The Globe-republican., 1898-06-02

ufaCtOr1eS III TINS COUu0ys SAVVV,VV ~
passengers were carried: 1900 millions
were carried one nile: 20. 90 900 Of tons Of
freight were moved: *. 900 millions Of tons
were moved one mile. Do you think that
any interest performing such immense
service as this can - in difficulty and
the balance Of the country not feel It!
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
po3ul:st orator will say. but good. honest
money These securities are held all
through the land. and their failure to
pay any return has brought disgrace up
on Us abroad and suffering and want In
mary family and community at home
Ono of the chief difficulties with the
law as 1t stands today is that the pun
ishment for private contracts and reoates
is entirely out Of proportion to the ohense.
The Imprisonment clause was put In a.
an amendment to the interstate COM
merce law. and believe the commission
and everyone who has watched its Work
ings will agree with me that 1t has oeen
a failure: more than a failure, that IL
has caused perhaps more DECENTRALIZATION
than anything else. The public mas not
believed in it: il has been Impossible 10
secure conviction: il has prevented inc
railway official who desired to be honest
from complaining Of his competitor whom
Re thought was dishonest. In fact, II mas
been what every law is that is not sup
ported by public sentiments 1ailure'
What, in fact, IS the manner OF conouct
ing business today? The railway omen.
who desires to be honest and law-aoioins
sees traffic leave his line and nnos inc
freight that ne was carrying hauled 10
81 y; vi1-
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 the Same
time. the shipper who desires 10 ooeS
the law sees some rival selling merchah-
disc to his customers at prices ne cannot
meet, and he knows very we'll that ne -
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 u
over What relief is there for them!
They can complain OF their rivals, posi-
bly, convict them under the lntefsta1e
commerce law and send them TO the PEN
itentiary. but such action would orinS
down upon them the condemnation Of the
public and would ruin their business lo''
as stated before. the public does NOT De-
lieve in this severe feature OF the law.
it, The result is these men. in Despair
are driven to do just what their opponents
are doing-they become lawbreakefs
themselves. have drawn no fancy PFC
ture; it is what IL occurring every DAY
around you.
rs it wise. is it broad craftsmanship.
to leave a business as large as mat Oh
the railways-oOe in which one-hftn, at
least. of our population is engaged. ono
,Ia
of nine-tenths OF the peoples 1t wise 10
leave it outside of the law? 1t IS SAID
that the most expensive occupation 10
the community IS that OF the burglar ne
has to spend SO much time ana destroy
SO much to get so little. Is it worth while
to force the great railway interests OK
the country into the same position?
Who opposes this legislation? FIRST.
certain people who desire the government
to own and operate the railways. sec
ond. others who wish that the interstate
railway commission should make all
rates. Third ard lastly. certain railway
managers who are opposed to any ana
all legislation and who object to any con-
troll. and believe that they should be le1s
entirely alone.
"AlI 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 a time for the dema-
gogue to howl about corporations. 1t is
not q time to talk about the wrongdoings
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.
assure you. are as honestly seeking So
luton OF this question as are you or any
member of the legislative body. be-
lieve I voice the belief OF very large
majority of them that the two provis-
ions I have mentioned are necessary and
will lead to the settlement OF this Ques-
ton. II this body will join and heartily
indorse this course and work for 1t, it
accomplishment can be attained. We
have unwittingly in this country applied
to railway laws that 1t was never In
tended should DO applied to transporta-
ton companies of this nature. We have
gone back and taken decisions that were
wise a hundred years ago. when ctv1lza-
ton was in its infancy and when the
masses needed certain protection. and
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 it is q mistake. that We have
here an immense interest such as thu
world has never seen. and the principles
which should govern 1t must be worked
out in harmony with the ago and the
needs Of this country. There should be No
friction between the 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
49,