Omaha daily bee., 1893-04-10
ON THE MAXIMUM RATE BILL
Voice Of the Press on the Passage Of House
Roll 33.
RESPONSIBILITY or THE GOVERNOR
Experiment OF state Control OF Railroad
Rates Tho Millors' rrotests--Tim to
Put on the Brakes -Erccts of
the Law Anticipated.

Nebraska City Press: Perhaps the best
thing Governor Crouuse can do is To sign the
maximum rate bill as soon as it is presented
to him 1t will be the only efficient means
of shutting off the croaking populists for a
few years TO come.
Ord Gazette: The Newbcrry bill passed
the senate Wednesday by n vote of ii TO Is
1t now goes to the governor for his signature,
which will no doubt be attached. and then
we will have full-iiedgcd railroad rate law
Oh our statute books.
Aurora Republican: The bill was not a
republican bill and it was not passed by
many republican votes, but for all that it
should be signed by Governor Crounsc, and
give the people chance to see just what
kind of railroad legislation the pops are
giving the farmers.
Buffalo County Beacon: The railroad bill
known AS house roll 80 passed the state SEN
ate Wednesday afternoon by a vote of Is to
IA. and now awaits the signature of Governor
CrounSe to become Il state law. The bill re-
duCcs freight rates about 20 per cent on
many leading articles of shipment, and it. is
expected will give some slight relief to the
people from the long continued high frcights.
Galloway Courier: The maximum freight
BILL making reduction of some 20 per cent
in local freight rates, has passed both
houses Of the legislature and will be presented
to Governor Crounse for his signature
within u few days. We are glad it has
ssed and we hope the governor may sign
it. 1t is what the people have clamored for
during the past six years, and we trust 1T
may be benefit to the state.
Chadron Journal: Yesterday the famous
Ncwberry bill passed the senate after a pro-
tracted deadlock by vote of Is to a. The
senate had amended the measure slightly,
so it must now 90 back to the house before it
is presented to the governor Independents
have right to rejoice over the passage of
the Newbcrry bill. 1t was an unexpected
victory. There was not one of them who
really expected to see it pass the legislature
as easily as it has, for It's chances certainly
were not so good as they were two years ago.
II is generally believed that Governor
CrOunse will sign the bill.
Niobrara Pioneer: After a bitter struggle
in the senate the railroad bill passed
Wednesday afternoon, IS TO IA, Tefft absent
by excuse. While there may be many in
constituencies in the bill it determined one
principle that has never been decided in this
statc-that the railroads are the creatures
of the people The change of rates will not
be so sweeping as to compel the railroads to
go out of business or reduce expenses to the
extent claimed. If it should then is time
enough to fight for better service. The Pho
neer is glad to see the qualification of our
legislators To some extent remedied.
Silver Creek Times: The maximum freight
rate bill passed the senate and will doubtless
become a law, unless the governor should be
of the opinion that it was plainly uncon-
! stitutonal. Thirteen senators who opposed
| the bill, mostly republicans, entered a pro-
| test against its passage on the ground that
| it was unconstitutional for several stated
| reasons. We have been much in favor of
| this bill on the whole, and if now it should
| appear that its friends had allowed it to pass
| through its various stages without strict
! compliance with legal requirements, while it
| would be calculated to make man hot, it
would only be an additional proof that the
| majority of men wha are sent to the
legislature are either lnaves or fools.
York Press: The railway managers, when
| they were before the Legislature protesting
| against the passage of the maximum freight
rate bill, stated that the local traffic which
| this bill would affect was only about 10 per
! cent of the whole business of the roads.
! Now 90 per. cent reduction On 10 per cent of
a railroads traffic is not very serious mat
ter. 1t is Il mere trife. The roads are not
kicking half as much about the reduction as
| they are against the principle of the thing.
! They do not want TO conccde the right Of the
| legislature to regulate railroads. That is
| where the shoe pinches. This bill will not
afford the people such a wonderful amount
| of relief, but it is start in the right direC-
| tion. Get this law on the statutes and no
| party that will hereafter come into power
| will dare repeal it, but on the contrary it
| will be amended from time 10 time so as to
| grant the people justice.
Kearney Telegram: The maximum freight
| rate bill has passed both branches of the
| legislature and if Governor Crounce signs it
| it will be the law of the state within the
next hundred days. This bill is an expert
ment, and if it does not prove to be what the
people want they will not be long in finding
it out. There was more demand for the pas
sage of the law in order TO ascertain its
good and bad provisions than there was to
rush it through. That it is perfect no one
acquainted with its provisions will claim, but
the ma iority wanted a starting point and
now they have it. If the railroads carry it
uu to the courts it will be upon the constitu-
| -,r,s,
ernor is lawyer of long experience and
ability he will take that matter into CON
sideration. But he will not veto it, in the
Telegram's opinion, for the principal reason
that by so doing the future success of the
republican party would be too seriously
leOpardized.
Neigh Leader: The maximum rate bill,
| over which the legislature is having such a
! protracted struggle, provides for reduction
| of 20 per cent from present rates, and up to
| date there has been no intimaton from the
| independent members of the legislature that
| it was not satisfactory. Had such a bill
| been passed two years ago, instead of the
| Newberry bill, it would have been promptly
| signed by Governor Boyd. Again when he
addressed the members OF the legislature
asking their opinion about the advisability
| of calling a special session to pass bill pro-
viding for 20 per cent reduction, they al
most unanimously rejected the offer, and
said, the Newberry bill or nothing. 1t was
simply another example of the we'll known
fact that ultra -radicallsm does not pay. The
independent leaders rejected the offer be
cause they thought in accepting they would
lose all their campaign thunder. The issue
on winch they expected to carry the state
failed them, and now they find men in both
the old parties willing and ready to aid them
in passing relief legislation.
Sioux City Journal: The maximum freight
bill is about to be signed by Governor
| Crounse and Nebraska enters upon the eX
| pertinent of state control of railroad rates
The bill represents the toll and labor of the
antl-monOpOists of the state for twenty
years. The popular demand for IL or AZ
equivalent measure was one OF the mos
potent factors IN calling the populist party
: of the state into existence Two years ag'
it had Il majority in both branches of tn,
legislature, and the veto of Governor BoyC
led to his political death. Since then th'
, platforms of all parties have endorsed IT.
principles and in a large degree its details
TIE OMAHA BEE and the World Herald
representing the two old political parties
united In it's advocacy. The farmers of tn
, state and the citizens of Omaha were almos
| a unit in favor of the bill, the majorit
! of the Omaha delegation supportlnl
{ , it, This demand, so persistent, and comin
9 from all political parties and from all classe
{ of the people, made the passage OF the bi
, inevitable Whether it be good or ba
4 | measure, the people declared that the eXpei
3 iment must be tried 1t is not necessary n
) the present time to discuss the situatio