Rocky Ford enterprise., 1898-06-09

people. One thousand millions of dollars
were paid out last year by the railways
from their earnings to employees of man
ufactories In this country; 5ll. 900 900 of
passengers were carried 1900 millions
were carried one mile: 765. .0oo.0 600 OF tons OF
freight were moved: 95. 900 millions of tons
were moved one mile. Do you think that
any interest performing such Immense
service as this can be In difficulty and
the balance OF the country not feel 1t?
Forty millions OF dollars were paid out
for public taxes. Over three thousand
millions of dollars that have been invest
ed In railways have earned no dividend
for years. This Is not water. as some
populist orator will say. but good. honest
money. These securities are held dill
through the land. and their failure to
pay any return has brought disgrace up
on us abroad and suffering and want in
many family and community at home.
zone of the chief difficulties with the
law as II stands today Is that the pun
ishment for private contracts and rebates
Is entirely out OF proportion to the offensc.
The Imprisonment clause was put in as
an amendment to the Interstate COIN
merce law and believe the commission
and everyone who has watched its work
ings Will agree with me that 1t has been
failure: more than II failure. that 1t
has caused perhaps more decentralization
than anything else. The public has not
believed in it; 1t has been impossible TO
secure conviction: 1t has prevented the
railway official who desired to be honest
from complaining OF his competitor whom
he thought was dishonest. In fact. IL mas
been what every law Is that Is not sup
ported by public sentiment-a failure.
What. in fact. is the manner of conduct.
Ing business today? The railway official
who desires to be honest and law-abiding
sees traffic leave his line and finds the
freight that he was carrying hauled 10
the warehouse of his rival the earnings
OF his line decreasing and complaints
from the management Of loss of earnings.
and in the distance he sees looming up
the loss Of his position. At tho same
time. the shipper who desires to obey
the law sees some rival selling merchan-
disc to his customers ut prices he cannot
meet. and he knows very well that he Is
securing concessions from some railway
to enable him to do this. The railway
agent and the shipper who wish to obey
the law sit down together and look II
over. What relief Is there for them!
They can complain OF their rivals. possi-
bly, convict them under tho interstate
commerce law and send them to the PEN
itentiary. but such action would prins
down upon them the condemnation OF tho
public and would ruin their business: for.
as stated before. the public does not be-
lieve in this severe feature of the law.
and will not support anyone VINO entorees
II. The result Is. these men. In despair.
are driven 10 90 just Whit 'hcii oppoAS",'
are doing-they become lawbreakers
themselves. have drawn no fancy pic
ture: 1t Is what L. occurring every day
around you.
rs 1t wise, Is It broad craftsmanship.
to leave n business as large as thnt OF
the railways-one in which one-ffth. at
least, OF our population is engaged. one
which affects the comfort and happiness
of nine tenths OF the people-is 1t wise TO
leave 1t outside Of the law? 1t is said
that the most expensive occupation to
the community is that OF the burglar. he
has to spend so much time ind destroy
SO much TO get so little. Is II worth while
to force the great railway interests or
the country into the same position?
"Who opposes this Legislation? First.
certain people who desire tho government
to own and operate the railways. Sec
ond. others who wish that the Interstate
railway commission should make nll
rates. Third and lastly. certain railway
managers who are opposed to any and
all legislation and who object to any con-
troll. and believe that they should be left
entirely alone.
"All of us who have any interest In our
country. who desire Its prosperity. are In
terested in the solution of this great
question. 1t Is not Il time for the dcma-
gogue to howl about corporations. 1t is
not time TO talk about the wrongdoinEs
of railway managers. There are always
some in any business. who will not do
right and there always will be, but the
great mass OF railway managers to-day. I
assure you. are as honestly seeking n So
luton OF this question us are you or my
member OF the legislative body. be-
lieve I voice the belief OF a very large
majority OF them that the two provis-
ions have mentioned are necessary and
will lead to the settlement of this Qucs-
ton. II this body will join and heartily
indorse this course and work for It. its
accomplishment can be attained. We
have unwittinEly in this country applied
to railway laws that It was never in
tended should be applied to transporta-
ton companies OF this nature. We have
gone back and taken decisions that were
wise hundred years ago. when civiliza-
ton was In its infancy and when the
masses needed certain protection. md
have endeavored to apply these same
principles to the great transportation In
terests of modern times. The courts. un-
fortunately, have followed in that line.
Every business man. every statesman,
knows that II is II mistake. that we have
here an immense interest such US tho
world has never seen. and the principles
which should govern 1t must be worked
out in harmony with the age and tho
needs of this country. There should be no
friction between tho interstate commerce
commission and the railways; there
should be none between the state COM
missions and the railways. There has
been too much of a feeling with these
bodies that the railways were against
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