Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-03-26
" OteS.


to provide for the promotion of army officers
below the rank of rigader-general after 20
wears of continuous service in one grade was
presented by the military committee in lieu
of several specific bills providing for promo
tions in the subsistence, paymasters and med
ical departments and in the line of the army.
nder this bill which the committee hope
will quiet the long existing jealousies between
line and staff, the subsistence department
will be stronger by a lieutenant colonel and
three ma jors, and one maj and four cap
tains will be promoted at once. As an in
slant of the unjust operation of the present
law the committee points to the case of Capt.
Gushing of the subsistence department, who
in 1868, ranked many of the lieutentantcol-
onels, and all but II of the majors now in
the service outside of the subsistence depart
mcnt
Frank B. Gowen, ex-president of the
Reading railroad, aud counsel for Geo. Rice
in his contests with the Standard Oil Com
pany, was given hearing today by Senator
Culloms committee on Interstate commerce,
which is investigating the discrimination
practised by the railroads in favor of the
Standard Oil Company. He thought that
the defects in the Interstate law were First
thority to award reparation for damages, but
found itself unable to do SO without violating
the constitutional provision securing the right
of trial by jury. Second, that the act pro-
hibts injured persons from applying for re-
dress. both to the commission and the courts
As the commission is unable to award damag-
es, this practically takes away the right
of the complainant to secure damages if he
al. hat he
law practically affords no adequate damages
in some cases for injuries suffered. Through
out the act damages are spoken of as COM
pensatory, but such damages are totally in
adequate in cases like those of Mr.. Rice. He
thought the statute ought to give not only
compensatory, but exemplary damages in the
discretion of the court, the same damages al
as if the carrier were guilty of tort.
Mr.. Gowen thought Congress ought to
give United States district and circuit courts
original jurisdiction in all cases arising unde
the interstate commerce law to compel th'
common carrier to perform its duty. In ad
vocstng exemplary damages he urged tina
there was no injury so great as that whereof,
the officers of public highway selected
favored people and made a special rate Il
them which drove others entirely out of bus
mess.
He expressed the belief that out of tn,
$500, ,000, 900 annually paid for transporta
ton in this cou4tr,. from $50, 900 t.
SIO0. .oO0, 900 was taken from the pockets o
the people and pai,i Into the hands of favore'
corporations which fact accounted for TIN
large fortunes that were sometimes mad
very suddenly. He had recently examine
the affairs of a certain railroad corporation
IA. ~ l. k. t,.
reached the belief that 500, 900 600 woul'
not cover the amount during the last twent
years alone by that one corporation to a fev
favored shippers of oil, coal, etc. Wher
discrimination is practiced against one partic
ular shipper the remedy ought to be in tn
form of damages large enough to make tn
shareholders change the officers,
The President will not appoint new chic
justice at once. He has, of course, give
the matter no consideration as yet. But tn
news of Chief Justice Waite's death was Ii
sooner told than Senators aud Representa-
tives and others began to speculate about hi
successor. The names most mentioned wer
those of Speaker Carlisle, ex-Governo
Hoadly, Secretary Bayard, Secretary Villas
Post Master General Dickinson, Solicito
General jerks, Hon. William L. Putnam o
Maine, John Randolph Tucker, and Wn
Z. Niblack of Indiana.
Almost every man who spoke about it be
gan BY saying: Now, if Thurman wer
only 10 years younger, he would be just tn
man" but all agreed that he was too old t
| be considered. There is a general desir
and belief among democrats that the Pres
dent will appoint man who will be good fe
1 Is or 20 years active service. Lyman Trun
/ bull has to be counted out for this reason
although he is spoken of.
I Speaker Carlisle had to decline the vacal
given to Lamar because he could not B
spared from the House. He cannot
spared any more now than then. and besid
his health is in such a precarious conditio
as to give-rise to serious apprehensions. q
ought to take a years rest. Dickinson is r