Somewhere, within the little world in which he lives, they will find someone who will yield to their temptations or surrender to their power to hurt. Railroads have been known to do great things for the son of a Judge who was about to try an important case. Governors, Senators, Judges, Railroad Commissioners sometimes have relatives who are more or less willing to get hold of a good thing. The wives of the same sometimes have approachable kinsmen who, for a consideration, are willing to speak superciliously of the “demagogues” who assail corporations. Then, again, the newspapers—those busy bees!—can be so trained by corporation cunning that they will give us their sting instead of their honey. If Sir Statesman votes with a serene disregard for Sir Demagogue, giving the railroads what they want, Editorial prowess will take care of him. His praises will resound, until his sublime head bumps against the stars. But should he be his own master, obeying no orders save those of his conscience, the corporation organs can so belittle him, slander him, and manufacture lies about him, that he almost grows ashamed of having been honest. In short, the corporation can make “a good time” for those who serve it, and “a bad time” for those who defy it. _Do not all men know this?_ The more necessary any official is to combined capital, the more they will do for him, or against him. Create any tribunal which becomes an absolute necessity to the corporations—a matter of life and death to them—and they will either tempt it with bribes which no virtue can resist, or assail it with intimidations which no courage can defy. Mr. President, have you studied the history of “The Granger Cases” of thirty years ago? If not, study it. Then you will know better how the corporations control human tribunals and get rid of laws which are obstacles. Have you studied the recent decisions of the Federal Judges on the question of fixing “reasonable rates”? If not, study them. You will then know better what a monkey a railroad lawyer can make of a Federal Judge. To create another tribunal for the purpose of controlling the railroads, is simply the building of another house upon sand. The only solution of the Railroad Problem is national ownership, _which takes away the motive to do wrong_. In no other way can you cure the disease. Instead of establishing another Court, or Commission, for the corporations to play with, assert the principle of Eminent Domain, assess the railroads at a fair valuation, pay for them partly in treasury notes and partly in twenty-year two per cent. bonds, place the general management of the property under the Interior Department—and _then_ the railroads will no more think of free passes, rebates and discriminations than the Post-Office service does of free stamps, or privileged patrons who must be enriched at the expense of the other patrons. _Look at England_