Addresses— u Tee farmers' Movement A 433 
men, of having the general government purchase all the present 
lines, adding immensely to our great public debt, as well as vastly 
enlarging and complicating our none too perfect Civil Service. 
The multitude of circumstances to be considered, the frequently 
varying conditions properly affecting them, the necessity of fre¬ 
quently making discriminations, unjust to no one, yet advanta¬ 
geous to the companies—these and like considerations, as well as 
the experience in a neighboring state, seem to point out the prac¬ 
tical impossibility of regulating railroad tariffs by minute and 
specific legislative enactments. 
The plan recommended by our honored governor, and adopt¬ 
ed by one political party in the state, as it probably will be by the 
other—of having a railroad commission, seems to me may be made 
a simple mode of securing relief from most of the troubles of 
which complaint is made regarding railways. With able, thor¬ 
oughly informed, incorruptible men—or better one man—with 
ample powers, injustice and extortion could be prevented and yet 
every just right of the railway companies be protected. 
PATENT LAWS, THE TARIFF, ETC. 
We heard yesterday, from my friend Professor Welch, of the 
injustice of our patent laws. There is much room for improve¬ 
ment here, and as one chief reform, I suggest that the question of 
renewal be taken from congress and placed where it belongs, 
with the commissioner of patents, for one able man, devoting his 
whole time to such questions and knowing that mal-administration 
would be followed by speedy punishment, can treat them better 
than can hundreds, knowing little of them and dividing the re¬ 
sponsibility. 
Our tariff regulations and financial system undoubtedly need 
modification, but it will not be considered inexcusable ignorance 
if I confess that, having several other questions to study, I have 
not yet prepared myself to say just what should be done as to 
these vast things, to the consideration of which so many able men 
have devoted years of study without agreement. 
THD AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENT QUESTION 
Is the most prominent of another class of difficulties in the way 
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