THE RESOLUTIONS. 321 



4. That the different parts of the country also demand the freest 

 possible interchange of industrial products of the varied climates and 

 industries of the United States, so that breadstuffs, textile fabric.-, 

 lumber, iron, sugar, and various other products, local in their produc 

 tion but general in their consumption, may all reach the consumer ut; 

 the least practicable cost for transportation ; and that an arbitrary and 

 unnecessary tax levied by the transporter over and above a fair re 

 muneration for his investment is a burden upon the producer and 

 consumer that it is the part of wise statesmanship to remove. 



5. That certain leading railway corporations of the country, 

 although chartered to subserve the public welfare, and endowed with 

 the right of eminent domain solely for that purpose, have proved 

 themselves practically monopolists, and become the tools of avari- 

 cious and unscrupulous capitalists, to be used to plunder the pul&amp;gt; 

 lie, enrich themselves, and impoverish the country through which 

 they run. 



6. That many of the railway corporations have not only disregarded 

 public convenience and prosperity, but have oppressed citizens, bribed 

 our Legislatures, and defied our executives and judges, and stand to 

 day the most menacing danger to American liberty and to repub 

 lican government. 



7. That the present system of railway management having failed 

 to meet the just expectations and demands of a long-suffering people, 

 it must be radically reformed and controlled by the strong hand of 

 the law, both State and national, and railway corporations compelled 

 to perform their proper functions as servants and not masters of the 

 people. 



8. That, to this end, we invoke the aid of all fair-minded men in 

 all the States of the Union in excluding from the halls of legislation, 

 from our executive offices, and from the bench, all railway officials, 

 railway attorneys, or other hirelings who prostitute public office to 

 the base uses of private gain. 



9. That, leaving different sections and interests that desire cheap 

 transportation to work out the problem in such manner as they may 

 deem best, we earnestly invoke their careful consideration, their en 

 ergetic and their resolute will in regulating and controlling rates of 

 transportation, and in giving remunerative wages to the producer and 

 cheap products to the consumer, untaxed by unearned charges for 

 their carriage. 



10. That we invite the people of the various States to organize sub- 



