Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-09-17

| publican party Is In FAVOR vi Tie
| downtrodden and oppressed every
where. and where it finds class In
| the country that are oppressed, it IL
lin favor OF seeing that they have
equal and just rights among the peo-
pie.
| You SEE they didn't go heartily into
| tnat idea that Congress has power To
regulate Interstate commerce. III
may be question whether transpor-
tation by rail from one State to an
other Is interstate commerce. Now,
ia my humble judgment, fellow
citizens, wfen the question Is pre-
scented to the Supreme Court Of the
United States,-it will be there de-
clared that transportation from State
To state by rail is Interstate COM
merce. / believe that will be the
doctrien when it comes fairly before
the Supreme Court OF the United
States. Why? From the, decisions
already made. The speaker refer
red then, at some length, TO several
decisions of the Supreme Court and
Courts Of the United States tending
to support the doctrinel. / under
stand the decision of the Circuit
Court Of the United States, where
the question came up on the WiScon-
sin railroad law, was that regulating
the freight from one point IN State
to another point in the same State
Is In the power of the State, and
perhaps no one here doubts ii and l
believe that will be the decision OF
the Supreme Court Of our State. We
think it is within The power OF the
State and State Legislatures to con-
troll it, but between States IL must be
regulated by Congress. Now, two
bodies cannot occupy the same space
at the same time this power cannot
rest with Congress and also rest with
the State Legislatures.
We have law on the statute book
Of our State to-day, but do the rail
roads pay any attention to it? How
is it in our own town Of Sigourney !?
| cannot speak for other places I'm
der our present law the freight te
Chicago on ear load OF wheat, cat
tie, or hogs Is increased from 50 to ~
more on the car for transportation
than it was last year. Now, Ii
this going to benefit the farming
community NO; because, when 1t
comes to Interstate commerce, they
say it is not applicable and they pay
no attention TO il and there Is 40 die
position on the part Of the friends Of
the law To make them, and they
make up for the deficiency in conse-
auence Of low freights between
points in the State. There are two
or three lumber yards, and, If
there Is reduction they get the ben
eft of the law; bat, while they get
the advantage the farmer has to pay
IS to So more per carload OF hogs,
cattle and wheat. If this is the ope-
ration Of the law, the eooner we get
rid Of il the better. This is cutting
the throat Of the farming communi-
ty. 1t seems now to be conceded on
all hands that there must be some
of railways; how far that
should go Of course 1t is for Congress
to say. 1t should not go too far.
We should not carry this to extremes.
After passing the first resolution,
+" We demand" resolution read.
Now. any reasonable man will sub
cribe To that saying, that Congress
and the States should regulate these
matters. The other resolution,
/" Railroads and aif others should"
etc., resolution read. The Repub-
liGan platform is almost identical.
I say there is no issue between the
party and the Anti-Mo-
nopoly party on this transportation
question, unless they take sides with
the Democratic party, who say Con-
gress has no power to regulate it.
There was tendency on their part
to take that idea, but they finally
dropped over On the Republican
side; but the Republican party took
the more reasonable position. But,
to carry the argument little further
the Republican party stands in a
position and its doctrines are better
In accord with a policy for adopting
such measures rs are necessary to
regulate Interstate commerce.
will say you know it Is doctrine,
time immenorial, OF the Democratic
party that you should have a strict
of the Constitution.
You must have the precise letter of
the Constitution. They We're not in
favor Of any liberal construction, and
in consequence OF that doctrine, they
said that Congress had no power to
foster internal improvements, or to
involve Congress in any scheme
whatever for the improvement of
rivers or the construction of canals.
Now, suppose the regulation of
transportation by rail from State to
State should not be sufficient to furn-
ish cheap transportation-then, i un-
derstand, the Republican party is in
favor of improving the rivers and ca
nails, SO as TO make provision for the
transportation Of our freights to the
East. But you cannot do it with the
construction OF the opposition given
TO the Constitution.
if, in the regulation Of transporta-
tion the Improvement OF rivers, har-
bors, and canals fails, then we are in
favor of constructing great lines Of
railroads by the government from
west to east to secure this transporta-
ton. The Republican party is i'm ia
vor Of that, and is willing to do it il
~ baontra s. ,,aaaagarv IN cnustpn.t thn