The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1910-12-16
Relation of Federal Government to UnlawfuI
Commercial Institutions Humiliating and Dis
graceful Declares Kansas ExecutiUe---De-
clares for Plain Statement of Facts
Honor, Manhood and Moral Char
acter of Nation InUolUed.


tion in railroad rates throughout the
northwestern states by indirectly doing
what the supreme court had decided
was unlawful for the Northern Securi.
ties company to do.
"The railroad is government
agency, and is therefore, supposed to
be subject to law. 1t is a creature of
government, but the creature has
grown to such proportions of wealth
and political power that provisions of
law and DEGREES of courts have proven
ineffective in so far as they were in
tended to exercise direct control over
the operation of these commercial
giants.
''In 1898 the dividends paid by the
railroads of the United States amount
ed to ninety-seven million dollars. In
1908 these dividends amounted to three
hundred and eighty-six million dollars,
an increase of four hundred per cent
in ten years.
I'm 1909 the railroads earned ninety
three million dollars more net revenue
than they did in 1908, and for the first
five months of 1910 have earned thirty
three million dollars more net revenue
than they did in the five corresponding
months of the previous year.
These figures prove that there is
no reasonable basis upon which the
railroads can demand an advance in
freight rates. Upon the contrary, they
prove conclusively that railroad rates
are already too high And yet, prac-
tically all the railroads in the United
States have formed a gigantic com
bination to increase freight rates.
which the shippers who have investi-
gated the matter claim will ultimate
ly enormously increase the cost of
freight transportation.
"The advanced freight rates demand
ed by the railroads, and now being con-
sidered ythe interstate commerce
commission were agreed to by the COM
bined railroads of the United States,
and are, therefore, clearly in violation
Of the Sherman antitrust law. | sub
NIT to you, gentlemen, the proposition
that it is unwise and contrary to sound
public policy for the federal govern
ment to permit these railroads openly
and flagrantly to violate the antitrust
law by combining for the purpose of
freight rates, and through
their unlawful acts enormously to in
crease the cost of transportation to
the American people If the railroads
are thus permitted to violate the fed
eral laws with impunity, in broad day
light, and thereby increase their profits
millions of dollars per annum, what in
oentive has any citizen to respect the
law, when he can increase his income
by breaking it?
The amount of tax money collected
by the British empire from the Ameri-
can colonists, without representation,
probably would not amount to one per
cent of the tribute and extortion which
the consuming American public are
now compelled to pay to illegal com
trusts and monopolies every
year The honor manhood and moral
of our republic are involved
In the relation of the federal govern,
ment to this monstrous condition,
which offends every sense of justice,
decency and morality.
I'VE have passed beyond the stage
where self-respecting public officials
can barter and dicker and compromise
with law breakers rich or poor, high
or low, great or small, on the theory
that the rigid enforcement of law,
without fear or favor will injure bust
ness.
"The relation of the federal govern
ment to these unlawful commercial in
stitutions organized for purposes of
spoils and plunder is one of the most
and disgraceful chapters
in American history The plain duty
and task set for this generation is to
once and forever the supre-
macy of law and it's power to control
corporations, firms or in.
dividuals who directly or indirectly
form combinations in restraint of
trade, and thereby destroy free COM
petition and equal opportunity in the
commerce of the nation.
THE Sherman antitrust law pro-
vides that a combination in restraint
Of trade is crime punishable by fine
or Imprisonment or both. The Judge
on the bench who insists on holding
the corporations responsible for viola
ton of law, and, not being able to send
the corporation to prison, assesses a
fine against it as punishment for rob-
bing the public of thousands of mil