The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-01-14

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me memorable law of all public trust
= aosoiute equality in all dealings will
each ihaiylduaI OF that public. tn,
praetice OF giving extremely low rate
between certain points and making M
the loss by high charges on other com
ihuhites Is simple robbery under tbs
!ornls OF Ia, If the law permits it. II
= hot IN the power of human reason L
sVceessIu. eo1trovert this. Noamount
~ iigeL4v.-s s2phlstry can even obscure
but, independent of its abstract in
justice, the consequences TO the publie
are pernclous in the extreme. one
e!ty or town Is built up at the exnenSa
OF another. One community j. enrich.
ed or favored by unjust and uue1ual
lmposltlons on another Jeafousies are
engendered and illegitimate and baDef,,l
rlyalries fostered. The struggle for e8.
yaneement and superiority between rival
| communities Is degraded from an hon.
] ora0le competition In which success i
sought by superior energy and business
management into a reliance upon favors
to be received from RAILROAD comuauie>
and dishonorable and Uumaulv sub
serviency III order to gain them.
Mr. President, il is a marked terden,v
in modern economic and industrial life
that population and business of all
kinds concentrate in large cities, Much
more than the one-haif of tie pouula-
ton of Great Britain is crowded into
cities ana towns. The tendency in our
country is in the same direction. I do
not regard this as desirable Ou the
contrary, think it would be far better
for the happiness and prosperity Of my
countrymen ii wealth and enterprise
all kinds of busineSs-were more dtfused
all over the land. Producer and con
sumer should be brought nearer togeth-
er, that the interchange Of commodities,
the barter and exchange of the products
of agriculture and manufactures should
be carried on with ss little Intervention
OF mlddlemen as practicable. The profits
of the workers would be increased, ana
the cost to consumers diminished
There would also be more homogeneous
ness IN our population; greater kuowl-
edge OF economic processes would be
extended beyond the limits of the class
engaged in each particular business.
There would be fewer specialists, with
little or no information outside of the
particular work in which they are en-
gagged There are many considerations
with this subject worthy OF
the attention of the Senate. I do not
propose TO go further now. | may on
some other occasion state some OF them.
Now, Mr.. President, the practice of
railroad companies In violating the pro-
vision l am now discussing, charging
discriminating rates as between different
places, tends greatly to this aggregation
and concentration of population, wealth,
and business in a few favored places,
and for that reason should be prohibit
ed. The result / condemn, II must be
is not the creation of new
wealth by railroad companies, but is
merely the concentration and aggreea-
ton of wealth created by others at
favored places and in the hands Of
favored individuals at the expense of
other places and other persons, and
that, too, in many instances by the ruin
Of those who created it.
Mr.. President, | come now to discuss
some of the details Of the bill under
and to point out some of
the defects. in its provisions. And in
the outset | will state that its defects
are rather of omission. of inetliciency,
Than of positive wrong in its provisions,
and while | should prefer 10 have the
ielects remedied, yet if they are not /
iud merit enough in the bill as it stands
20 com nand my vote if | do not find
some of its minor provisions unc0nstltu-
.ional
| have already pointed out how vain
4 ' ha 4f
the bin prohibiting the charging of uD-
rates unless there be some
efficient provisions to enforce it. This
bill contains no such provision. As TO
that, if the bill becomes a law as it now
stands it will be but giittering words,
holding out hope sure to be dlsap-
pointed and u promise never to be re-
deemed. | have already pointed out its
assured failure from the want of "a
standard by which to measure the rea-
of the rates. The powers of
the commissioners furnish no substitute.
Their powers as to this point extend
lnly to ascertaining the existence of
already well known and the in
stitutlon of suits certain to fail. If
they give advice to railroad companies
they have no means to compel Its adOp-
-ion. Laws are not made 10 give whole
some advice, but to prohibit wrongs
and compel obedience TO the right. OF
mere advice and denunciatiOn OF wrong
.he railroad companies have already a
,urfeit. They refuse to follow the one
Dr to be influenced by the other. But
it is said the commissioners will expose
10 the light of day and subject to the
censure of an enlightened public the
wrongs in railroad management. But
these wrongs have already been exposed,
and of censure and complaint the whole
land is full.
4 great railroad-man Is reported to
have said, Damn the publicI' and the
public in turn deals verbal damnatiOn
10 the railroads, and yet the evils con-
tinue to exist. ii it be thought that
light thrown on this subject through
the agency Of q railroad commission be-
cause it is official, and because, further,
tue railroad companies may regard it IN
that form for fear Of remedial legislation
to follow il, answer that a tear Of
restraint upon future acts of wrong to
be performed after restrictive legislation
shall have been passed has never been
eiicacious to prevent misconduct prece-
dent to the enactment of the law. The
tendency Of such fear is directly the
reverse; it stimulates the wr0ugdoer ''to
make hay while the sun shines" to
make the most of a profitable license
which may in the future be revoked
You may possibly stop wrongdoing
under law already enacted by a threat
to enforce its punitory provisions unless
the wrong shall cease; but it is an
anomaly III administration to say to
wrongdoer, 'If you do not mend your
ways, hereafter when | have more time
to devote to the business, more accurate
information as TO your misdceds, l viii
give the matter consideration and see il
something can not be devised TO arrest
your career; / regard you AZ an amiable
and useful, even essential, public agent,
and | am awfully afraid if act at all
shall do you wrong" And that, sir,
is the plain English OF this bill so far az
it relates to reasonable charges by rail-
road companies.
The section relating to discrimination
I regard as unobjectIonable. The pro
visions of the bill relative to the COM
mission deserve criticism.
In the first place three commissioners
are preferable to five. Small bodies are
more efficient. ! also regard the salary
as too low. / would prefer $4,000 to
the amount named in the bill, namely,
s., 800. As general rule / am opposed
to high salaries. But in this case, if we
are to have commissioners at all, we
ought to have the best talent and quali-
fcations the country affords. The men
selected should, in pecuniary compensa-
ton, be placed beyond the temptations
and Establishments which will continu-
ally beset them. They must be men Of
the highest character for honor and in
tegrity, Of commanding talents, and of
c,reat husiness nua i ificatinns and ex-.c.r.i-