Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1894-12-14

CONGRESSMAN No ~ Of Massachusetts
Would IL p.ul the Entire Interstate
Commerce LAW

Commerce Law.
The House Committee on Commerce hav-
ing Introduced u bill rrUraling the antipool-
ing sect ons OF the Interstate Commerce law,
Congressman Morse of Massachusetts records
himself in support OF the hill ~ follows :
Mr.SpeaSer-l propose 10 vote for this bill,
but want TO explain my vote. am opposed
to the Interstate Commerce law, In whole or
in part. | would be glad to vote for the re-
peal Of the entire bill and thus wipe the mis-
erable abortion of oi the statute books. This
bnlI proposes to repeal one section, O., the
hnti-pOoling section. | heard OF man
once who proposed to cut his dogs
tail on, and he thought tie opera
tiOn would bc less painful II he took of one
inch at Il time. Tins bill proposes to take
or an inch and will receive my support.
am opposed To- this law because believe
that few and simple laws are best, and be-
cause | believe with the great Gladstone Of
England. .thnt that natiOnis governed best that
sgOverHci least. The Interstate commerce law
! is complicated. ambiguous difficult or impossi-
bic OF enforcement. and i enforced ii would in
terfcre with the legitimate competition in the
carrying business. The law is nov a dead
letter, 1t never has been enforced, -SttSept- In
spots, Il never will be enforced. And n it
were strictly enforced for one month it w%tld
50 increas" freight rntcs that protest would
come up here from every section Of the coun-
try that would shake the Capitol.
SOr Of the gentlemen who have discussed
this bill may toe and are learned IL ancient
and modern legal lore, hut the truth compels
me to say that they know very
little about tho practical working OF a
railroad. The long and short haul clause
Of this law is a dead letter. Thousands OF
tons Of freight are monthly shipped from
Boston and New York, through Albany, to
Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago, Detroit, II.
Louis and other points in the West. for less
than the freight from either Of those places
to ALBANY and the Committee on Interstate
and Foreign Commerce would he very wise
to add to this proposition. which practically
repeals the anti-pouling section. repeal
OF the long aud short hau' section
Mr.. Speaker, there is one pr"Ni~!On OF
this law that Is still alive, and very much
alive, and | believe is all that keeps the
law alive and that is the 81 500 salary that
is yearly paid to each Of tn" five Commls-
sioner-. to SAY nothing Of tn" other untold
thousands spent upon the useless work Of
tni, commission. II any such law is ever to
be enforced. YOU need not multiply the pres
ent Board OF Commissioners by SIX or twelve
TO sit in different sections OF the country,
for II is absolutely impossible for one
board to hear and abjud,cate any con-
siderable part Of the cases that may
come before them il the law i to b. enforced.
II is said that zen u galvaniC battery
is applied to an electrocuted man the in
animate form will show some signs of return
ing life, and suppose that is the principle
upon which amendments to this law are
being constantly agitated in Congress II
must show some signs of lie somewhere. /