Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1882-03-30
The Railroad Problem.

The proposition of Mr.. Adams to
create railroad commission of high
character but very limited powers, will
appear singularly foolish to most mem
bers of congress,no doubt. The average
legislator has a 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-frst. So it
will be, apparently, to the end of time,
unless constituents take pains to select
men who have mastered the alphabet
of 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 ard state legislatures. But we
are not cutie sure that there would not
be still more craftsmanship in doing
still less. A bill which proposes to do
almost nothing may yet be inferior to
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
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 land
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 be 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 child-Eke faith.
Mr.. Adams's plan misses the Scylla
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
possible action. Thereupon every sim
cere fanatic and every demagogue in
the House would start up, all aham e..
to rebuke these "teols OF monopoly" :"
Commissions rarely have as much in
fuenc over legislation as committees