Year: 1872

purpose; yet I deny their right t.


control directly or indirectly, by


combinations or otherwise, the land.


reserved by the Government ant


now cultivated by settlers.


These capitalists also have othel


means which enables them to collec,


and control more completely thu
commercial and industrial interests


OF the country. They have meth


cd OF creating fictitious capital which
is termed watering the STOCK" and


which enables them at pleasure to
levy tribute on the country. These
are facts which cannot be successfully
controverted; and close observer,
are beginning to fear lest day may
come when these restless energies
having mastered the commerce oi
the country, will seek to gain posses
sion of the Government itself. Is
not danger to be apprehended when
combinations are formed which have
the capacity to toss at will million
dollars into this scale or hat, with
all the corrupting influences that fol.
low? Wealth may be blessing
when not aggregated In large quantl-
ties in the hands of inscriptions
men. 1t is like the rain which re-
wives the fields when graciously CIV
en- in the form Of shower, but which
brings loss and destruction when col
lected in AL ungovernable torrent
In Central Iowa, where, as before
sho wn, the genial sun and prolific soil
combine to reward the farmer with a
bountitul harvest, the remark is COM
mon that sit costs one bushel of
W heat to send another to market {; ="
SO that grain becomes a drug and
the development Of the State is OBJ
structed. l am told that corn Is now
used as fuel even in the region Of the
great Iowa and Missouri coal fields,
and our vast coel Interests also lie
idle for the want of reasonable rates
OF transportation to market. This
should not be so, and would not be If
our freights could be transported to
the river at fair price. But the
rate Of charges on the railroads are
SO framed that grain from Central To-
wa can be laid down in Chicago al
most as low as at the Mississippi r.y.
er, and in this way the river towns
are crippled and the development of
the entire State Is obstructed.


Thus is commerce retarded and
grain left to rot in the crib. The
cost Of freight from Iowa to New
Orleans, by water, should not be
over ten cents per bushel on grain,
so that just rates from the interior to
the river would enable US to ship our
products to southern market, where
the quotations are above those of
Chicago and the East. For these
evils think reliet could be found in a
law to prohibit railroads from charg-
ing more for a given distance than
tor greater distance, as between
competing points. Such law would
at once increase to large extent the
value of every bushel of grain in GEN.
trail Iowa.


Mr.. Speaker, IN conclusion I have
only to say that in my judgment this
question affords the greatest problem
OF the age. And it is a source OF con-
graduation that the Committee on
Commerce, with the able and distin.
guished gentleman from Ohio [Mr.
Shellabarger] at Its head, has this
subject under consideration; and l
have only to urge that the subject
NAV receive the careful aud lellber-
ate attention of the House, that a
wise aud judicious law may be enact.
ed that will ulnock our commerce
and utilize our vast coal interests
which now lie dormant.