The Advocate and news., 1898-06-01

trial. IL Congress can be induced to
pass the amendment, which can only
be accomplished through the influence
of the public brought to bear upon it in
the way'Of petition, resolution and in
diVidual correspondence, an opportu-
nifty will be given to see whether a law
can be passed which will meet the ext
gencies of the situation, and If you can
will regret your action.
Upon receipt of this letter Mr. Fair
child wrote the following letter In re-
| ply:
Your letter Of April 80 was received
some time ago, but have been unable
to pay attention to the many good
things therein suggested until to-day
In relation to your statement, II do not
exactly understand what relation free
trade has to the railroad question
which is purely a domestic affair.""
will say that we are the storehOuse and
granary Of the world, and whenever the
water rates compete with the railroad
rates, great reductions will take place,
wiping out import duties and centrali-
cation at such stations will cease, the
tonnage of the world will utilize our
rivers and the world will compete for
our productions upon our waters.
Private enterprise will enlist vessels
to carry trade and the domestic feature
you suggest will have disappeared.
notice that you admit that regulation by
law has not been successful, and you
further appear to fear that it may not
be, for you say that after everything
else has failed we may yet fall back on
government ownership.
Again l notice you claim "sOme per-
sons without investigation of the cause
Of failure come at once to the cOnclu-
sion that government ownership is the
panaCea for all existing evils" etc.
Now If you will analyze these conflict
ing propositions you are at sea yourself.
On the second page of your letter, line
eleven, you say the ingenuity OF the
opposition and the interpretations of
the courts have, however, practically
emasculated the act in its important
provisions" Is not this confession
that the courts were overcome by the
ingenuity of the railroads, or were they
not imposed upon? II imposed upon or
betrayed by this ingenious position of
railroads, what caused it? Were the
courts ignorant or subservient to dom
ination? Construed with your other
statements have you not confessed the
weakness of men and that men sit as
courts? | notice you say you have
made recommendations to Congress and
say Ito large extent these recommen-
datiOns have not been entertained"
Probably the ingenious argument al
luded to affected Congress, or perhaps
the members were ignorant.
But above all, is not your cOmmuni-
cation confession that corporate
wealth and greed is sapping our COM
merce, that government ownership will
destroy the former and that regulation
will continue it? You say you cannot
cOncede that commissions and laws are
worthless, but you do not deny that as
far as the question at issue is con-
cerned they are.
We understand that laws and COM
missions in Nebraska are worthless up
on this subject, and we have ample rea-
son for knowing that a great many
commissions in Kansas are worthless.
LuciS COuLJo DCJIdy AlJlSdulS,
Congress the people and that commits
sions are composed of better men is
idle and unreasonable and that the
power that creates is greater in moral
courage than the power conferred. We
must also admit that partial regula-
tion with attendant abuses allays the
public spirit and in a short time cor
pOrate greed again asserts itself until
judges of the Supreme court reverse
themselves between meals.
That, that you confess we may fall
back OH, it good enough for last resort
is prima facie good in itself, and needs
no defense and the position il tenable
will ultimately succeed and oppression
Of corporate wealth and greed will only
hasten it. Compromise is surrender,
and it always has been and will al