The San Francisco call., 1897-02-03
IANGFORD'S AMENDMENT.
Opposition of the Minority to A6olishtr'g
the Railroad COmDtissto1i.

Opposition of the Minority to Abotsht1sg
the Railroad ComDtisston
SACRAMENTO, CAL, Feb. 2.-Fresh
interest was aroused to-day in the con-
stitutional amendment introduced by
Senator Langford early in the session,
providing for the repeal of those sections
of the constitution which provide for the
creation, and maintenance of the State
Board of Railroad Commissioners.
At the time the Committee on Consti-
tutlonal Amendments had the measure
under consideration and decided to recon-
mend its passage Senator Braunhart was
absent. 1t was known that he was op-
posed to the abolition of the commission,
and the report of the majority Of the COM
mittee was withheld until he had time to
prepare a minority report This he did
to-day, and the ma ajority and minority re-
ports will be submitted to- morrow. The
min ority report takes strong stand
against the wiping out of the Railroad
ommission, and incidentally pays some
powerful left-handed compliments to the
Legislatures of the past. Its most striking
portions follow:
1t will be well 10 recollect that when the
section establishing the Railroad Commission
was proposed for insertion in our preSen t
State constitution the expediency as well as
the necessity of such a provision had been
fully demonstrated at nearly every session of
the Legislature, where all efforts to regulate
the scale of prices for freight and passengers
had either proven wholly or partially abortive.
Putting aside all imputations upon the in
tegrity of the lawmakers, every Legislature
has failed to reg ulate fares and freights by the
establishment of maximum and minimum
rates. The debates that took place in the Con-
Stltu tionGl Convention proclaimed that all
question of railroad tariff should be placed far
from the maddening hurly-burly of sixty-day
Legislature and placed where there would be
wise, calm and just exercise of the power of
control by the people of the State over the
transportation companies.
| do not assume TO be a prophet of evil
like Cassandra, who saw nothing but evil fit
ting like a pestllential shadow over the ruins
of desolate land. But warn you that If
you promote by your actions the scheme to
abolish this Railroad Commission you will
witness biennial renewal of the many
scenes of infamous memory-the blasting OF
the reput tdtions of hundreds of public men
and the unholy breaking of the most solemn
pledges. Should this Legislature in its wis
dom see fit TO recommend that the provis ion
creating Railroad Commission be stricken
from the constitution, not only would the
recent advantages so stubbornly fought ior
and won after many apparently iuSuper-
able dic ul ties be entirely lost, but the result
would be that the railroad corporations would
ra tes as the managers OF these corporations
would deem proper.
The people are aroused to pitch that will
not brook paltering with the questions that so
vitally concern their very existence. The de-
feat of men on account of their support of
ests utters a loud note of warning W hich those
ambitious for public prefermen mt cannot in the
future afford to disregard.
Let me add, IN conclusion, that any action