Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-04-04

Judgment as a man. Are we here to len
lslate for the rich as against the poors
Is capital To be protected and enterprises
discouraged: Is the law 10 step n and
allow the heavy shipper 60 levy tribute
upon the small shipper? To build up the
strong al the expense Of the weak. To
foster monopoly and encourage discrim
luatlon? As we'll might the general
government give to the heavy importer
a lower rate Of duty than 10 the small
one, or charge a less rate for 81. 900 worth
OF postage stamps than for Sl0 As we'll
might the man who pays $1,000 in taxes
have a lower assessment than the man
who pays SlO0, as that the man who
ships loo cars shall have a loss rate than
the man who ships 10. This was the
kind of talk the railroad ATTORNEYS fed
the committee on.
MIR. Albert Fink, the great railroad
authority, So long at the head OF the
consolidated pool, in his testimony be
fore the Onted States senate committee
said ON this subject.
"'When shipments are made by the
carload, where 1t Is merely a question Of
one or more carloads, no additional cost
is incurred 10y the railroad company.
Whether these shipments are made
by one or by many shippers it costs the
same. 1t costs no more TO ship corloads
Of freight between two stations OF
railroad whether they belong to one
shipper or TO ten shippers, whether one
man ships ten carload or ten men ship
one carload each. There is no ground
for discriminating in favor OF the larg,
shipper
Mr.. President: Out Of their own
mouths shall they be condemned.
Another, and perhaps the strongest
objection urged against this bill by the
railroad attorneys, was that il empowers
the commissioner, under certain circum
staeces to fix rates This objection has
been entirely removed 10y an amend
ment, SO ii is not necessary to discuss
it. Under the bill as 1t now reads, no
rate can be put ia effect until the rail
road companies have been heard, and
the rate has been declared reasonable
by the courts, This provision is what
President Miller called the colossal fault
of the bill, but as | have said. this OBJ
lection isnow entirely removed.
THE next greatest objection urged Go
the bill is that it prohibits charging
more there can he charged just the
same. mind YOU for a shorter than %
longer distance over the same line i'm the
same direction. 1t is amazing that any
man can be found who win deny the cor
rectness or this proposition But il is
said that there may be exceptions TO
this rule. Well, if there is, they arc
provided for in the bill Ii in any ease
the roads can show that this section
works a hardship, they can be relieved
from its operations. But the exceptions
will be rare. Can sou scarcely imagine
a case where il is cheaper and custer TO
90 two miles than ony, whether on foot,
horseback, or 10y train, What should we
think of a laborer who should ask more
for one days work than for two farm
er who should demand more for half a
load OF wheat than for a full load a
manufacturer charging more for one
machine than for greater number? 1t
seems almost absurd to talk about it,
It costs something TO run cars. Every
turn OF wheel is an added expense.
And yet the railroads want TO charge
more for fifty miles than for one hun
bred, and are to-day carrying froigh.s
through our state more than 400 miles
for the same or less than they charge
YOU and in this state for 100 miles. II
was this outrageous system of discrimi
nation that caused the insertion of the
long and short haul section in the
interstate commerce get Why, along
the line Of the road on which
| live the Chicago & Northwest
en, men and villages and cities
have been ruined, because, owing TO dis
ordinations against them hey could
not compete with the great centers OF
Minneapolis and ST Paul. The inter
state law has corrected many OF these
abuses and aided, beyond computation.
the producers and small shippers and
traders at interior points. Many OF the
heavy shippers, especially in the larger
places, complain OF this, and you must
know why. IL is because they are given,
and | hear il ntimaied that some OF
them are given now, special rates and
rebates, and other favors the general
public do not enjoy This is why they
opposed the inter state law, and why
they oppose this bill, both Of which for
bid draw backs and rebates, special rates
and unjust determinations There Is
where tlltHt Itulbli0Al UlARfn Nilt At''f'N
tions come from, from men and compa-
MES that have received in the past. and
hope TO receive in the future, special IA
vors at the hands Of railroad companies.
why said Judge Howe, do you sup
pose these great concerns, like J. !. Case
d Co., for instance, are afraid Of the rail
roads?' No. That's not what's the mat
ter The railroads are afraid OF them,
and want the privilege, unhlndered 10y
law, Of giving them any fayors they
please. so as 20 control their trade.
"To hear the railroad attorneys and
lobbyists talk one would think this
long and short haul section was
some new idea, some dastardly
scheme to wreck the railroads and
ruin the people Yet, as a matter Of fact,
il is copy, word for word Of the inter
state act,-a law framed after more
study and with greater care than any
other law on our national statute books
A committee OF the United States sen
ate, composed Of the ablest men and
most learned lawyers IN the nation,
spent nine months in taking testimony
from all classes Of business men IN every
section Of the union, and presented This
law as embodying the rlpest experience
and highest wisdom Of the country on
the railroad question. 1t was passed al
most unanimously through both house,