The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-09-30

Il
And your Junior senator is a worthy
mate. to. your senior senator. I am
proud to speak. to the people Of Min
nesota Of his conduct and standing in
the senate. Always for the people, al
ways Industrious, always courageous,
always pure, no new senator has made
greater progress than Moses E. Clapp
Of Minnesota
Railroad Regulation.
. We passed the bill giving the gov,
eminent the right to regulate railway
the enactment of that law. He de-
manded it because the American people
demanded it. He demanded it because
it is right-because it applies the prin-,
ciple Of control by the government of
all the people of chat mighty transpor
tation business which affects all the
people. J. do not say that that law is.
perfect. It is but the beginning of a
great reform. In practical working it
will fail here and there; but year by
year it will be improved until finally
from experience it will become as per-
feet as any human statute can be. It's
Importance is not in it's immediate prae-'
teal results; it's Importance is in the,
The railroads are the most powerful
force in the industrial development of,
the republic. But for the railroads the
American frontier would be Minneap-
oils, Kansas City and Galveston. But
for the railroads the mountains would
still retain their precious metals and
the boundless western plains, now
golden with grain richer far than our
greatest mines, would still be arid
wastes: The railroads are as necessary
as money to our industrial and social
civilization, as. necessary as a free
press, as necessary as our constitution.
It is the railroads, which. putting our
eighty millions in touch with each 9th
Eer, hold the. nation together; There is
not q man, woman or child in the Uni,
by this. wonderful network of com
smunication. But for the railroads men
could not. conduct business, friends visit
| friends, parties hold conventions. 1t
is the railroads which have made pos:
sible the development Of those splendid
religious societies; like the Epworth
league, knights Of Columbus and Chris.
tian J. Endeavor In H. a word, the seal tai.
political and even the religious life OF
the American people. And. that is why
the people have right to a voice n
their management, that is why the rail
road business is not private business
Railway freight and passenger charges
are directly tax upon every human
being in the land; and therefore these
eighty millions Of human beings have
a fundamental right to see that all are
treated alike and that none are un
Justly taxed, .--..
But the people are powerless acting
as individuals. The states are lncom
\ petent to act as the people - agents
because the business of no road in tn
country lis confined to the borders O.
whole union. And so it is that tn
nation, as a nationf, must take ham
: in the conduct Of transportation
which is, the most vital part of the ma
| TONS life and without which the ma
ton could not existi SO it is that tn
} government of the nation is the onl..
agen thru which the American PEG
pie can exercise that absolutely neces
sary function Of supervising rallwa:
} business. And that is why, the rail
; way rate law is. in its results. so pre-
!, Ifoundly Important begins the prae
Il tical application Of the principle o
! the control IF the nations governnnen
) over the nation g railways. ~ G.....
l IF this principle is developed we wi
!. have no government ownership of raj
ways The American people do no
) want to- own. the railways. They wan
l to own nothing which they do not hav
: to- own in self-defense. I am agains
{ national ownership of railways. I al
for government control of railway
i, Government ownership is urged onl
: because it will take. the railways out 9
, politics But it. is. not nee essary. t
1 change our whole, American theory Q
industry for the European theory 9
e industry, to keep the railroads out {
. politics. !%s ,r.. =. I -. :.