The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-06-26
DISCRIMINATING RATES AND TRUSTS.

The Sentinel can be very silly when II
tries, and 1t tries pretty often. A case in
point is it's attempt to prove that the Jour
nal is coming round to the support of the
Chicago PLATFORM" because it charges the
railroads with fostering trusts by discrim-
mating rates. 1t congratulates the Journal
on having lat last discovered" hat dis
eliminating railroad rates are q prolific
source Of economic wrong and contrasts the
Democratic declaration ON the subject in
1896 with the silence of the Republican plat
form. AS the Republican convention of 1854
made the first declaration on the subject
ever mad by a political convention, and as
the interstate-commerce law was passed in
1887, there was no particular necessity Of a
declaration on the subject IN 1896. 1t was
characteristic Of a party which, like a man
riding backward in q railroad car, never
sees anything till he has passed 1t, to come
limping to the front in 1896 with a declare
ton In favor Of a law that had been passed
nine years before. The Republican plat
form Of 1884 contained the following:
The regulation of with foreign
nations and between the States is one of the
IlOSl Itdll dllNCS VI liz CDC OIL
government, and the Republican party dis
tinctly announces its purpose to support
such legislation as will fully and efficiently
carry out the constitutional power OF Con-
gress over interstate commerce.
This was the first recognition by any ma
tional convention of the necessity of federal
regulation of Interstate commerce. At the
next session of Congress the House commit
tee on reported a bill on the sub
ject. and Mr.. Long. of Massachusetts, now
secretary of the navy. a member Of the
committee, spoke upon it. He said:
What is the evil. then, at which we should
direct legislation? 1t is the evil of unjust
discrimination and undue preferences. Rates
generous to the people. But there have
been unjust. indefensible, haraSsing and i'm
polite determinations, which, so far as they
amect interstate c0 GUMS bnvn le q f}aitb
than some I'm the utility of legislative re-
strictions. I yet believe the time has arrived
well as to the actual demands of business.
especially the demands of our mercantile
houses and middlemen. something can be
done by statutory time
This shows that the evil Of discriminating
rates was clearly perceived long before the
hating declaration by the Democratic con-
vention of 1896. Discussion of the subject
continued through several sessions of Con-
gress, finally ending i'm the passage of the
present law. 1t is not perfect, but it has
proved to be a long step in the right direc-
ton. Democratic platforms occasionally in
corporate some sound doctrine that has
been advocated by Republicans for years,
but that does not make them original DEM
ocratic doctrines. Next year they will come
out strong against trusts and probably
claim a patent on the principle. although
a Republican Congress passed an antitrust
law nearly ten years ago. If they want a
good resolution on the subject they might
copy the one in the Republican national
platform of 1855, as follows:
We declare our opposition to all combina-
tions of capital. organized in trust or other
wise. to control arbitrarily the condition or
trade among our citizens, and we recon-
mend to Congress and state legislatures IN
their respective jurisdictions such 'egisla,
ton as will prevent the execution or all
schemes to Cypress the people by UNDUE
charges on their supplies, or by unjust rates
for the transportation of the products TO
market. we approve the legislation of Con,
gress to prevent alike unjust burdens and
unfair determinations between the STATES