The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1907-04-26

ascertain the value of railroad prop
critics for the purpose of6xiug rates
Senator LaFollette declared b
representative government is almost
dead in this country. In the be-
ginning. the individuals vote count
ed for something, in that the re-
preventative sent to Washington
carried out the wishes of constitu-
ents. They do it no longer, because
after they get to Washington
enough of them are found for the
corporations to control them and
congress, and consequently control
legislation. He rscited the steps
I by which corporations have devel-
oped, first into competing compan-
les, but now into merged trusts in
which every corporation in an in
dustry is controlled by two or three
mn. The cut put of industry
is actually controlled. The iron of
the country is bodily controlledsby
the steel corporation. 1t has pow
er to fix thu price, and it fixes it
and requires the consumer to pay
that price. 1t put $500, 900, 600 in
to its business. and in six short
years earned enough to oo1b1e S
capital. With but 400 millions in
the beginning, it capitalized at
1,4oo millions and paid big divi-
dends on that sum, 1t is robbery
of the people. declared the speaker,
pure and simple. The same condi-
tiuns are true of coal. The same
of oil, of sugar, OF all the necessar-
les of life in fact, and the people of
the country are in industrial servi-
tude. They have to pay what the
trusts ask. They cannot avoid it
for the trusts control tue product.
From the control of these products
the trusts have passed to the con-
troll of legislation; and until the peo.
pie throw off the condition their
progress is slow and painful to
what it would be were everybody
given equal rights before the law.
! A most significant feature of the
address was the reading before the
audience of the names of senators
who voted to defeat desirable
amendments to the rate bill. One
of these was by La Toilette and it
gave the commission power to as
certain values of railroad S for tie
purpose of giving rates. Forty SEN
ators voted against it, and Fl for
1t. The vote he said is costing the
people of the country nearly $500,
900, 900 year in the higher rail-
road rates that have to be paid be-
cause the commission cannot con-
troll. Among those who voted
against the amendment was Senator
Fulton of Oregon. When his name
was read, several grcans were utter
ed in various parts Of the house, a
noticeable murmur running through
the entire audience. Senator Gear
in was among the q who voted for
the amendment, and when his
name was read the reading was
. interrupted by an enthusiastic
burst of applause. Another amend.
ment that Senator La Toilette Of
: tered the bill was one to prevent
a federal judge from sitting in the
trial Of a railroad case wherein the
defendant owned. stock in the de.
Tended railroad. ''It was an amend
ment,'' exclaimed the speaker,
t "that simply provided that a judge
. couldn't sit in the trial ofhis owr
, case. and one that I thought woulo
: go through of its own weight will
| all voting for it. but strangely
5 enough the same 40 votes wer'
: thrown against it. The reading
: of the names on this vote disclosed
5 the name of Senator Fulton among
those who voted it down, and tina
5 of Senator Gearin among those WIN
. voted for it.