Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1886-02-06
COMMISSIONER PRATT.
81. Vie vs. on tho National Board %
Railroad ommissbOnsEs-
From the Jefferson CITY Tribune. !


which has been investigating this sub
ject during the recess of congress, has
made its report and its chairman has
introduced a bill to create national
board of railroad commissioners 10 su-
pervise interstate commerce by rail-
road. The whole subject is now be-
fore the American people, ,and the more
IT is publicly discussed the better chauce
have we, the people, to get ct the truth
of the matter, and the sooner may cur
delegates in congress be expected 70
take suitable action upon it. Let Us,
therefore, consider:
!. Why is 1t necessary Ior congress
to Interfere in the matter, and to eXer~
else lis right to regulate commerce
among the several states, When those
several states are not presuming to OBJ
-trucl 1t: SIT is very apparent that, il
accordance with the theory aud prac-
lice OF our system OF government ana
unanimous popular sentiment, COM
merce between the: states must be kept
perfectly free and unrestricted, las much
so, In fact, a. if the state lines were hot
therc." The constitution OF the United
States provides that s'NO state shall.
without the consent OF congress, lay
anv imports or duties on imports Or
exports, except what may be absolute.
y necessary for executing its inspec-
non laws" Congress shall have pow
,r to regulate commerce with foreign
nations aud among the severa! states
and with the Indian tribes" "No
preference shall be given by any regu-
iation of COMMERCE or revenue 10 ihs
ports OF one state over those OF anoth.
er." The grant of power to regulate,
coupled with denial of power to show
any preference, practically conveys
power tD remove restrictions or OBJ
structiohs, and not power 10 impose
them. In regulating its own affairs it
is the right and duty of each state gov
ernlnent to compel all parties transact
ing business within its limits (no mat
ter W here their domicile may be, and
not excepting transportation compa-
nies,) TO be subject to its laws, and
these laws should be enforced through
the state courts. Since, therefore,
neither federal nor the state govern
ments eau obstruct Interstate com.
merce, and since each state eau protect
It's own citizens against all parties
whOmsoever transacting business with
in its limits, there wOu d seem to be
nothing lett for congress to regulate.
But We must not forget that, while this
constitution is so explicit Oh this sub
ject, and while the relations between
the federal and the state governments
| are as clearly defined by it,as the needs
| If commerce required at the time of its
ADOPTION, yet that this instrument Is
| now nearly a century old, and that
within tho last half century there has
grown up q new commercial instru-
| mentality that has revoiutionized the
| whole internal traffic OF the country.
This new. agency, commencing busi-
uess as a carrier in the service OF the
| merchant, has adopted a labor-saving
invention of such remarkable proper
iies as to enable it to defy the competi-
ton of all those using the old modes Of
| overland conveyance,- and of those
using the new mode it allows no COM
petiLor TN its lines. The. difference
between the charges at which 1t can
make profit and those at which the
same service can be profitably perform
led BY those carriers who have not
adopted this modern invention Is 50
great as to admit of enormous profits,
ruinous Determinations and irreXulari-
ties innumerable. Ii can encourage or
repress all general prosperity along its
lines, stimulate or check the growth Of
any town, make or break any trader,
aud control the price at which every
producer, either of raw material or of
manufactured goods, shall sell his pro-
ducts or buy his supplies, Holding o
monopoly of the carrying trade, it can
absorb control of all productive indus
tries until all are smitten with that
paralysis which inevitably follows the
exercise Of supreme control in the
whitening grasp Of any one particular
interest The various industries which
supply the necessities, the comforts and
the luxuries of civilized lite can flourish
only when freedom OF expansion is
allowed to each, untrammeled by the
other; and when any of them establish
es control over all the others, it first
saps their vitality aud then dies for
lack OF nourishment.
In brief, the business of overland
transportation has gone into the hands
of corporations, ,artifciaipersons, ,creat ID
by law for the special purpose vi intro
ducing increased facilitles into that bus.
incss whereby the public Is to be bens.
tited. These corporations have taken
advantage of the great popularity which
their really valuable and extremely
captivating Improvements have given
them to extend their influence and Ieir
operations until they have invaded pri-
vate rights III many and various wavs;
have unlawtully engaged in business
other than that for which they were
created ;have even obstructed commerce
between the states, and have shown to
the ports OF one state a. preference over
those Of another. They have therefore
not only exercised powers not delegat-
ed to them, but they have powers which
the very governments that created
them did not themselves possess.
1t follows that they must be restrain-
ed. But when we come to consider
the kind of restraint to be applied, it's
extent and the manner of its applica-
; ton, etc., we find that there are
principles involved which form the very
basis aud groundwork of all good
government, national and local. 1t
seems eminently proper, therefore,
that In adjusting these matters the wis
dom and powers of congress be supple.
nented to that Of the state legislatures,
and 1t is to be hoped that it will not
only create a railroad commission
with appropriate powers, but that it
will require its commissioners to hold
conventions Of oil the state railroad
commissioners for the purpose of agree
Ing upon and recommending q code Of
laws on this subject for each state, and
for the United States, that will secure
harmonious action in ali. Respectful
| IxV ~ d..