The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-01-09
THE INTERSTATE LAW,
Judge Cooley Tells Of It's ISneilh at u
Boston Baunuet,

bOhtOn hUutluetf
r BosToN, Jan, S.-The annual dinner
Of the Boston Merchants Association
which took place this evening in the
Hotel Yeudome, proved an occasion oI
unusual significance, Among the in
yited guests were as iollows' Hon, I,
NJ, Cooley, OF Washington, Chairman OF
the Interstate Commerce Commission
Prof, Richard Felix, Of Baltimoroi
Francis B. Thurher, Governor Ames
and Gen, N. p, Banks,
After the dinner, Combination and
Competition" and allied subjects was an
nounced us the topic for discussion and,
while upon his feet, Judge Cooley, Of
the Interstate Commission, substan'
TALLY said;
" believe am expected to sOy some,
thing on the subject oicomblnations and
concentrations OF interests, with special
reference to the business Of Transports :
tisu Of personsand property by railroads,
| do not understand that the question
that the repeal OF the Interstate COM
merce act is to DO discussed ut this time
aud II it were, do not know that |
should care to speak upon 1t, may say,
however, that the ac. has a good pur'
pose IN view. 1t was intended to cor
rect enormous abuses previously exist
ing, but they cannot bp corrected With
out cutting of some sources OF improper
income, The urgent call for u mOdifca.
ton OF tho act which comes
from railroad company circles has
sprung up recently, There were indeed
some objections made to II Immediately |
after Its passage, Us well M before, but
when 1t was given effect 1t was found,
quite to the surprise Of some who had
prophesied disaster to the railroads from
II, that the disasters did not follow. l
desire to call special attention TO this
fact: that the period during which the
law operated most to tho benefit OF the
railroads was precisely that during which
is PROVISIONS wero best observed, !
to be an undenlablo fact; and
II 1t is n fact, it is deserving OF more at
.cntlon than up to this time II has re-
,eived from tho managers OF railroads.
II was also the period during which the
aw was Complainea OF least.
TIE COMPLAINTS.
There are very vigorous complaints
now. They relate mainly to the cause
II the act which forbids the greater
,h0rge on the shorter haul on the same
line in tho same direction where the
and conditions are slmi.
lar, aud that which makes pooling un-
lawful, The aforementioned clause en-
bodies n principle righttn itself. In
large sections ol the country the roads
have come into conformity with II, and
not suffered loss from doing 40. In
others IL was not practicable to do SO, at |
least Immediately. But the difficulties |
will diminish rs the managers come to
better understanding among themselves.
The law intends that the railroad bust
ness OF the country shall be done openly |
aud with full publicity.This equal and
Just purpose OF the law Is defeated by |
that are clearly opposed To
the intent OF tho law, II not to It's terms.
Now, when parties are thus busy in con-
irving methods for rendering tile law Of
no effect, and their evasions OF its pur-
pose Nre seen to have u direct |
to diminish the corporate |
revenues. They are hardly the
parties to put themselves upon the
stand to prove that the law is injurlng
their roads. i must insist that tho argi-
ment now made for pooling Is radically
unsound and vicious, because it rests
upon an assumption that violation OF
law by one is a justification for violation |
by another. The sentiment in railroad
circles on this subject is not only op.
posed 10 sound public morality, but 1t
necessarily tends TO the perpetuation Of
the very evils under which the roads
are now suffering.
A crying evil in railroad service is the
between the sCalper and the
unscrupulous general passenger agent.
This will be broken up just as soon MS
there are applied In railroad matters the
maxims Of business prudence which are
expected to control In other interests. II
the combination In the same person Of
the two characters Of railroad manager
in whatever official position-and Of
speculalor In railroad stock could 90 rem
dered impossible, we might hope to see
tho time when the question what is right
and wrong in railroad matters would be
heard good deal oftener than 1t isno%,
and the question what eau be done in
evasion 0f the law without enCountCring
ing its penalties, good deal more infrO.
utipntlV.