Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1898-06-03


( for years. This is not water as some
populist orator will say. but good. honest
money. These securities are held all
I through the land. and their failure 10
( pay any return has brought disgrace up
/ on US abroad and suffering and want IN
many family ana community at home
zone Of the chief difficulties with the
law as IL stands today is that the pun
! ishment for private contracts and rebates
/ is entirely OFT Of proportion 10 the ofiense
The imprisonment clause was put In as
an amendment to the interstate com
merce Law, and believe the commission
and everyone who has watched its work
;ngs VIII agree with me that Il has been
failure; more than failure, that II
has caused perhaps more dernoralizailcn
than anything else. The public has not
believed in il; II has been impossible 10
secure conviction; IL has prevented the
railway official who desired 20 be honest
from complaining OF his competitor wnoIn
he thought was dishonest. In fact, Il mas
been what every law is that IS not sup
ported by public sentiment failure
What, in fact is the manner Of conduct
ing business today? The railway Official
who desires TO be honest and law-abicing
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,
ana in the distance he sees looming up
the loss OF his position. At the same
time, tho shipper who desires 70 obey
the law sees some rival selling meTchan-
disc 70 his customers at prices ne cannot
meet, and he knows very well that ne IS
securing concessions from some railway
TO enable him 10 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 themg
- a.
bly, convict them under the interstate
commerce law and send them 10 the pen
itentiary. but such action would bring
down upon them the condemnation OF the
public and would ruin their business; Tor,
as I stated before. the public does not be-
lisve in this severe feature Of the law.
and viii not support anyone who enforees
it. The result is these men, in despair,
are driven 10 do Just what their opponents
are doing-they become law5reakers
themselves. have drawn no fancy pie
ture; it is what il occurring every cay
around you
rs it wise. is it broad craftsmanship.
to leave a business as large as that OF
the raIways-one in which onc-ffth. at
least, OF our population is engaged, one
which affects the comfort and happiness
Of nine-tenths OF the peoples il wise 10
leave il outside OF the iaw2 1t is said
that the most expensive occupation TO
the community is that Of the burglar, ne
has to spend so much time and destroy
so much 10 get so little. Is il worth while
TO. force the great railway interests OF
the country into the same position?
who opposes this legislation? First,
certain people who desire the government
10 own and operate the railways Sec
ond, others who wish that the interstate
railway commission should make all
rates. Third and lastly. certain railway
managers who are opposed to any and
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. II is not time for the dena-
gogue TO howl about corporations. 1t is
not a time to talk about the wrongdoings
of railway managers. There are always
some. in any business. who Will not do
right. and there always wiz be. but the
great mass Of railway managers to-day.
assure you. are as honestly seeking a So
luton of this question as are you any
member of the legislative body. I be-
lleve 1 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 ques-
ton If this body will join and heartily
indorse this course and work for il, its
have unwittingly in this country applied
to railway laws that 1t was never ia
tended should be applied TO traasporta-
ton companies of this nature We have
gone back and taken decisions that were
wise a hundred years ago. when civiliza-
ton was in its infancy and when the
masses needed certain protection, and
have endeavoTed 10 apply these same
principles to the great transportation in
ierests of modern times. The courts. IN
have followed in that line
Every business man, every statesman.
knows that IL is a mistake. that We have
here an immense interest such ss the
world has never seen, and the principles
which should govern II must be worked
put in harmony with the age 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
them In the contest with railways. in
the courts the commissioners have drift
ed away somewhat from the ground
they ought 10 stand on; that IS, they
should be the friends Of the railways in
stead OF their enemies. and should aid
IN securing the proper legislation. and the
railways. in turn. should give their sup
,ort to make such legislation effective. I
believe il can be done in no better way
han by the true method have pointed
,ut First. the change OF the criminal
section: second. authority to contract and
iivide business. Either one OF them
would be OF great advantage. but We
ought to have both There also should
Dc such legislation as viii give more
oree 70 the recommendations and orders
II the interstate commerce commission
,rs Instead OF trying 10 break down the
commission the railway officials should
~ to build Il up. should make the COM
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