The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-25
THE CONSTITUTION AND THE RAILROADS,

There is a good deal of agitation go- ing on just now in the State, in refer ence to the Railroad Commission. The method of its selection and the amount of it's powers are the questions at is-' sue. Some of the papers are paying attention to the matter, and there have been delegations of business men before the Committee on Corporations of the Constitutional Convention.
 In this connection The Selma Times has a lively account of the visit of a Selma delegation of prominent busi- ness men to Montgomery. Its edito- rial on the subject appears on this page. Ut appears. to have little hope of relief from the Committee on Cor porations, not because it's members are not honest. conscientious and faithful in intention, but because some of them are railroad attorneys. It seems also to think that these gentlemen are bound by the clause in the present Con- stitution preventing members of the Assembly from voting on question they dlG 4hICAC0LG0
 We don't agree with The Times in all the details of it's position. h the first place, it is not at all certain that it's up against a tough proposition" be- cause there is such a number of rail- | road attorneys on the Committee on Corporations. We don't believe the average railroad attorney belongs body and soul to the road which employs him. We have seen instances where men so employed, who were members of the Assembly, opposed legislation re- garded as Tn the interest of the rail- roads. We believe that the majority of | the railroad attorneys in the Consti- tutional Convention will be found Tn a Judicial frame of mind on all ques- lions affecting the interest of the roads. and that they will do their duty. In any event, they should not be con- demned in advance, as has been done by The Times. We should wait and see their attitude.
 Now as to the main question. We doubt the wisdom and advisability of having the Railroad Commission elect ed by the people. In the first place, we think more capable men for the posi- tion can be secured by appointment and confirmation than by the trading and trafficing usually done in State Conventions. In the second place. the election of Commissioners by the pco- pie, would afford too great tempta- tion to the railroads to enter politics and increase the corruption which the underlying purpose of this Convention is to decrease and reform.
 As to increasing the powers of the | Commission, The Advertiser believes that should be done to a limited Ge- gree. with possibly a provision for ap- neal to the courts. The present law is entirely advisory, leaves the body no mower to enforce it's rulings, and nee essarily the Commission has always been extremely conservative in its un- dertakings. 1t should be made more
 positive quantity, but it should not
 have the plenary power given in some States, where the railroads are abso-
 lutely at the mercy of the Commis-
 sions. The railroads are powerful in-
 struments for good, ard should be reg
 ulated by a ive-and-let-live policy.
 They should not be treated as enemies
 of the people and oppressed in all sorts
 of ways. Nor, on the other hand,
 should they, as public carriers enjoying
 great privileges from the State, be
 permitted to exercise their unrestrained
 will, for in many cases unquestionably
 this great power has not been used
 wisely or justly.
 We believe it is to the interest of
 the railroads, as well as of the people
 that the Commission should be
 strengthened and that 1t should be paid
 cut of the Treasury. The change
 would make friends for the roads, They
 now nearly always get the worst of it l in the courts and at the hands of ju-