The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-01-10
OFF THE MASK.
The Interstate Commerce Commits
sion and the Railroads.

\. \. Financial Chronicle Dec l. 1900.
In decision rendered this week the
Interstate Commerce commission has
thrown off all disguise and has revealed
the animus which is comrolling its
course and action. The trainers Of the
interstate law intended that the COM
mission should ACT in an impartial
manner, deciding cases before IT
strictly IN accordance with their merits.
The board has from the first acted as
If it were the champion of the shippers,
and as if its chief junction consisted in
harassing and embarrassing the rail.
roads and ruling against them when
occasion offered. But while the COM
mission could not conceal the bias it
felt, its utlerances at least have hithcr,
TO been couched in judicial and unob-
jectionablc language, thus preserving
semblance of impartiality. This
week, however, it has finally thrown
precaution to the winds. The South
ern Railway company had asked for q
reheanng in Case involving relative
rates to Lynchburg, Danviltc, etc, ,
which had been decided against it in
the spring. In its petition the COM
pany CLAIMED that to obey The decision
of the commission would involve loss
to it of $433 900 per annum, and that
as no dividend had been paid on the
company's co umon stock Of 100000,
600 during 1899, to insist upon cutting
off that amount of revenue per year
would be tantamount to depriving the
owners Of the stock Of their properly
without due process of law. The COM
mission makes an attempt to dispute
the figures of loss given, and then goes
on to say that the stock was issued as
part Of a reorganization scheme under
which the company came into exist
cncc, that it does not appear that any
thing was ever paid upon such stock,
and finally (apparently TO clinch q
weak argumcnD "that it does not rest
in the whim of a reorganization com
mittce in Wall street to impose a tax
upon the whole Southern country"
The allusion hele to the "whlm of a
reorganization committee" in "Wall
street" is not only irrelevant and in cX-
cccdingly bad taste, violating every rule
OF official propriety, but in the in
ference which it seeks TO convey IS a
gross misrepresentation of the facts of
the case. There was no occasion for
Juggling in the reorganization commit
tee at all, and We can conceive of no
reason for so doing, except desire on
the part of some of the members to
pose before the country as foes of the
railroad and financial interests. The
reorganization committee was not on
trial, and If the commission deemed
the capitalization of tho Southern rail
| way excessive and wanted to maintain
| its position with reference to the rate
| question, dccOrous statement to that
| effect would have answered every pur-
| pose and have shown that the board
still had some regard for its official po-
sition. Instead, the commission seeks
to cast aspcrsions upon body of men
who in reorganizing the old Richmond
and West Point Terminal company and
its constituent properties rendered as
important public service as was cvel
rendered under similar circumstances
by like body anywhere in the coun
try. As matter of fact the rcorgan
ization committee, instead Of being pill
loried, should be held up to public ap
proval and praise, They accomplishet
q task which seemed wellnigh hopeless
Ia task which several previous com
mittoes formed for the Sumo purpos,