The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1906-11-22
RAILROAD LEGISLATION.

RAILROAD LEGISLATION.
It is certain that much of the
time of the coming legislature will
be taken up in the discussion and
passing of railroad legislation. In
handling this subject it will be
we'll for the members of the legls'
lature to remember certain well
grounded and fixed principles.
That the law-making power has the
right to regulate the business OF
transportation companies is SO well
settled at the present time that it is
useless to discuss that proposition
1t ought to be equally well
settled that whenever corporation
is formed for the purpose of build.
ing a railroad that corporation SO
formed enters into an implied con,
tract with every person who does
business with the railroad and the
persons who do business with the
corporation also enters into an
implied contract with it to do and
perform certain things. The PEG.
pie, through their representatives,
in many cases have contracted to
donate to the corporation lands and
bonuses in return for the construc.
ton Of a railroad through certain
territory. In times past these lands
and bonuses amounted to sum that
it would be impossible to compute.
The people also agree to confer up,
on the corporation the right of
eminent domain, which is the most
valuable privilege a corporation can
possess and they further agree no!
to hamper the business of the road
by unnecessarily delaying prompt
movement of their rolling stock.
The corporation on their part enter
into an implied contract with the
people to do and perform certain
things:
To practice no discrimination be-
tween localities or individuals.
To receive and forward all freight
and passengers offered it and trans
port it to it's destination within a
reasonable time, for reasonable
price and with due regard to the
safety of both freight and passen.
gers.
All railroad legislation should be
formulated in strict accordance
with the terms of this implied con
tract. The railroad companies re-
quire the strictest conformity on
the part of the people of their part
of the contract and they should be
compelled by legislation to KEEP
the contract they have entered into
with the people:
There is no question but thai
the railroads have been the great
est agency in modern times build
ing up and developing the country
but it should also be remembered
that every development of every
kind and character brought abou
by them increases the value of tn
road and that the efforts they have
made to make the country grea
were primarily for the purpose o
profit to themselves and not TO
benevolent reasons. 1t would b
an injustice to deprive railroad COZ
poration by Legislation from tina
they are justly entitled to and i: i
equally an injustice to permit tn
railroads to take from the people
single thing which does not b,
right belong to them. The rail
road question is the question of tn
hour. 1t should be settled In
spirit Of mutual fairness between
the railroads and their patrons
We will have more to say on thi
question hereafter.
We have received the initia
copy of the Albany Tribune, pub
lished at Albany in this county
VIM. F. Schultz is the editor an,
its motto is "Independent in al
things; radical in nothing" Success
to the venture.