The Atlanta constitution., 1902-11-10

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commerce act intended to compel the
! puhlic carriers TO make reasonable freight
! rates and refrain from faVOritiSm toward
| localities and individuals. This law was
/ thought to give the commission created
under il ample power to restrain public
carriers from wrongful eXtortiOnS and 10
/ prevent undue preferences in freight rates
TO persons, traffic or localities. The law
apparently provided that gross discriml-
nations In freight rates, by the charge
I of greater aggregate rates for shorter
! than for longer hauls. should cease: that
there should be absolute equality Of rates
as to the same points and relative equal
ity as 70 different points. I'm other
words, that the small shipper and the
large shipper should stand upon an equal
footing and that the small town and
| The large town should pay the same
relative rates.
Commission without Real Power.
II was the purpose of this law TO give
the commission the power to prevent
every class 81 dis riminatiou as between
shippers. The commission began to en-
force II. but their decisions wEfe reversed
hy the supreme court and from that
ulne the commission has been nothing
/ out a bureau Of Information with no
! power 10 enforce its DEGREES. The COM
/ mission came before congress and recon-
/ mended an amendment To- the law giving
them the power 10 carry out the spirit
| Of the law as originally drafted. The
/ democratic minority. acting on the the
/ ntN mat every man should be given a
lair chance. advocated this Amendments
| J al the republican majority defeated IT,
The last Georgia democratic convention
adopied resolution in favor If such
( legislation, and Senator clay said he
| leii II his duty 10 advocate it before
congress
Investigation has shown that the great
growth OF trusts and combinations was
! largely due 10 Determinations ia their
ldNor IN freight rates The anthracite
coal fields were once i'm the hands of in
dependent operators and the public en-
Jo}eG the benefit of the natural compc-
/ utlon between them. Then, because Of
railroad DETERMINATIONS. they were com
PEELED 20 sell 10 the very roads which
htd Disseminated against them. a1d the
result was he great combination Of an
thra.lte operators whose power to hold
ihe country by the throat has been SO
recently demonstrated lie cited the
meat trust and the Standard oil mo-
noPoly as Illustrations of the pow cr
given - crush cat competition because
Oi the special faVurs they receive i'm the
shape 81 freight rates.
What the people need aud what they
have "A right 20 enjoy is strong, healthy
competition. This can only be secured
through democratic legislation on The
lines laid down I y .dgiizsby cnlfwyppp
lines indicated. There is uo hope in re-
publican promises. Some republicans far
instance. gave promise at one time Of
acting with the democrats in bringing
about needed reforms in the tariffs Whipn
protect the trusts. bat At the critical mo-
ment they deserted
Another Measure Of Interest.
Speaking of another measure that was
before the last congress. Senator Clay
said:
At the last session of congress the
democrats voted against the bin popu-
,arly known as the bin TO protect the
llte of the president OF the United States"
ibis bill not only provided that any
PERSON VINO shall willfully kin the pres
li"nt. but. also. amy person who shall
attempt 10 kil the president upon couviC-
tou. shall Ifier the death penalty. The
bin went stiu further and provided that
amy person VINO shall attempt IL Klll the
vice precedent or any member Of the
cabinet iu line of succession to the pTt s.
lotnCN, upon conviction, shall pay the
death penalty II this bin had become a
law, and tGl president vice president.
or amy member 81 the cabins in the line
ol succession % the presidency hWi pass
cd through Your state, any person who
attempted 10 take The life of either of
u8Vt been executed. " While. if the same
criminal had attempted to take the life
OF your governor. your chief Justice, or
any citizen of your state, the extreme
pcEalty in The penltcntiaiy would not
have exceeded ton }tVrs. ! shall never
forget the pow raul speech marie by my
colleague against the passage of this bin.
There should not De on. law for one man.
even though he lee tns president of the
uited Stat s. ana another law for an
other man. though he be the lowiieSt
citizen of the republic. As | caught
these words from the eloquent lips of my
colleague. | thought to myself: The spir-
il OF democracy sin lives I'm our coun-
Try
Not Discouraged over the Future
Senator Clay said he was not discour-
aged over the future of the democratic
PARTY. lie referred to the magnificent
fight madx by the reunited democracy
In New York where they came within a
very few thousand votes of electipg their
governor. and spoke of the democratic
gains in the national house of repre-
sentative, paying a tribute 10 Judge
Griggs for the excellent. work he had
done as chairman Of the national demo-
cratic ccmmittse having in charge the
party's interests in this contest.
In conclusion, SenatOr Clay paid a high
tribute to the South ,and to democracy.
The democratic party has often met
defeat and il has bedn often said that the
influence of the south i'm the councils Of
the nation is a thin6 of the past. II so,
there would, as an eminent Georgian has
expressed II, be consolation III the cOnVlc-
iion that we have lived and died splen-
didly loyal to the better days of tlb re-
public | agree further with him when
II Essays. mo danger will be too great for
M to risk. no trial too irksome. no sacri-
flee too eXacting II we can. by our efforts,
preserve odr free institutions. We will
walk with hrm aud assured steps in the
way of truth. virtue and happiness We
will pursue this policy because it is right.
and because we love right and hate
wrong / have not lost faith. hope or
courage. | believe right will eventually
rule and the democracy triumph