THE FARMER'S WAR AGAINST MONOPOLIES. 237 



establish for the service rendered them, and to keep 

 these rates at the highest possible point. 



III. That the corporations have a decided advantage 

 over the public in this struggle, and that they are de- 

 termined to resist, and do resist, all efforts on the part 

 of the latter to obtain cheap transportation. 



IV. That they are utterly regardless of the rights of 

 the people, either as individuals, or as a community, 

 and that they resent and punish to the extent of their 

 power, any attempt on the part of an individual to dis- 

 pute their regulations, however arbitrary and unjust 

 the said rules may be. 



V. That they are practically irresponsible for their 

 action, and resist any and all efforts to render them 

 amenable to the law. 



VI. That they pursue a systematic course of plunder, 

 robbing the nation of its property, and levying exorbi- 

 tant rates upon individuals and freight, to pay " fancy 

 dividends " upon their fictitious stock. 



VII. That in order to secure the success of their 

 schemes, they do not hesitate to resort to the most cor- 

 rupt practices. They have done what they could to 

 debauch the men placed in positions of public trust by 

 the people, bribing legislators, and taking them into 

 their pay, literally purchasing courts of justice, and 

 thus closing the means of obtaining justice once open to 

 the people. 



VIII. That they are directly responsible for a large 

 share of the corruption that is fast demoralizing our 

 public service, and are seeking to render themselves 

 the masters of the National and State governments. 



IX. That they have introduced an element of reck- 

 less gambling in stocks into the monetary affairs of the 



