The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-04-21

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Legislative eontro7 a esxz@e IN tie coz
sslsnssgz - shzs efses, wills 1o< essentfsi.
can Do no hErs1 - zn as5rzasssFz
ssxsssnezt OF . right ed saprsaas
Importance. % presens snT qzszzz0n st
70 TIE violation 81 the chlagsfion Of con
tracts shat might arise. shs constitution Of
the rats shoaaa orixaa IN language 10
plain 20 aIlou Of amp misunderstanding,
tAss ~ rights ard privileges conferred
apsn speaa corporation o. any otaers ssDuad
BE sahsaet - as slnss % amendment or rs-
peal TIE constitution Of Iowa provides
taxs t.n0 corporation sAzzi be created by
special Laws. hat The general assembly
snsaf pvssi1e b. general l&Es for the
e~xzzlxxtEsa OF nj corporations hereafter
70 be created except Is hers4nzffsy pro-
yIds1. )" and farther. thzt ..sab5set 20 the
peossHo7s OF this article sae general assem-
bay kk8a have power 10 amend c. repeal
al LAYS fer the organization CT creation of
corporations or grast4ng Of special or ex-
essssve privileges b. vote Of two thirds
OF s1ea bFxneh Of the general assembly
add no exclusive privileges except ~ IN
f1is Article provided. shall BE- granted. =
The exception referred 80 relates to the
organization Of banks To further avoid
all possibility of dosbs Il might be vel 20
express Ia the constitution that the legis-
Iasure should pess q general railroad law
under which any and all railroads shoaid
be organised and constructed. Such law
coaid be male toefnboay al necessary pro-
visions regarding Determinations and the
mutual relssionx OF competing lines with
reference 80 crossing or using each others
tracks, ard ether similar matters. IL n
lsw Of this kind were made imperative by
tbs constitution II would be IN every way
more desirable than an iafiexlbie sci of
rules incorporated in the constitution
Itself The main purpose OF the corsfifu-
fsoa should be to insure TO the state full,
sbsolafe and continuous control OF trans
pcrfsflon companies through the iegisEa
tmre. and to guard sgainst the comforting
OF any power by which one legislature can
grant any rights that the next cannet re-
peal IL the legislature cannot be trusted
20 protect the rights of the people whom 10
represents, the people have only fheuz-
selves TO blame In is the province of the
legislature under our form Of government
to make laws, and OF a constitutional com
sention to determine how aud under what
limitations they shall be made.
There is q provision contained In the
constitution of Pennsylvania that is eEfi-
tied 20 consideration. II Is that mo rail-
road corporation or the iessees, purchasers
or managers OF any railroad corporation
shall consolidate the stock. property or
franchise OF such corporation with. or
lee <t-f p. a a. an
OF, or In any way control any other rail-
road corporation owning or having under
its con rol q parallel or competing line:
nor shall any officer Of sach railroad cor
porstion act as an officer of any other rail-
road corporation owRing or having the
control Of a parallel or competing tine:
and the question whether railroads are
parallel or competing lines shall, when
demanded by the party complainant, be
decided by q jury as in other civil issues
This provision has been commended by
high authority for the alleged reason that
IL tends to prevent monopoly and encour-
ages competition. Mr.. Charles Francis
Adams, than whom perhaps no better
authority on railroad matters exists, says
upon this point. .'The reliance on com
petition seems to give throughout q false
direction to public opinion 81 respects rail-
roads. They are looked upon as something
alien II not hostile. The public welfare ID
associated In the popular mind with their
misfortnnes. On the other hand, the in.
teliigeEt and peaceful operation OF con.
solicatea company is generally followed
by sense OF responsibility on the one side
and OF ultimate friendiiness on the other. -
Mr.. Adams from the position he occupies
as president OF the Union Pacific railroad
may be said to be an interested party. II
must be conceded. however, that there ID
| much truth in what he says. In this terri
tory the experience of the people has been
with railroad that has In the main been
wretchedly, not TO say dishonesty, man.
aged. The policy of the company seems
TO have been 10 encourage hostility by
unfair Determinations aud unjust exac.
tons. Any provision, constitutional OF
otherwise, that would have q tendency tc
discipline this corporation aud teach Ii q
proper regard for its obligation TO the pub
lie would meet with general approval. L.
Is poor policy. however. &c ruu the risk OF
inlaTing friends for the sake of reaehins
au enemy. Railroad building here Ii
now IN its infancy and IL would be. to say
| the least, questionable whether the pro
vision in question might not work hard
ship ia many cases and have a tendency
to discourage huilding. What We want a,
The present time is railroads and plenty o!
them. Unjust exactions can be guarded
against by The legislature IL proper power
be deis gated to 1t, aud for time at least
II would seem a. ii no ri k would be run
by allowing as much scope as possible to
the projectors OF new lines and not ham.
perlng them by constitutional res rictions.
GEORGE III. HEIIHRoN