The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-12-24
THEY BIDL THEIR TIlLL.
Railroads Conclude Not to Press
Pooling Legislation.
A BETTER CHANCE NEXT YEAR.
Reasons Why Congressman Are More Lib
eral During the Short SessiOn-Senator
CuIlom's Views on the Pooling Question.
The Case of Ex-Librarian Spofford.

SIaA DuIIhls
Culloms Views on the Pooling Question.
The Case of Ex-Librarian Spofford.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 20.-G Special. THE
railroad people have about concluded not
to press their bill authorizing pooling at
this session of congress. When the session
first opened, the pooling bill champions
were for action right away, but they have
discovered that their chances are very slim,
so far as this winter is concerned, and that
they will do better to wait till next session.
People who have legislative schemes to
push against which there is popular pref
udiCe always discover that the long" ses-
sion of congress is not the one most IA
vorable for their plans. The "short'' SEES
sion is much better. The difference is in
this: After the long session every member
must go Immediately back to his cOnstitu-
ents for denomination and reelection
After the short session there is Il wait of a
year and a half before he has to go before
the people.
There is another advantage. After the
elections are over and a certain percentage
of the members know they are beaten and
can't get back, no matter how good they
are, they are more willing to vote for
measures which their home people may
have a prejudice against. 1t is an axiom
in the lobby that the short session is the
time for active work in their line.
There is no more important subject be-
fore congress than this one of permitting
the railways to make pools on competitive
traffic. Some of the best men in congress
think one way and some the other. 1t is
not fair to set down every man who favors
pooling as a friend of the railroads or of
monopolies. It is business question. On
the one side the railroad managers say that
without authority to make pools rates are
cut so low the roads cannot live. The re-
suit of this is to rob employees of fair
wages, the service suffers and the people
do not get the best work of which the
roads are capable. Besides, they claim,
stockholders and the millions of people
who have money invested in railroads in
one way or another have some rights.
The railroad managers claim with truth
that freight rates and passenger rates are
both lower in this country than they are
in Europe and that we give better serv-
ice than they do across the water. 1t is
also true that few American roads have
made any money during the last ten
years, while many of them have gone into
the hands of receivers.
Senator CuIlom's Views.
Senator Cullom, the author of the inter
state commerce law, which is supposed to
regulate the railroads, but which does not
do so to any great extent, has explained
the situation to me in most clear and in
teresting way. Between the two extremes
on this question, he said, 81 believe there
is q happy mean. 1t is there, l believe,
that l stand. One extreme is represented
by the railroad people themselves, who
say the roads should have the right to pool
and fix rates without any check at all.
The other extreme says there should be nc
poolings and that the roads should go on
cutting one another's Threats. My posi-
ton is that the roads should have the
right to pool and to fix rates that they
may protect their RICH ard their share
holders, but that there should be some
check on the rates so that they may be
kept within bounds. The tendency in the
era of keen competition has been to put
rates too low. If we go to the other ex
treme and give the roads full swing, the
tendency will be to put rates too high. Be-
tween the two the lower rate is better fol
the country, even if not SO good for the
| roads.
"For this reason,' concluded Senator
| Cullom, 81 favor, and l believe major
ity of the men who have carefully studied
this most important question favor, Civ
| ing the railroads the right to pool under
wholesome supervision as to rates by the
| interstate commerce commission. The
commission should be given actual power
| to enforce its DEGREES in protection of the
| np0nln IF would Sit a sort Of oOnpt nj
| equity between the roads and the shippers
| 1 believe there are wisdom and honesty
enough in the public life Of this country
to create and maintain such court anc
to mete out something like exact justice
between the two interests, but if the rail
roads are not willing to submit to this
| check l, for one, am in favor OF letting
/ them stay where they are"
| Spofford's Vindication.
Ainsworth r. Spofford, the former Ii
| brarian of congress and still connected
| with the library, has been vindicated o.
| the charge of taking money that passed
| through his hands. No one that knew MIR
| Spotford ever supposed he had been guilty
| of any wrongdoing. His friends were moi
surprised when it was discovered that he
| had forgotten to cash lot of money or
| dars sent in for copyrights and that the
| shortage in his accounts was to be ex
| planned at least in part, by this oversight
| Mr.. Spofford's case is a notable example
| of how great "a mind can be in some direc
| tions and how weak in Others. His phe
| nomenal memory concerning the books IL
| the library has become celebrated through
| out the world.
Every book and pamphlet in that grea
collection he knows as well as if it were
| his Bible or his favorite book of poems
| Public men consult him as they would {
| catalogue, and he rarely fails to tell then
not only the title of the work which the!
seek, it's author, the date of publication
etc., but good deal of its contents. There
| are 700, 600 books in the library, and ye
| Mr.. Spotford could not remember to ge
all his money orders cashed, nor does h,
| know where large sum of money still
unaccounted for went to. He long ag'
made up all his shortage, no one suspects
him of anything but a poor head for bust
| ness, and he lives on amid his books Sc
cure in the enjoyment of them and of thu
respect and love of the men who have
| known him during the thirty odd years b,
has stood guardian over the nations liter
| airy treasures.
The movement to change the name o
| the great library from the Congressional