Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-01-11
He UphOlds Railroad Companies
Rather Than the law Need Reforming
Horr Thinks Both Blaine and Alper
Will be Members OF the Cabinet.
GUSH AND GUZZLE
Boston Merchants Hold High Revelry-Judge
Cooley SObers the Crowd Up.

Cooley Sobers the Crowd Up.
BOSTON, Jan. S.-The annual dinner of
the Baston Merchants association, which
took place this evening IN the Hotel Ven
dome proved TO be Q grand affair.
Among the invited quests were the fol-
loving: Chairman Cooley, of the inter
state commerce commission; Prof. Rich
ard Ely, of Johus Hopkins university !;
+. b. Ihurber, Gov. Ames, Pres. Capen,
of Tufts college; Gen. Francis A. Walker,
Josiah Benton, Jr., and Gen. n. P. Banks
After dinner "Com petition and Comb
nation" and allied subjects, WAS an
nounced as the topic for discussion.
Judge Cooley was the first speaker. He
said In part: IAN urgent call for a mod
lfication of an act which comes from rail
road .circles has sprung up recently.
The period of which the law oper-
ated uOst to the benefis of railroads
was precisely that during which its
provisions were being Observed. | think
that an undeuiabIe fact, aid if it is, it is
deserving of more attention than it has
received DIP to this time rom the man
ayers of railroaCs. 1t wa4 also q period
during wolch the laS was com planned of
least. There are very vigorous com
plants low. They relate main
~ to the clauses of the act
which forbid greater charge on
shorter hanl on the same line in the
same direction where the circumstances
and coccluons are similar, aud that
which makes pooling unlawful. The
fist mentioned clause embodIes the priu-
Opal right in itself. In large sections
of country the roads have come into con
formlty with IT, and not suffered any loss
from doing SO. In others it was not
practicable to do so, at least
immediately. But difficulties will
diminish as the managers come to bet
ter understanding Among themselves.
The law intends that the railroad bust
ness of the country shall be doHe openly
and with full publicity. This equal and
just purpose Is defeated by contrivances
that are clearly opposed to the intent of
the law, if not TO its terms. Now, when
parties are thus busy in con-
triviGg methods for rendering the Law
of no effect and their eva-ions of its
pnr pose are seen to have a direct ten
dency to diminish cooperative revenues
they are hardly parties TO and put them
selves upon the stand to prove that the
law Is injuriug their roads. | must insist
that the argument now made for pooling
Is radically unsoun6 and vicious, because
it rests upon the assum ption that
the violation of the law by one
is the Justification OF another
When the pool as it used to be formed
broke up, there WAS no enforcing such
Obligations as had been incurred while it
existed, there was no com peling the
payment of balances. Pools antagonize
the leading aud the most valuable prin
eiples of industrial life in their at
tempt noe to cub competition merely,
but to put an end to it. All these things
go to show that something else needs re-
forming besides the law. One who inves-
tIgates railroad disorders will be surpris-
ed to find how many of them, though
plainly opposed to the spirit of the
law, may still be practically legal.
An evil in the railroad service is Ii
combination between the seal per and the
INSCRIPTIONS general passenger agent.
This will be broken up just as soon as
there Is applied in railroad matters
naxims of business prudence which are
expected TO control railroad interests. If
the combination is in the same person
the Two characters of railroad manager
in whatever official positiun-and of
speculatoI in railroad stocks could be
rendered possible, we might hope to
see the time when he question what is
right and wrong III rsIlroad matters
would be heard a good deal oftener than
1t is now, and the question, what can be
done in evasion of law without encouu-
terlng is penalties, good deal more un
FIRE uueutIy"