The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1896-06-26
MUST BE OWNERSHIP.
HOW INTERSTATE COMMERCE
Law WORKS.
Under Government Control the Rail-
roads Generally Do the Controlling
A Good One from the Chicago Ex-
press.

press.
We have what is called an Inter
State Commerce Commission" whose
business it is, or is supposed to be, to
see that railroad companies comply
with the laws, do not form pools and
other combinations, or otherwise band
together to cheat shippers, especially
small shippers.
It's a nice tking-on paper.
Ihls Commission was provided for
Dy Congress, with the consent Of the
principal railroad companies, if 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
trol" OF railroads, you understand.
h Interstate Commerce Commits
sion, so it was given out, was to be
clothed with the authority to bring any
railroad up standing for transgressing
the laws regarding railroad traffic; that
is, the commission was to act as a 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-rallroad attorneys acting as judges,
most OF which judges received their ap-
polntments from either Harrison Or
cleveland, both eX-railroad attorneys.
It's a beautiful scheme, this govern
ment control through an Interstate
commerce Commission" beautiful,
beautiful-for the railroad companies.
Let's see how it works.
Ihere is a law prohibiting railroad
companies from charging more for
hauling a quantity of freight a short
distance than for hauling the same
quantity of freight a 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
pNAJ oAo AiA ohAp11lClllS u 1ClSlll NC
produced in court.
This the railroad companies refused
to. do, on the ground that they did not
propose to furnish evidence 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 a great monopoly
whose influence makes laws, appoints
judges, makes and unnaakes presidents
would be little short of sacrilege!
So an accommodating ex-railroad at
torney, serving as administrator of
justice for the people O., decided it was
unconstitutional to thus compel deliv-
cry of the books and paper of a 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 yio-
iations of law have been little more
than a 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 a
failure, so 81 accommodating ex-raii-
road attorney, serving as Judge in the
supreme court, has handed down an
opinion on the Tong and short haul'
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-ff-
teenth of the -four 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
1t way they will another.
II can deliver a barrel of flour from
my mills to Philadelphia or in France
for fifty cents, and that is what L would
have to pay to have it delivered at my
residence only two miles away
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