eliminated from
the business of railroad transpor-
tation and by a scientific diversified
system of extortion in transporta-
ton rates, skillful railroad magnates
have voted themselves salaries that
make those of the highest paid
government officials look shame
fully meager and by system Of
stock imitation, the stockholders in
the various corporations have sue
ceeded in securing dividends that
have made the few wealthy beyond
the dream of averice. That this
condition exists is so plain that
mere statement of the fact is suffi-
Gent to establish it. No well in
formed man will for a moment
deny it. That the people pay these
enormous salaries and huge divi-
dends on fictitious values everyone
is fully cognizant. To assert that
the law cannot step in and stop
this kind of business is as senseless
as to assert that a law cannot be
passed to prevent any kind of
plundering. Morally it is just as
wrong for body of men to COM
bine and force their fellow men to
pay such rates for the transporta-
tfon of themselves and their COM