Albuquerque morning journal., 1910-12-13
STUBS AGAIN
ATTACKS THE
RAILROADS
KANSAS GOVERNOR ON
WARPATH AT CHICAGO
RoundIy Scores Alliance of
Politician, Lawyer and Pre-
datofy Wealth as Menace tOI
Welfare of Republic,

fBy Morning journal special Leased Wire
Chicago, Dec. 12.-Governor w. r
stubbs of Kansas. made a sensational
attack upon railroads and trusts, at
banquet Of the Illinois Manufacture
ers association tonight. He declared
that the advanced freight rates de-
manded by the railroads, were agreed
to by the combined railroads and are
therefore clearly in violation of the
sherman antitrust law" and were
unjustfiable.
The speaker condemned the judge
who fines corporations for violations
Of law and discharges the officers
who get the money and are the real
criminals in the case" He asserted
that "the relation of the federal gov
ernment to unlawful commercial in
stitutions organized for spoils and
plumber is one of the most humiliat-
ing and disgraceful chapters in Am
eriean history" Governor Stubbs said
in part:
1t Is common on occasions of this
character to sugar-coat words and
round out sentences to please the audi
ence. The question of entertainment
is not a matter of deep concern to
me at this time. 1t is my purpose
and hope to present in a plain, busi-
ness-like way facts and conditions
that may be worthy Of your careful,
conscientious and serious considera-
ton.
"In the evolution of government,
every generation has had its own re-
sponsibilities to bear its own work
to do, its own problems to solve its
own battles to fight This generation
must meet the problems of today like
men who are conscious of their power
and ability to meet every emergency,
4 determine every question of gov
ernment in a broad, liberal spirit for
the benefit and in the interest of a
majority of our citizens.
Let us have the courage to tell the
exact truth about unwholesone COM
mercial conditieng that have grown
up during the last score of years. Any
thing short of a plain, accurate state
ment Of facts concerning the iron
grip which monopolies, trusts and
illegal combinations now hold on the
commerce Of our country, means eth
er moral prostitution or personal cow
aTdice.
Every student Of public affairs
and every public Official charged
with the enforcement of law. knows
that the alliance between professional
politicians, corporation lawyers ana
the financial and commercial inter-
ests which are concerned in shap-
ing state and federal legislation 10
serve their D N,l special interests, Is Il
menace 10 tpc welfare end life Of cur
republic. 1T is well known for in
stance, that within reasoWlble limits
The packing hDase trust eNcl cises
arbitrary power so Fix the Purchase
price of cattle. hogs AMI other live
stock. and determine With accurG cy
the amount of ,.rofit ~hirh they VIII
take as their share az me transaction.
1t is well known that the packing
house trust Vas formed Hud is being
operated in opal and flaerant Nicla-
tion of moral and statutory laws
The speakcf said that he methods
employed by tho giant masters of IL
nance who have destroyed Ire natural
laws of supply apd demand through
cut the nation are il open md flag
rant violation of the Sherman anti
trust laws. tn plain provisions Of our
federal consti. lt' )r, The common laws
of our land. in1 all ninral obligations
imposed upon respectable citizens
"Tn this connection, the tranepor-
tation question - Derhaps the most
important issue b fore the American
people today. The Wall street financ-
iers. through community Of inter-
est scheme nave ~ indirect methods
formed what practically amounts TO
a gigantic railroad trust which con-
trolls the rates and policies of the
most important railroad systems IN
The United States.
There is a well established princi-
pie of law which prohibits man from
doing indirectly that which the law
forbids him to do directly II penal
ties are provided by law for doing
an act. the same penalties should at
tach when that act is accomplished
hy indirect means.
''The Northern Securities company
which was organized to consolidate
the Great Northern, Northern Pacific
ana Burlington railways. all compet-
ing lines. was declared illegal by the
federal supreme court. James j. Hin,
J. Pierpont Morgan and their associ-
ates proved themselves to be ABOVE
the law and higher than the courts
hv proceeding Immediately to destroy
connection in railroad rates through
out the northwestern states by indi-
rectly doing what the supreme court
had decided was unlawful for the
Northern Securities company 10 do.
"The railroad is government
agency. and is therefore, supposed TO
be subject to law. II is a creature OF
government. but the creature has
grown to such proportions OF wealth
and political power that provisions
Of law and decrees Of courts have
proven ineffective insofar as they
were intended 70 exercise direct con-
troll over the operation of these COM
mercial giants.
IN 1898 the dividends paid 10y the
railroads of the United STATES
amounted to ninety-scven million dol
lars. In 1908 these dividends amount
ed TO three hundred an a eighU-siN
million collars. an Increase OF iohf
hundred per cent I'm ten years.
I'm 1909 the railroads earned nine
ty-three million dollars more net
revenue than they did in 1908. ana
for the first five months Of 1910 nave
earned thirty-three million dollars
more net revenue than they dld ~
the five corresponding months OF the
previous year