Los Angeles herald., 1892-05-11
MR.. LEEDS HAS NOT FOUND THE
REMEDY.

has taken the ground, in q letter to the
association, that the only way in which
the people can compel the railroads to
lower their local rates is to abolish the
board of railroad commissioners by re-
pealing the provisions in the con-
stitution by which that board is
created, and to wipe out from the
statute books all legislation affect
| ing railroads. This seems to be
| the result of Mr.. Leeds efforts to secure
reduction of rates through the COM
missioners, and his investigations into
| the way in which railroad affairs are
managed in this state. This would
relegate the whole question OF control OF
fares and freight rates to the legislature,
which, indeed, Mr.. Leeds seems to think
is the only source through which the
people can hope for relief.
Mr.. Leeds seems to lay particular
stress upon his idea that the abolishing
of the commission and relegating all
railroad questions to the legislature will
bring about reform OF railroad abuses.
That gentleman, who was brought to
San Francisco from the east to take
charge OF the railroad affairs Of the San
Francisco Traffic association, is not ex-
pected to be familiar with the
history of this state on the
subject of fares and freights. He does
not seem to know that for ten years
| before the new constitution was adopted
this very subject was a burning ques-
tion, and that the people had exerted
all their power year after year to get a
legislature that would stand up against
the aggressive corporations and give
| the people relief from the exactions of
the railroads. 1t was al! in vain. There
was no relief to be had from that quarter.
At last through an accident in legisla-
ton a bill was passed calling constitu-
tional convention. That body had a
large working majority strongly in favor
of placing in the constitution such
checks as would operate successfully to
curb the oppressive tendencies and
exactions of railroad corporations, and
compel them to deal fairly with the
public. The legislature had been tried
and found wanting, and the plan Of
creating board of commissioners to be
elected by the people, was considered
the best way in which to reach the end
aimed at.
Mr.. Leeds has found out that the
board thus created works in the interest
of the railroads instead of the people.
Wall skranIad r;< ! |,
deep" to tell US that. We have all
known that every board of railroad COM
missioners elected since the new
constitution went into effect from that
in which Beerstecher unblushingly
turned traitor down to the one which
Leeds has yainly tried his missionary
work upon in behalf of reduced freights
and fares-has been subservient to the
will OF the railroads and only sat as an
official body to register the wishes of
the railroad magnates on that subject.
We have tried the legislature and
failed, and we have tried the railroad
commissioners, and accomplished moth
ing. Now the question is reduced to
this: If the people cannot be brought
to elect men who will carry out
their wishes in railroad matters,
there is an end of remedial
measures. But we insist that with
the experience We have had, it would
be the height Of folly to abolish the
commissioners and 60 back to the legis-
lature. Better for the public to have
three men corrupted than to have legis-
lature after Legislature diving down into
the sack OF the railroads and scandalizing
the whole state. The evil effects upon
the morals of the state of the corruption
of three men is as nothing to the effects
of successive legislatures perverting the
law for pay.
Experience has shown that the rail-
road corporations can secure two out of
three members of the board of commits
sioners under the plan of electihg the
members of the board by districts. The
railroads have always been able to count
upon the district controlled by San
Francisco and that known as the Sacra-
mento district to elect commissioners
favorable to their interests. That gave
them majority of the board and ended
all chance for the reform of railroad
abuses. -..
We now believe that the weak point
in the constitutional provision creating
the commissioners is in electing them
by districts instead of by a majority vote
of the people of the whole state. In
stead of trying to wipe out the commits
sioners, le5 the Traffic association bend
its energies to secure an amendment
to the constitution providing for their
election by state instead of district
vote. In that way it is possible to get
three commissioners who would not be
the servants of the corporations, and
who would act in the interest of the
people.
Ii the people OF the whole state, in
their elective capacity, are not equal to
the choosing of three men that can be
relied upon, then it is useless to look
for remedies beyond those that can be
enforced in the courts under the sane
tions OF established law. 1t would be
worse than useless to go back to the
lapiala tura for rpliaf