Evening journal., 1897-04-13
THE SUPREME COURT AND THE
RAILROADS.

RAILROADS.
Whatever may be the final result of
the recent decision of the United States
Supreme Court concerning the pooling
of railway interests, the action Of our
highest judicial body has a special sig
nidcance aside from its direct applica-
tion. The learned jurists have bravely |
shown themselves worthy the dignity
of their calling by declaring against
the growing evils of trusts, and thereby
showing an interest in the welfare OF
the people for the first time in many
wears. The decision is a sharp rebuke
20 railroads anu all other monopolists'
who had about come to the conclusion
that they were irreproachable in their
corrupt methods.
Il was high time these domineering
public servants Of the people should un-
derstand that the free-born citizens OF
the United States have rights under the
seal of the American Constitution, and
the highest court alone could con-
vince them. The next step as regards
the future of our railroads may be gov
ernment management. The revolving
spirit of retaliation exhibited by the
traffic magnates against the decree OF
the Supreme Court can only serve TO
shorten their abuse of the power OF
public trust Herr Lasker, the famous
German statesman and economist, was
known to remark that we Americans
must sooner or later acquire our rail-
roads and place them under public
management. This change will come
as a necessity" said he, "for natural
forces are at work which will compel
YOU to take this course" At the time
no one dreamed of the present situa-
tion. and the prophesy Of the German
student was looked upon as idle pre-
sumption.
Il is significant fact that our re-
bellious railroad officials almost unani-
mously predicted a disastrous rate war
on learning Of the Supreme Court de-
cision in the case of the United States
VS.. the Trans Missouri Freight Asso-
citation, which is the coterie responsible
for their revengeful spirit Indeed, the
lIIIdltHtu Wal ntto n0W hHHhAAA AAA1
commenced.
The provision Of the Sherman anti
trust law, on which the Supreme
Courts opinion was grounded, reads as
follows: every contract, combination
in the form OF trust or otherwise. or
conspiracy in restraint of trade or com
merce among the several states or with
foreign nations is Illegal" This provi-
sion, which is perfectly just and i'm
partial, contains no hidden thrust at
any particular interest. If, therefore,
rate war inevitably results from the
enforcement of a law which merely con-
templates placing railroads under rules
of competition that govern ordinary
industries, it is not because of any sin
lister intent in the law, but because
railroads do not lend themselves to
competition. Experience fails to show
a single instance Of sustained and nor
NAL competition among railroads
When left to themselves rival lines are
compelled by their very nature as mo.
nopolies to wage on each other a relent
less war of determination. The out
come, if the companies are unevenly
matched in capital, is absorption Of th'
weaker by the stronger; if evenl.
matched, consolidation, or what is th'
same in effect, pooling Of interests. Thi
less to investors from rate wars an,
unnecessary duplication CT railroads 4
a serious evil. But an evil Of fa
greater magnitude is the constant fluc
tuation Of transportation rates, for sta
bility of transportation rates is as es
sential to commercial prosperity as
stable currency. The lesson which tn
history of railroading in this countr
teaches lesson reinforced by the ei
feet of the Supreme Court decision
that mere indirect governmental con
troll Of railroads does not solve tn
transportation problem.