East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1907-04-16


ment" as his theme Senator Robert
NJ. La Toilette lectured at the Chris
tian church last evening and for over
three hours he held large audience
as though under n magic spell. It
was 1885 when he closed, but so
great was the charm Of the brilliant
speaker that few people present
realized they had been listening since
S:25 o'clock.
The address of Senator La Toilette
last night was a calm, logical, for
ctble arraignrlent of corporate in
fluence upon the legislative branch
of our government In opening his
address he spoke In Il general way Of
the perils that now beset the gov
points to be covered in his address
He then proceeded in a brief way to-
trace the economic development Of
the United States and to analyze the
situation at different periods in the
country's history. He read from De
Tocqueville to show that in the
Judgment of the gifted French econ
ruption had not been thought of in
the United States n years ago. He
then said that in Bryce's American
commonwealth, written 19 years ago,
an entire chapter was devoted to the
corrupt corporate influence upon
legislation through means of hired
lobbyists.
The Rise of Corporations.
Tthe transformation of the old
time individual businessman or part
nership into the corporation was
then traced and then it was shown
how corporations had ceased to con-
fine themselves to their own spheres,
but instead have become SC inter-
twined that they now form almost a
compact mass with a few fipanciers
as the guiding minds. AS a result of
this last change competition has been
destroyed and in an economic sense
he country has been placed at the
mercy of the financial barons. As
result they have demanded not
profit on investments, but
instead have forced the people to
pay prices sufficient to allow of
dividends on watered stock and fic-
titious valuations He boldly de-
clared that while the combined rail-
way systems of the country are es-
timatei as worth thirteen billions the
or wi cl hx-n
thoiity, is hut six billions. To force
he country to pay prices sufficient
% allow of dividends on inflated car
was declared to be noth-
ing less than cold robbery.
Between the organizations OF cap
tai on one hand and the interests OF
he public the senator pointed to
the lawmaking bodies and showed
how the former has been striving to
Dominate legislation in order to pre-
vent any laws inimical to their iu-
terests from being enacted. This
struggle for the control of congress
md the state legislatures Senator La
Toilette declared to he something
greater than any problem that has
ever confronted this or any other civ
Ilize6 nation. Should the struggle go
to the vested interests and the pub
lie finally become so numbed as to
give up in despair, the days would
nc dark for the future of the coup-
try.
The Roll Calls.
Towards the close of his address
La Toilette told of the strug-
gle for railroad legislation at the last
session of congress and traced ef-
forts of the interstate commerce COM
mission to have laws adopted during
the preceding nine years. He told of
The nine amendments he had propos-
ed to the law before the senate and
Of how each had been laid on the
table tV vote OF republican senators.
He then read the senate roll calls to,
show how the various senator's had
stood In the matter. Before reading
the first vote he said:
This Is rot pleasant thing for
me to do and my colleagues do not
thank ne for it. could much easier
eave 1t out and he good fellow with
them, BUT the people of this country
are entitled to know how their sena-
tors vote. The vote of a senator a
OF which each senator