The Goldfield news. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1904-1911, 1907-09-14
by HON. WILLIAM N. STEWART


main cause of the war OF the Ecvolu-
tion: and the principal reason for the
adoption of the constitution. The rcgu-
lation Of commerce at the present time
by railroad corporations Is far more
grievous than the arbitrary restrictions
and exactions OF the mother country
which caused the colonies TO rebel
To secure control OF colonial trade.
parliament begain In 1851. 81 years after
the landing Of the pilgrims. to pass the
famous navigation laws and acts of
trade. These laws required that all
trade between the colonies should be
carried on in ships built in England or
in the colonies: tina the colonies should
not export such colonial products as
sugar, tobacco. iron. furs and lumber to
any part of the world except England or
some English colony; tina. all European
goods shouid be bought in England ana
brought over to the colonies in English
vessels: that the colonies should not
manufacture any article that couii be
manufactured in England.
Stringent Jaws were passet froin tire
to time to prevent smuggling. and to
make the navigation laws and trade acts
more effective. In 1864 parliament
passed the Stamp Act. h law re-
quired stamped paper to be used in
newspapers. almanacs. pamphlets. ad
vertisements and all kinds of legal docu-
ments The stamps cost from SO cents
to $50 each. The Stamp Act affected
all the colonies alike. and was received
with anger and resentment by all. Or
ganizations were formed. called the Sons
of Liberty: merchants banded together
to import no more goods from England
until the Stamp Act should be repealed
The excitement was intense. but the ac-
ton of the merchants so reduced the
revenues of the crown from the colonies
that in 1866. the Stamp Act was re-
pealed.
In 1867. parliament levied new duties
(or %tarifs) on several articles. includ-
ing glass. lead. pepper and tea. This last
act added fuel to the flame. Tea i'm
ported to Boston in an English ship was
thrown overheard, and the war of the
revolution was inaugurated.
Compare the unjust laws, which
forced our ancestors to rebel, with the
despotic regulations OF by
railroad managers. The wicked work OF
railroad managers is evidenced by the
Standard Oil trust. meat trust. steel
trust, elevator trust. and a long list OF
other trusts and monopolies which
have been created by the advantages OF
transportation awarded to them by rail-
road management.
Soon after the discovery of oil. John
d. Rockefeller and his associates made
secret arrangements with the railroad
-. N fanEnnrf oil frnrn fhe
Standard Oil company cheaper than fol-
any one else. This arrangement prac-
tically coniscated the oil wells and oil
lands of all persons not connected with
the trust, and prevented the sale of oil
by any person in competition with the
combination.
Railroad discrimination in the trans
portation of ore. coa and whatever else
was needed In the manufacture of steel,
made Andrew Carnegie and his asso-
ciates ~millionaires. They formed a com
bination of all the manufacturers OF
steel, and secured for such combination
the favor of railroads and other com
mon carriers. They then double the
price of nearly every article manufac-
tured from iron.
The great steel trust Is now enjoying
an income of millions pm the enhanced
value of steel, and he people of the
United States are forced to pay what
ever price the trust exacts.
While transportation was equal to
all, and m was regulated by the
laws of trade. local butchers in every
part of the United States. slaughtered
live animals for food, and sold their
f~.aA -.Aa n m ~ a a n
by chemicals. and free from ptomaine
poison. A few packing establishments,
known as Armours. Swifts and Cudehys.
combined with the railroads to monopo-
lize the meat business. They demanded
of every local butcher that he should
buy meat from the trust. and slaughter
no more live took. If any of them re-
fused. a butcher shop was Immediately
started In his locality. and meat sold
at a loss-if need be-until the local
butcher was forced out of business.
While traffic in wheat and other
grains was controlled by the laws of
trade. the farmers Of the Mississippi
valley grew rich. An elevator trust was
formed which fixed the price of wheat
In the various localities Of the west, and
by p%rohibitory railroad charges, COM
PEELED the farmers to sell to the trust
at prices ixed by the combination. The
various devices of railroads to absorb
the profits of production would fill vol
umes. The established rule of railroad
bear Is extortion.
Congress Authorised to Regulate Com
msrce
-
Revolutionary war. had absolute con-
troll of the m of it's people. I'm
friendly state regulations created jeal-
ousies and destroyed harmony at home.
There was no means of enforcing reci-
procal trade relations with foreign cotn-
tries. A convention was called. the con-
stitution framed and adopted which en-
powered congress ito regulate COM
merce with foreign nations and among
the several states. and with the indian
tribes"
In welton VS.. Missouri. 81 ". s. p.
$50. Mr.. Justice Field, delivering the
opinion of the court, said: 1.-THE de-
pressed condition of m and the
obstacles to it's growth previous to the
adoption of the constitution. from the
want of some single controlling author
ity. has been frequently referred to by
this court In commenting upon the pow
er question. 1T was regulated says
Chief Justice Marshall. in delivering
the opinion in Brown "a. Maryland. by
foreign nations. with a single view to
their own interests; and nj disunited
efforts to counterfeit their restrictions
were rendered impotent by want of COM
bination. Those who felt the injury
arising from this state of things. and
fhosa who were capahle of estimating