The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-01-04
uE GAINS ms rolNr
Senator chandler Wakes Up the Inter
state Commerce Commission.

Tho Washington correspondent OF the
Cincinnati Enquirer has tho following to
say IN regard to tho Interstate m
law;
chairman Morrison. ~ the Interstate
comcrcc commission, today cent TO tho
senate IA copy W the articles ~ orSantsa.
ton ot the Railroad Joint Trarnc Ansocla-
ton and also a cop, " a letter which
the commission has sent to the attorney
general In the letter to tho attorney
general the commission saws the agree.
mrrt Is In conflict with tho Interstate
law and requests him 10 direct
tho United States district attorney for
the Southern district W New Nork to In
s,itutc proceedings 10y Injunction or other.
wise TO prevent rs hring carried into
effect.
The presidents agreement Il not ail
that It's original trainers meant Il 10 be
As first prepared and adopted Il was the
most effective document Of the Kind that
the railroad managers have ever succeed.
ed tn agreeing per Then came the Wis.
orous attack upon u by senator Chand.
lcr. OF New Hampshire. Who wrote a let.
ter to Interstate commission,
calling the attention " that hoiy To the
proposed agreement. which h. declared to
hc "a gigantic trus, and conspiracy"
Secretary Mosclcy. Of the commission. ro-
piled 10 the senator In a rather perfume.
tory manner. which aroused the ire ot
the gentleman from New Hampshire, who
immediately wrote a cAustic cpiallc to
Chairman Morrison. ~ the commission.
"a which he asked TO he Informed. among
other things. whether Mr Mosrlry was
the Interstate commission itself or
whether he was only the srcrrtaTy lie
also took advantage OF tho opportunity
to tell Mr. Morrison what the writer
thought no ought 70 do a. chairman OF
tho commission. and what tho country
expected him ta DO. or At least what
Senator Chandler thought tho country
would expect Nr Norrison's reply dtd
not please Mt Chandler any better than
Mr. Mosrlrys, and no wonder. FOR he
honorable gentlemen who compose the
Interstate m commission havs not
been very aggressive ~ late years. and
have busted thcmsclves largely In rrcpRr-
lnE statistical reports.
Thc commlrston rus succeeded during
the seven years OF its existence IN OBJ
tanning one criminal conviction for viola.
ton OF the law which brought Il ,rt, *.
istencc-a freight agent NJ the name Of
roser. At Hannibal Mo. who. by The
way. wus n,vcr punished after convic.
tion II - popularity believed thnt the
have come 20 tho conclusion
the Interstate Law will he declared
unconstitutional N the isuc Is ever made
before the supreme court. and that thel
very existence OF the commission depends
upon rs not being too vigorously az.
At any rate. the commission
and its rulings are no longer considered
OF much Importance In the trafic de-
partments Of tho railroad companies. and
roofs and combinations have hrcn frosty
formed lately under more or less thlnly
devices. and the detectives and
special agents who. In Judge Cooloy's
time. used TO carry conformation into
Offices, no longer exist. or II they
exist their presence IL no longer con.
sidered to be- a menace.
The last prominent attempt to convict
anybody under this law was brought
agains, the officials Of the Lacknwanna,
and Wabash companies on cyl.
6cncc which was furnished direct from
the Wabash auditors Office by a dis
charged clerk. who took roulcs Of the
billing showing rebates or determination.
II looked Ike n clear case. but offer drag.
ging along for q year or more II finally
to trial aud all of the defendants
were discharged.
Senator Chandler. however. was deter.
mined to smoke the commission out. and.
having begun with the secretary and got.
no satisfaction. he pnsscd on 10 The
chairman. where he hal no better luck
Then he wrote a letter to President
Cleveland himself. In which o., said thIngs
that some people thought were I'm bnd
and perhaps impairment. hut n
any rate, the row that h" raised over the
INCREMENT has clearly resulted In causing
action to he taken and Chairman NorrI.
son now requests the attorney general to
'rflh proceedings TO annul the agreement
whether anything will come on, of I,
remains to be seen, but n * certaln tina,
me presidents submitted their ngrccn,rrt
10 the legal departments Of some OF tho
greatest railway corporations In the coun-
ny before II waR finally signed and tbat
Ih"y believe they have an nlr-tIght law.
'roof document to stand IN.
Chlragn railroad men ar. Of the o~plntop
nat the attack on the d-w Joint trn nc
association Will. In the end come m
They gay the nggocln,Iop IL
not n pool, but n combination for tho
purpose Of preventing decentralization M
'ate9. No attempt Is 10 be male 70
'IeVnte rates. but the roads, It IN claim.
a. nave n right n unite for the purpose
d conserving their revenue provided
.hey make no attempt 10 net from tho
'hipper moro than the regular tarln
'ates hled with the Interstate mmer
commissioners for freight and nassen-
gers. WI" P'""'"