Omaha daily bee., 1889-04-24
UNIFORM RAtLRoADLEg1sLATr ATroN.

UNIFORM RA NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Judge Cooley, chairman OF the inter-
state commerce commission, delivered
an address in st. Louis, a few days ago,
on the railroad situation, and was sub
sequently interviewed on the same sub
ject. He takes an encouraging vie w OF
the future, so far as the regulation OF
the railroads by law is concerned. He
thinks the law Is better obeyed than at
first, and that there is much better
spirit manifested In regard TO it on the
part OF the railroad managers. From
the enforcement OF the law he ex-
poets several important results. He
thinks there will be gradual removal
OF antagonisms that now 80 seriously af-
feet the railroad business, that the diff
culties OF the business and the princi-
pies that must be recognized in its man.
agement will gradually come to be bet
ter understood, and while railroad man
ayers will more carefully regard, than
they sometimes have, the rights OF the
general public, so the general public
will view in more charitable and dis
passionate light the efforts OF the man
ayers to accommodate business and
other interests.
Judge Cooley is not an advocate of the
government ownership of railroads,
though he intimated that the regula
tion OF the business OF the roads would
be greatly simplified if they we're under
one control. This, in effect, is what is
sought to be accomplished by the gen
tlemen's agreement,p the operation of
which is now on trial. But the matter
of highest Importance, in the opinion
OF the judge, is uniform law,
such as the Interstate commerce
act secures. Instead OF this
law encouraging unfriendly legis-
lation in the states, Judge Cooley
thinks the effect will be quite tho con-
trary. His opinion was that in time
state regulation will not be so much in
sisted upon, and when it is it will con-
form to congressional legislation. The
existing law is not perfect. The per-
feet law is matter of evolution. The
people, including the railroad man
ayers, must be educated up to 1t, and
Judge Cooley thinks the managers will
in time come TO see what the best of
them see now, that regulation by the
general government is necessity to
the best results for either the roads or
the public.
This favorable view OF the future of
the railroad situation, so far as it has
relation to law, ought to be reassuring.
1t could not have any better authority
than the chairman of the interstate
commerce commission. But its realiza-
tion will depend a great deal upon the
vigor and firmuess with which the
commission shall enforce the law, and
there is room for improvement in
this respect. Just now tho rail-
roads Of the country are certainly mani
testing better disposition than ever
before to comply with the Interstate
commerce act, and it is very much to be
hoped that this spirit will continue. If
it shall, there can be little doubt that
the general public will view in more
charitable and dispassionate light the
efforts of the managers to accommodate
business and other interests,' and 1T
will be only a question OF time when the
people of the states will be disposed, if
they are not already so, to conform rail-
road regulation to the legislati on of
congress.