The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-02-11
Gen. j. Il. Wilson Presents Some Radical
Suggestions to a Senate Committee.
He Would Deprive Canadian Railways Of .
Large Portion Of Their Business. and Gives
Bakers Dozen Of Reasons Therefor.
Mr.. Huntington's Plan for Paying Gen.
tral Pacific's Debt to the Government.
The Causes That ImpelIed Many Democrats
to Cast Their Votes in Favor Of White
Riddiebergsr Threatens Mr. Sherman.

Riddiebergsr Threatens Mr. Sherman.
RELATIONS WITH CANADA
Suggestions of . Man Who Represents Co Nobody
bur Himself and the American People.
WASHINGTON. Feb 10.-Gen. James H. Will
son addressed the commerce committee Of the
Senate this morning proposing certain amend
ments to the interstate commerce Law touching
the relations Of Canadian railroads to that law.
He said he represented nobody but himself and
the American people. He represented no special
interest. but sought merely to contribute his
share a. private citizen to the accomplishment
of desired purpose. He said it might be fair
ly assumed that one Of the best features of the
interstate commerce law is that it requires pub
lic,ty TO be given to all rates. and that whatever
needs to be concealed in connection with con-
tracts for rates on either frsights or passengers
is wrong. and should be prohibited. He there
fore proposed that the first paragraph of Section
should be amended by adding the following
words:
Or to enter into any private secret contract
understanding whatever in reference to connected
directly indirectly with the conditions pre-
cedent subsequent, under which any traffic shall be
secured or transported, and all contracts and con-
dtions other ordinarily printed reg
ular bills of ladng connected with sale of passenger
tickets or transportation or with the shipments of
freight with the diversion Of passengers freghs
from the line or route of any other carrier
shall be deemed to be public contracts, and shall be
made on written or printed forms in trplicate,
for each of the parties thereto and to be forward
ed to the nissoners appointed under this act
der such regulations as they may prescribe.
He also suggested that Section 6 be amended
by striking out all of the second paragraph, the
aim being to make it unlawfu, for any common
carrier to receive freight [but not passengers at
aivfi -, <ha Unit oG Gtafo md Aha
same through any foreign country to another
place in the United States in bond. or without
paying duty the came at the port place Of
re-entry. Owing. however. to the permissive
effect of the existing law and the regulations OF
the Treasury Department by which the Cana
dian railways are permitted to take goods from
various places in the United States and carry
them in bond and IN sealed through Cam
ada and bring them back into the United States
without paying duty thereon, he would strongly
urge tho amendment OF tho interstate commerce
law by substituting for the second paragraph Of
Section the following
And nothing in this shall be construed to allow
United States to be- carried in sealed cars or in bond
by railroad through foreign country to any other
place IN the United States free Of duty and 2 Al law.
strued to permit such practices are hereby repealed
This, be said, q radical measure, but he
hoped to convince the committee that it was
called for and fully justified by our paramount
and permanent national interests. He called
attention to the following suggestions:
First-Ever since the present Constitution
went into effect il has been the settled and un-
broken policy Of the national Congress to pro-
tect our coastlng trade, and preserve it exclu-
svely for the benefit of ships carrying American
gress, now nearly one hundred years. foreign
ship had been permitted to engage IN our coast
ing trade. The object of the laws and regula-
tions, he eaid, appears to have been two fold:
To protect and foster American shipping, and to
increase the public revenues. When these laws
and regulations were first made, railroads were
unknown and untbought of, but if they had
been in nse along our land borders. ships were
on our seaboard waters. could it be doubted that
Congress would not have taxed, fostsred and
protected them within own limits against
such as might be located in foreign
territorya Congress, at that time,
laid q heavy tax upon carriages,
and 1t Was fair to assume that it would have
taxed railroads, had there been any to tax, and
that it would have protected them. pari passu.
from competition by foreign railroads. Could it
be contended that our commerce up and down
the Atlantic coast, or along tho gulf or MP and
down the Pacific coast, along the great lakes
jurisdiction. had any better right to protection
than commerce between othsr points within our
boundaries2 As Congress had taxed all Ameri-
can railroads. as the several States derived
very large portion of their revenues from them.
and as they were the property OF
our own citizens, lay wholly within own
border, bound the various parts of our country
ogether with boLds of steel, and were fully
able to handle all our local and interstate
rnerce between the cities and sections reached
by them, they were surely entitled TO WI ataver
favor co1lld be given to them by the general
government as against railroads lying wholly in
foreign countries And controlled wholly by for
eign subjects and governments.
Second-There was not another government
in the world that permitted. or had ever
thought of permitting. the practice. and the alb
manifest when it was renemb bered that the gov
ernment of the very Dominion which was becon-
ing enriched by its enjoyment from us. refused
Northwest to take wheat out of Manitoba. haul
it through the United States and re-enter il free
of duty at Canadian points Only few days
ago urgent appeals were made by the Canadians
to the authorities at Ottawa to rescind their
orders this subject. lest our governments
might retaliate and thus bring the Grand Trunk.
Canadian Pacific and other Dominion railroads
to bankruptcy.
Third-It was well known that the Dominion
government. backed and aided by the govern
ment of the British empire, had built and ex-
tended elaborate system of railroads from
Halifax. through Quebec, Montreal, and other
mportant points TO Port Moore, on the Pacific
ocean, a distance of ,729 miles. at cost of
over $205, ,000, 900 and p. 600, 900 of land
When the Grand Trunk, with its 2,594 miles.
by the Dominion gosernment-was also consid-
cred, and that the whole Of this vast system
was built as much for military and political prr-
poses as for commerce. tie folly of our policy in
regard to them would DO apparent
Fourth-Our government had. in the exsrcis
of its clear legal right TO regulate commerce.
passed law which justly enough limited the
freedom of own railroad corpo rations to
manage their business in their way, and
n easurably to protect themselves against for
eign competition. Their hands were. TO cer-
tain extent. bound, while the Canadian roads
were picking their pockets. It would therefore
seem to be no more than fair that Congress
should cut of all the facilities which are ex-
tended to the Canadian railroads under Para
graph 5000. Revised Statutes, Article 80, of the
treaty of 1871, and the regulations of the Treas
ury Department which carry them into effect
Fifth-Rut tnasmuch Article 80 had
pired by limitation and by the Presidents proc
lamation. it Was no longer binding MS as
rule of conduct, and for paramount political