River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-04-06
The Railroad Problem


The proposition of Mr.. Adams to
create a railroad commission of high
character bat very limited powers, will
appear singularly foolish to most mem
bers of congress, mo doubt. The average
legislator has tendency to believe that
legislation can cure all ills of the body
polite. If fifty successive attempts
have failed, each leaving the evil great
er than before. he remains firm in the
faith that the only trouble is that the
right kind of bill has not yet been de-
vised, and sits down with sublime con-
fidence to frame the fifty-first. So it
will be, apparently, to the end of time,
unless constituents take pains to select
men who have mastered the alphabet
tof social science.
| Mr.. Adams mastered the alphabet
long ago. His plan, tame as it looks to
laundering champions OF "the cause of
the people against monopoly" has more
craftsmanship in it than any of the CO.
ercive measures contemplated in con-
gress and state legislatures. But We
are not quite sure that there would not
| be still mors craftsmanship in doing
still less. A bill which proposes to do
almost nothing may yet be inferior to
| a bill which proposes to do nothing at
all. Require the railroads to make
| frequent and regular reports of earn
| ings and traffic, and the public may in
time be educated by these oft-recurring
statements as they never could be by a
ponderous document. But as for regu-
lation or supervision, we suspect it is as
true as ever that the best government is
that which governs least.
The one merit OF our present position
is, that the advocates of an infinite va
/ riety of plans mutually neutraiize each
other, after the manner of the Kilken-
ny cats, and thus unintentionally pro-
duce the government that governs not
at all. But let any statute whatever for
railroad legislation be once enacted and
the probability is that, from that time
onward, nearly every session will see it
altered, possibly for the better, proba-
bly, for the worse. But the change in
itself will DE nuisance. The railroads
will at once make common cause to
fight in the courts and afterwards in
congress. A bill to regulate railroads
by law, regarded in the light of its prob
able consequences, might be entitled,
can act to sell the government of the
United States to its corporations"
Either the legislation would be empty,
innocuous and futile, and in that case
changes would be instantly and inces-
sanity demanded, or it would be to some
extent effective, and in that case four
thousand millions of capital would i'm
mediately begin to concentrate itself
upon Washington. He who thinks that
legislation would thenceforward be
shaped in the interests of the people
has simple and chifd-like faith.
| Mr.. Adams's plan misses the Scylla
f of coercion, but does not avoid the
Charybdis of perpetual agitation for
change. His commissioners are ex-
pected to report measures for the con-
; sideration of congress. This would
bring up, year after year, the whole
subject of railway regulation, and every
: member of congress would have his
pockets full of amendments and substi-
tutes. Perhaps the Commission would
/ wisely argue against attempted coer-
!. cion. and recommend only the wisest
a possible action. Thereupon every sin
r cere fanatic and every demagogue in
r the House would start up, all afiame,
!. to rebuke these stools OF monopoly"
i Commissions rarely have as much in
g fiuenc over legislation as committees
composed of mem bers of the legislative
e body. The members would feel called
e upon to vindicate their own wisdom
n by altering or rejecting proposed for
q them, and the chances are that real
e ly wise measure would fare worse than
+ it would if offered by a single repre-
{ sentative on his individual responsible
ty. In fact, if the Commission should
, devise any particularly good thing, its
l recommendation would probably lessen
the chance of that good thing getting
!; done.
The railroad problem is settling it.
r. self a good deal faster than any Con-
r gress could settle it. Ten years ago
q there was not even single fanatic
who contemplated as possible the rate
for transportation which the railroads
= have of their own sweet will maintain
ed for half year. If the practical re-
!, suit is bankruptcy for any company,
! that event viii educate more people
than any number of elaborate reports.
|. Or. if the result is that the roads
! have all survived, that experience will
! educate both people and managers, so
: that rates which were once common
: will become forever impossible. Or,
j again, if it appears that railroads have
escaped bankruptcy only by taxing
T local traffic unreasonably to support
!. through traffic, it will instantly become
4 a practical question for the business
7 men of every State whether they wish
!. to surrender the through traffic or to
I see it preserved al such a cost. AS
! matters stand, stockholders, bond
holders, shippers and consumers are all
r getting educated by the same events,
n and very rapidly. 1t may be doubted
t whether any Commission could posi-
/ bly, disseminate as much information
f in as short time, and in form to
!. stick in the mind as long. Men re-