The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-03-23
THE REAGAN BILL,


llunllon throughout the entire country J.
liz article We shall discuss briefly tho bill II
elf and not tho motives prompting w. MOI
he evils, or suppo,ed evils, aImcd to bo cor
cectod by H. Upon ls more face, and iron
casual reading, the bill Is calculated to In
press most persons hyorably, but whe'
ubIeeted To close scrutiny and analysis
much can DO sud In hrnoa ANA u
reason against II, II Is formed bill Tor lh'
regulation of Interstate commerce, but lh''
W. doom Is u mlsnomor for II Is eohllh'o
exclusively ~ tho regulation of tralllc Along
railway lines, leaving transportation along
dTors, tho inland lakes and coastwiso, entire
~ ont Of consideration and Ia every way IN
lrammolcd. For this reason, If tho bill should
become law, II will discriminate In favor OF
walor lines against the railroads OF tho coun'
uy, and therefore II 10 not IN the
Interest OF inter State commerce
Can law that tics hard and fast tho hands
Of onosystom Of transportation, liking the
otes and bounds Of its transactions, while
anothcrsystom equal In importance IN every
respect, Ia left froo to do rs II wills, bo IN the
interest of interstate commerce. Does II
not destroy that competition which makes
commerce healthy aud vigorous, and tend to
Greats monopoliss where monopolles other
wise could not eXsl' 1t Is wel-known
fact that railroads cannot pay their operating
expenses md meet those fixed charges
in tho nature of interest on the
cost of construction and compete with
tho water lines for traffic. This Is n fact that
tho Intelligent reader will perceive ut n glance,
and ii will need no olucidaton at our hands
The substitute for Mr., Reagan's bill reported
by the committee, il seems 10 US Is dictated
by not merely abstract, but by practical wis
dom Ms well. 1t 10 based upon tho precedents
Of England and other countries in tho crca-
ton of board of commissioners composed
of gentlemen thoroughly versed theoretically
and practically In the matter Of transporta-
ton, both by rail and water, their duties
being to investigate the whole question and
furnish remedy for the evils complained of,
many of which are real and sadly in need Of
redress. 1fths substitute becomes n law, no
doubt such gentlemen as Mr., Charles Francis
Adams, of Massachusetts, Colonel Fink, Of
Louisville, Kentucky, at present one of the
Arbitration board, and other gentlemen Of
like high roputo will constitute this impartial,
intolligent and Just commission of umpires TO
determine all questions between the shipper
md carrier whether the latter be by rail-
or water. In no just view of tho question
can IT be said that Congress, acting in the in
.erest Of interstate commerce, should dis
crimnate in favor of water lines, to the detri-
mont of railway lines, nor by its actions put
ltin the power of n great monied corpora
ton, owninga line of transportation made up
partly of rail and partly of water, to break
down lines of railway. Nor would it
be Just to place it in the power of
lines altogether on water to dis
eliminate us against lines all rail
in such manneras to realize largely increased
rates on transportation, already remunera.
tive to them. The effect would be to break
down and destroy railway lines, the useful
ness of which is not to be supplied by water
This question is one of pc
culiar interest to Northern and Western
Texas, those sections now lndulging the high
EST hopes from lines of railway, some of which
are in course of construction and others
reasonably believed To be on safe
and sure basis-lines of railway that will
develop these sections to an extent hitherto
never expected by their friends, even in their
most sanguine aRtcpations. 1t is to the
railroads now being built and about to be
built that these regions look for population
and for the growth of those resources they
possess in latent form that will make them
Plospolpuo, ilCu Auu pONcTlul. we venture
the assertion that IL the Reagan bill becomes
a law that the extension of the Texas u Pa
ciiic railroad westward, and the con.
struction of other lines now almost
assured facts, that will connect Dallas, Sher-
man, Fort Worth and other important
points, Will DO sadly pnralyzed. Texas, Of
all the States in the South and Southwest. is
particularly interested in having no such hos
tile legislation towards railroads. Her hopes
for the future depend largely upon the COM
pleton of her railroad system now being
pushed forward SO vigorously and under
such happy auspices. Her railway lines are
the great arteries ramiHing throughout
her length and breadth for the
circulation of her commerce which will give
her life and strength and build her up to be
power in the land. There is room for
twenty times the population we have, and
rich lands for the cultivation of their hands,
and it is railroads that must give us this popu-
lston, that must reclaim, our wildernesses and
virgin prairies, and annihilste our frontier
with its dangers, and any legislation that is
calculated to cripple or in anywise impede
the progress of our railroad system TO an