Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-06-19

IOSelueT u CuedI ouiPPoiS, wy
small shippers.
It's nice thing-on paper.
This Commission was provided for
by Congress, with the consent OF the
principal railroad companies, II not at
their suggestion, to pacify and concil-
late the demand of the people for gov
eminent ownership Of railroads.
This law was to be government con-
troll" of railroads, you understand.
This Interstate Commerce Commits
sion, so it was given out, was 10 DE
clothed with the authority to bring any
railroad up standing for transgressing
the laws regarding railroad trafnc, that
Is, the commission was to act as spy
on the railroad business, file informa-
ton and institute legal proceedings
against railroad companies, and then
the injured public could have the bless
ed privilege of going to law in the
United States courts, presided over by
ex-railroad attorneys acting as judges,
most Of which judges received their ap-
pointments from either Harrison or
Cleveland, both ex-railroad attorneys.
It's beautiful scheme, this govern
ment control" through an Interstate
Commerce Commission" beautiful,
beautiful-for the railroad companies.
Let's see how it works.
There is a law prohibiting railroad
companies from charging more for
hauling a quantity of freight short
distance than for hauling the same
quantity of freight long distance.
The enforcement of this law devolves
upon the Interstate Commerce Com
mission.
When prosecutions for violations OF
this law were first made, it was found
that to secure conviction it would be
necessary that the books of the COM
pany showing shipments of freight be
produced in court.
This the railroad companies refused
to do, on the ground that they did not
propose to furnish eveidence tending to
criminate themselves.
Now, there don't seem to be any diff
fculty in making an ordinary business
man or merchant produce his books in
court in the progress of an ordinary
lawsuit. Not only that, but instances
have been known where officers of the
law have broken into a mans private
desk and produced in court evidences
tending to prove the guilt of the owner
under charge of violating the law.
But to thus serve great monopoly
whose influence makes laws, appoints
Judges, makes and unmakes presidents
would be little short of sacrilege!
So an accommodating ex-railroad at
torney, serving as administrator of
Justice for the people @, decided it was
unconstitutional to thus compel deliv-
cry of the books and papers of rail-
road company to be used in court
against said company, and another ex-
railroad attorney, serving as judge of
the highest tribunal of the land, sustains
his decision, and since then the prose-
cutions of railroad companies for vio-
lations of law have been little more
than farce.
But these commissioners want to
make a show of earning their salaries,
and the railroad monopoly and the old
parties supporting them want to make
it appear just before election that gov
eminent control is not altogether
failure, so an accommodating ex-rail
road attorney, serving as judge in the
supreme court, has handed down an
opinion on the long and short hau"
clause of the law, that at first glance
seems to be more in favor of small
shippers, particularly farmers.
Commenting on this decision,
Charles A. Pillsbury, manager of mills
in Minneapolis that produce one-fif-
teenth of the flour made in the United
States, is reported as saying:
mo matter what the decision of the
courts may be, railroad companies
have it in their power and it is to their
interest to ignore the law relative to
long and short haul. If they don't dodge
it one way they will another.
81 can deliver a barrel of flour from
my mills to Philadelphia or in France
for fifty cents and that is what would
have to pay to have it delivered at my
residence only two miles away"
There is the whole policy of pluto
cracy in a nutshell.
The Pullmans and the Pillsburys, the
railroad monopoly and every other mo-
nopoly, "have it in their power and it
is to their interest" to run their bust
ness to suit themselves, and our laws
are such that they can snap their fing-
ers at their employees, or the govern
ment of the United States, or any other
power on earth that may object.
And though they may not express it
in words, their acts virtually and inso-
lently ask the question, What are you
mudsill people going to do about it,"
In brief, we predict that this long
suffering and mnopoly-ridden people
will pay the extortionate demands and
submit to the tyranny of plutocratic
railroad combines but little longer be-
fore they will arise in their might and
wine from our statute books every YES
4;oo ~ law authOriZino the eyistnnna of