Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1902-01-25
Tire Governors and Railroads.


The meeting Of the governors, or
their representatives. of Minnesota,
South Dakota, Montana, Idaho,
Washington and Oregon, to consider
the railroad combination SO much
talked of Las been exploited as an
epoch making affair, and the parties
TO IL are euiogiZed as heroes, bene-
factors and several other desirable
sorts of individuals and officials. But
it is difficult to see any basis for the
eulogies. All they did, that has been
made public, was to adopt Il pream bic
and a resolution. The first reciteS
that the proposed combine is against
public poiicy-which no one will dis
pute,- whether it is the proposed COM
bine Or the one that has existed ever
since the paralelling lines existed.
The preamble further recites that its
writers will give their blessing TO any
court or courts that will speech pass
upon the validity OF the proposed com
bine, and it finally protests. against
any combination on consolidation
which restricts or STILES free Compel
ition in tie trade OF commerce of the
country" and 'resolutes" thusly:
Resolved, first.That the Congress
of the United States is requested to
investigate the general subject and
take suitable action thereon. Second
that power should be granted to the
interstate commerce commission to
fix maximum rates upon interstate
traffic ard TO regulate the same.
Third, that a copy Of these resolutions
be forwarded to the senators and rep
resentatives in congress of the states
here represented.
The closing clause of the preamble
shows the seriousness and dignity
consistent with an epUch-making con-
ference could not stifie the sp0nt ane
Gus humor of the assembled states
men, even upon 50 solemn an occasion
as they found themselves the authors
OF. The implication that there ever
has been any "free compa / ion in the
railway trade OF commerce Of" the
citizens of the states named, Except
possibly few favored ones), is funny
enough to deserve embalming in a
comic almanac. And if sitting com
petition of this kind is such an awful
thing-and of course it iS-then why
haven't these governors and their
predecessors for a score of years been
going for it, - good and plenty?
Then the resolution! Was milder
hammered Indictment or arraignment
ever written? Inviting some other
fellow or fellows to take up one S light
for him did not formerly make hero
OF one. But it's different now. Why
did not those governors resolve that
''since railroads have now shown their
hands SO plainly that even these SO
blind as we are can see what they are
proposed to do, and also what they
have done in the past and are doing
now, we will go home and vigorously
enforce whatever laws are on our re-
spectiye statute books for the state
regulation Of railroad rates; or will
convene cur legislatures that they
may exercise the power that the nat
ional supreme court has declared they
possess, to establish just and reason
able railroads in their StateS!' This
or something analogous to it would
have shown that those officials haO
some stomach for a tight on their own
account, and they would have deSerV-
ed and received praise outside of the
columns OF few newSpaperS.-Fro
Stock s Farm.