The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-02-17
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AN IMPoTENT Tribunal.

The last report. Just recently made, by
the interstate commerce commission, is
another demonstration of the fact that
the best laid plans and tho most honest
purposes OF patriotic lawmakers gang
aft aglce" 1t Is a kind of protesting
wall from body that finds itself fallen
into a condition OF "innocuous desuctude"
This commission. under existing laws
and as at present conducted, according to
The testimony of its own members. is an
utter failure. Hero arc some extracts
from the report:
Tho situation has become intolcrablc, both
from the standpoint OF the public aud tho rail-
ways. Tariffs are disrcgardedi dscrmina-
tiCns constantly occur; the price ut which
transportation can DO obtained Is tuctGatlng
aud uncertain; railroad managers arc dis
trustful OF each other aud shippers all the
their competitors, Tho volume OF traffic s so
unusual as 70 frequently exceed the capacity
Of eanipmoni. yet tho contest for tonnage
spcrt In purchasing business. and secret rates
accorded far below tho standard of published
charges. The general public gets very little
benefit from these reductions for concessions
arc mainly confined to the heavier shippers,
All this augments the advantages of largo
car ita, and tends to tho Injury, and often TO
tue ruin. of smaller dealers.
In another part of It's report the COM
mission says.
1t is true that n great part of the compet-
tive railway business at the present time Is
moi done upon the published tariifs but upon
secret rates. which are less than those speci-
fed IL results therefore, that. while dis
ordinations and preferences have been oston-
siby removed. or at least diminished. they
sui exist In n most aggravated form.
And again:
large part of tho business at the present
Ia RI nj cd NAT
SO general has this rule become that In
tain quarters the eXaction of the published
rate IL tho exception, From this two things
naturally md frequently result: First, gross
determinations between individuals and gross
preferences between localities and these dis
nominations and preferences aro almost al
ways In favor OF tho strong. aud aEaiHst tho
weak There is probably no one thing today
which does 80 much to force out tho small
nonolies against which law mud public opinion
al ke beat In vain. as discrimination in freight
nortation is, 10 very large extent, IN viola
ton OF tho Law. This condition the
present law is powerless TO control.
This is a humiliating confession for a
National tribunal, charged with duties OF
great Importance. to make. 1t Is also
National disgrace. It is not difficult, how
ever to find the causes for this failure of
branch of the government from which
so much was originally expected The de-
feet is in the inadequacy of the existing
laws under which the commission acts.
Tho statutes are not comprehensive
enough--they fail to confer the full pow
ers necessary to enforce tho commissions
DEGREES. Tho Federal Judiciary has not
failed at the solicitation of the corporations
to constantly deny to the commission the
exercise of much authority with which It
was originally clothed, and It has been Inn
possible In the face OF this tremendous
hostile corporate influence to secure from
congress supplementary acts that would
have rendered the commission efficient
The history of tho interstate commerce
commission furnishes only another STARE
ling but melancholy illustration OF tho
grip which corporate power has upon this
country---a grip that, II not soon shaken
off. will undoubtedly strangle tho very
liberties Of the people, so to speak, to
say nothing OF the repression of indivld-
! nal enterprise and effort and tho destruc-
| ton Of the hopes OF the weaker communl-
| ties throughout the land.
| IL ought to be possible to arouse the
masses to point where they would force
their representatives to properly amend
this interstate commission act. few
additional provisions would cure tho de-
feets But Will any effort In that direc-
tion be made? Scarcely. The American
Nation has seemingly fallen into that
most dangerous Of all conditions with ref
erence 10 its rights and It's interests
iukewarmness. We are sowing the wind
in this country now: by and by we shall
reap the whirlwind