The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-04-24
THE CULLOM BILL.

IL AOAAO'1S
luton were adopted by the Board of
Directors of the Board of Trade of
the City Of Chicago, February 81,
1900:
"WHEREAs, It is the practically
unanimous opinion of men competent
to Judge, as expressed in private con-
versation-in public speeches-in
careful1y-prepared newspaper and
magazine articles-and in testimony
given before Congressional or other
committees of inquiry-that nc COM
bination Of capital, whether in the
hand of individuals, firms or cor
portions, is dangerous to the public
welfare, unless the parties cOntrOll-
ing such capital, are given an undue
advantage, by means of railroad rates
or special transportation facilities
| which are denied to their cOmpeti-
tors and the general public; and
"WHEREAs, This opinion finds echo
in the hear; of the average Ameri-
can citizen, since he asks for nothing
in the conflicts of business life, but
"a fair field and no favor ) and
"WHEREAs, The Constitution of
the United States, as interpreted by
the decisions of the Supreme Court,
gives Congress complete control over
Interstate Commerce, to the extent
if need be of making their tariffs for
the railroad corporations, subject
only to the limitation that such
tariffs shall be just and reasonable
and
"WHEREAs, Since the greater al
ways contains the less if it is COM
petent for Congress to exercise this
power, it is competent for them to
delegate it to a body established by
themselves for the express purpose,
and charged with the sole duty Of,
exercising it and
ssWHEREAs, When the Interstate
Commerce law was enacted it was
supposed to be stringent enough to
remedy the abuses in transportation
matters which had even then grown
unbearable-but this opinion has
been shown by the experience of the
past thirteen years to have not been
we'll founded and
WHEREAS, There is nOw pending in
Congress a bill known as Senate Bill
No. 1439-amending the Interstate
Commerce law, and which has been
50 carefully drawn under the light of
the decisions of the United States
courts, that if enacted into law, it is
confidently expected will so strength
en- the nter-State Commerce law
that it will fulfill the purposes for
which it was originally intended
and that the Interstate Commerce
Commission, acting under it, will be
able to protect the honest railroad
corporations from the c~ut-thrOat
rates of INSCRIPTIONS competitors,
as we'll as from the rapaCity and
greed of hitherto favored shippers,
and at the same time will be able to
secure to the general public, the same
fair and equal treatment at the rail
road ticket and freight offices of the
country, which they now receive at
its pOstOfiCeS and custom houses,
and to which by law they are en-
titled. Now, therefore,
Resolved, By the Board of Direct
Ors of the Board of Trede of the City
of Chicago: That the speedy enact
ment into law of Senate Bill No. 1439
is demanded by every consideration
of the public welfare and we do
therefore respectfully but earnestly
petition the Congress of the United
States to pass this bill at it's present
session"
This preamble and set of resOlu-
tions came with a large four page
circular setting forth some of the
abuses which have been developed
under the old law and showing how
easy the old law is violated when "a
person of wealth and influence out
side of the railroad corporations is
ready and willing to profit by CO.
operation in violating its provisions.
We call on the whole delegation in
Congress from the Old North State
to give this fair and just Senate Bill
No. 1889 their support in and out of
session and not only to vote for it
when it comes up but to watch out
that it is not artfully side-tracked as
it now appears it may be. If this
measure is not passed unmuzzled we
believe the time is at hand when a bill
should be introduced authorizing a
commission to draw a distinct line
between the different values of pri-
vate property and public franchise in
a railroad and then to proceed to con
denim SI1nh roads &c uiOIatn tho lnr