The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-12-24
is THE STRUGGLE COMING?

IS THE STRUGGLE COMING?
News comes from Washington that
the President intends to insist upon Leg
isIation that will carry out his recon-
mendation for the fixing and regulat-
ing of freight rates by the Inter-
State Commerce Commission. The
railroad magnates who have prevented
any such legislation in the past are
proper legislation regulating rates. ="
That sounds very well, but it is we'll
not to trust the Greeks bearing
gifts 1t is said they favor a special
commission TO investigate the best
plans and to report their recommends
tions at the next session of Congress,
that they wish new courts established,
or that they believe it best to leave the
matter to the judicial officers of gov
eminent.
The only thing certain is that the
railroad magnates will favor some leg
isiation that does not give the Inter
State Commerce Commission the pow
er to fix rates and put them in oper-
alton. That is certain. Heretofore
they have opposed comforting the pow
err upon anybody. Now they favor
some legislation but may be. relied
upon to be smart enough to want a
plan that will not meet the demand
of the manufacturing and business
world.
Will there be clash between The
Just as certain as the President ill
sists upon a direct and effective
method to soon put on the statute
books laws that will be sure to carry
out his recommendation there will
be a clash. He must submit to q
plan that is defective or that the rail
road lawyers can drive a four horse
team through, or permit do nothing
commission to investigate. or there
will be a sharp clash between Morgan
and CaSsatt and other railroad monop-
olists and the President.
The Washington correspondent Of
the Philadelphia Public Ledger writes
his paper that Immediately after the
holidays the President will send to
Congress a special message bearing
upon the question of the trusts. N
which he will recommend national
control of large corporations. through
Federal charters. That is, that all
corporations engaged in interstate
trade shall organize under charters
granted by the general government
State charters to be effective only In
the States by which they are granted.
This information comes from no
other quarter. but the Public Ledger
is remarkably careful and correct. If
the President is resolved to push such
legislation through as will be effective
he will find that he is 'up against
it," The trusts put UP plen1y Ct
money in the late campaign ana
bought the election straight in 1896.
They will permit no regulation that
regulates. If the President proposes
to suppress the trusts and regulate
the great corporations, the struggle
will be a notable one.
Harper's Weekly. edited by Col.
Harvey who has earned reputation as
one of the fairest and ablest non-parti-
san editors in America foresees d
struggle on the tariff question. He
says:
1.-THE fact is, as we are informed
upon good authority. that the message
as originally prepared and given to
the press associations, contained a
statement TO the effect that at SUBJ
sequent date the Chief Magistrate
would communicate with Congress re-
speeding changes in tariff schedules.
The line was taken out in final revis-
ion. Why we can only surmiSe.
but the fact that it was written
at all, shows that the general impress
sion that the President considers "a
revision of the tariff desirable and
that he himself favorS it is we'll found
ed. That being the case, we may con-
fidently anticipate vigorous special
message at such a time as the Presi-
dent may deem suitable. He is no
shirker of responsibilities. and when
once his hand is placed upon the pillow
he never turns back. We regard as
Inevitable struggle of no mean mag
nitude between the President and the
representatives of special interests in
Congress, and when it comes the
country will be with the President.
The outcome no man can foresee. The
protected interests and their spokes>
men, particularly in the Senate, are
strongly intrenched and have great
power, but SO have the President and
the people,"
If the President wages war for
fixing and regulating railroad rates.
he will have powerful antagonists; il
he opposes the exactions of the trusts
he will find resourceful and relent-
less foe; if he demands real and genu-
inc revision of the tariff in the interest
of fairness and Justice to consumer
as we'll as others. he will find that he