The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-01-02

do not look with disfavor upon the console
dation Of the Northern Pacific and Great
Northern railroads.
One is that the roads can be relied on, even
II, under common management, to make
reasonable rates. and that that is all that the
people want.
The other is that the people haye power,
through their legislatures to regulate rates,
and the consolidated roads could not, If they
chose. become extortionate or oppressive.
Neither of these suggestions will stand eX-
animation in the light of history. AS to the
former, it is argued that the interest of the
railroads and their patrons is Identical; that
the roads are interested in the development
OF the country they traverse and in the pros
perity of the people. That, moved by this
interest and the great saving in management,
lower rates would be insured, and the alb
sence of competition would render them more
stable; SO that in the end the people will
find that they are benefited by the CONSOLE
dation
An Old story.
This is the same plausible argument by
which the votaries of unlimited power have
lulled the people into quietude in every age
1t is clothed in many CARDS, but underneath
them all stands the cruel and hateful figure
of tyranny. "Gve us free rein and we will
Go better for you than if you seek to place
a check upon our power is the promise.
Yet when, in all the ages, has this promise
been fulfilled? The lust for power is insa-
table. It's appetite is whetted by it's graft
t1cation. It is this which makes these gigan-
tic combinations dangerous. The men who
| are the moving spirits in them are neither
| better nor worse than other men; they are
simply stronger; and from the day Of Sam
son to the day Of Hill and Morgan, strong
men have been dangerous men; but about
! their heads, sooner or later they hear the
crunlblng of the walls Of the temple.
Like other Men Are Hill and Morgan
| The men who have organized the Northern
Securities company are the Intellectual giants
| OF the day; but, unless unlike their proto-
| types in all the ages Of the past, they will
| prove despotic. Such has ever been the ten;
dency Of strong men. The exceptions have
been comparatively few. Cincinnatus, VIII
| liam the Silent and our own Washington
! stand out in history as beautiful exception:
to this rule, and serve, as we think OF tn
powerful men Of the world, to preserve from
utter decay our faith in our species. But the!
are few, while the Caesars, the Stuarts ant
the Napoleons are many.
Commercial Despotism.
The despotisms Of the past have been po
litical. The despots have been political rulers
Not so of the future. The twentieth centur.
dawns at the food tide Of commercial era
The great strong men of to-day are engage
in commerce, not in politics, and the des
potism which now threatens mankind is com
mercial, not political It is as unsafe nov
as ever to place ones head in the mouth OF
lion, and eternal vigilance is as much tn
/. price of liberty to-day as at any period o
the past. .-,
A Case in Point. -
u But for the effect of absolute, control Of tn
transportation business, we need not rel
upon the unerring tendencies OF humal
nature. The great state of California and 1t
Industries may be summoned as witness
i In that state Coils Huntington accomplished
years ago by E; different method, what is nov
being attempted in all the territory west O
the Mississippi. For years he succeeded IL
controlling every mile Of railroad in ina
state, the result being that freight and pas
senger rates in California were kept at tn
highest point the traffic would stand, ant
the fruit growers, winemakers and thos
engaged in other Industries, delivered annu
ally their profits to the Southern Pacific rail
road. If the consolidation which is now at
tempted through the Northern Securities com
pany shall succeed, what was done in Cali
fornia will be done il all the country ives
Of the Mississippi It cannot then be lon
until this combination will extend to tn
Atlantic sea board and the gulf, and eventuall
the continent. If this is possible, it require
no prophet to foretell the future thralldom Q
| the American people.
Regulation by Law.
AS to the other suggestion, that the peopl
have the power through their legislatures
regulate rates, it is, perhaps. enough t
say that this method has thus far prove
so cumbersome as to be ineffective. I, how
ever, believe more strongly in its possb1l1t1e
than do my acquaintance, among either rail
road men shippers Railroad men, as
rule look upon the interstate commerce lay
as a failure, and have neither fear OF no
respect for the various state commissions
This feeling is also quite general, thoug
1 not so universal, among shippers That tn
interstate commerce law has by no mean
+ realized the expectation of its champions i
p I think In some measure due to the fact tina
the great man who was called to be the Hrs
chairman of the commission which wa
J charged with it's enforcement, was SO 500
l incapacitated by illness, and most OF tn
: other strong men who have been given place
4 in that body soon resigned to accept MOI
l lucrative positions with corporations. In
. supreme court Of the United States is un
yersally esteemed to be at the same time tn
most unique, the most beheficient ana ID
: most powerful institution of government eve
Q created American >lawyers agree that II
Y unique character and unusual power, as we
I Avn
4 in our national economy, proceed as niue
a from the great wise man who was called
Q it's eleventh year to preside as its chi
Justice and who for thirty-fc years guloe
and Influenced its decisions, as from those WI
devised the tribunal and provided for II
e our constitution. No less unique than IT
: supreme court, in its conception, IS the II
i terstate commerce commission, and who ca
e saw that had Thomas NJ Cooley lived ]
health and strength to guide its course, i
mower and influence for, good would not nay
4 beeen far greater than it has!
e Difficulties in Path of State hesula
ton.
e But. while still believing In the system
+ state regulation Of transportation rates, IL
t undeniably true that it has inherent wear
, nesses: not the least of which grow OUT
cur complex system of government Whl
each state may regulate traffic between pom
D in that state, the general government alor