Omaha daily bee., 1884-10-14


constitutional amendment for the ere.
alton of railway commission. This prop.
osition must be defeated as it is simply q
device originated by therailroads to post.
pone legislative regulation of the rail-
way traffic until 1886, when the proposed
commission, If the amendment is adop-
ted, will come into existence. The pro-
posed amendment adds to the present
state executive officers "board of rail
way commissioners, and is as follows,
being submitted as a substitute for Sec
tiop, 1, article 8, of the constitution:
Section 1.-The executive department
shall consist of governor, lieutenant-gover-
secretary of state, auditor of public accounts,
treasurer, superintendent of public instruc.
tion, attorney general, commissioner Of public
lands and buildings and board of railway
commissioners. The officers named In this
section shall each hold his office for the term
of two years from the first Thursday after the
first Tuesday in January next Hfter his elec.
ton, and until his successor is elected and
qualified Provided however, that the first
election of said officers shall be held on the
Jub8uHy huCGttulUR bHb uEbb NiOuuh1
November Of 1886, and each succeeding cleo
tion shall be held at the same relative time in
each even year thereafter. All other officers
that may be provided for by law, under the
provisions of this section shall be chosen in
such manner and at such times, and shall hold
their offices for such length OF time as may be
provided by law, and shall perform such duties
and receive such compensation as may be pro.
vided for by law. The governor, secretary OF
state, auditor of public accounts, treasurer,
commissioner Of public lands and buildings,
and attorney general, shall reside Mt the seat
of government during their terms of Office,
and keep the public records, books and papers
there and the officers herein named shall
perform such duties as may be required by
law"
1t will be observed that this amend
ment does not specify how many men,
bers the aboard of railway commission
ers" shall consist of, nor does it fix the
ga ary. Under this loosely constructed
endment the board may be composed
of three, nine or nineteen members, and
their salary may be fixed at any sum, say
from $1,000 to $4,000 year. Here
indeed is splendid opportunity for as
rascally steal as the most avaricious
public plunderer could desire, and if the
amendment is adopted the people can
rest assured that there will be plenty of
railroad cappers who will eudeavor to
take advantage of this golden opportunity.
The attention of the people is also
called to the fact that there is loop.
hole left open for creating any number Of
new state officers and increasing the pay
of the present officials to any amount
that the legislature may see fit. Suppose
that corrupt legislature were elected,
the result might be that an outrageous
salary list would be saddled upon the
tax payers of this state. On this account,
If for no other, the people must vote
down this amendment.
But why are the railroau managers so
anxious to have this amendment adopted
They want to take from the legislature
he power of railroad regulation and
,lace it in the hands of commission
imply because they expect the commission
% be composed Of their own tools whom
they can handle to suit their own ideas. |
The railway commissioner system Is in
,avor with railroad managers everywhere
Just for that reason. The powers of the
as rule, are 80 limited
hat they can do nothing, even If hon
'stly inclined, for the redress of the
grievances of the people. They simply
,ollect statistics, such as the railroads de-
'ire, and print them in pamphlets. They
near complaints, and in case they render
\ decision the railroads abide by it or
not, just as they see fit. The trouble is
that the railway commissioners are not
,lothed with the power to enforce their
decisions, and it is not intended
that they shall be. In England, howev-
sver, it is different. There the railway
commission has proved successful, simply
because it is given exclusive and judicial
power, and its mandates can be enforced.
1t adiudicates cases andlthere is no appeal
from Its decisions, Such commission in
Nebraska, or any other state, if compos.
ed of honest and impartial men would be
equally as successful and satisfactory to
the people. But the cunning manipula-
tions Of railroad managers preclude any
such possibility. Railroad commission
ers in the United States have always
met with such vigorous opposition
at the hands of the railroads
that all attempts to establish maximum
rates and to prevent extortion and dis
elimination have proved failures. These
are some of the reasons why the railroads
prefer the commissioner system, and at
the same time they ought to convince the
people of Nebraska that it is safer to
trust to the legislature than to any such
scheme. Again, we say to the farmers,
workingmen, merchants and taxpayers
generally that they must vote down this
amendment if they wish to protect their
own interests, and compel the railroads
20 serve in their original capacity OF
servants of the people, and not masters
-.
THE people of Blue Springs, Neb.,
have appealed by writ of man
damus, to the supreme courtto com.
pel the Il a. NJ railroad IN build