The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-03-06

Congressional action on this matter is clearly and forcibly given expression in the following extracts from these official recommendations to Congress. In the re- port of December. 1902, the commission says: The tendency to combine continues to be the most significant feature of railway development. 1he facts in this regard are matters of common knowl- edge and little is gained by the mention of particular instances. It is not open to question that the competition between railroad carriers which formerly prevail ed has been largely suppressed or at least brought to the condition of effective res traint. The progress of consolidation in one form or another will at no distant day confine this competition within mar row and unimportant limits, because the control of most railway properties will be merged in a few individuals whose common interests impeI them to act in concert. The resulting situ- ation involves consequences to the pub..c which claim the most serious attention . s+rhe fullest power of correction is vest ed in Congress and the exercise of that power is demanded by the highest con- sideration of public welfare . Moreover in view of the rapid disappear ance of railway competition and the maintenance of rates established by com bination, attended as they are by sub stantial advances in the charges on many articles of household necessity, the com mission regards this matter as increas- ingly grave and desires to emphasize it's conviction that the safeguards required for the protection of the public will not be provided until the regulating statute is thoroughly revised
 Tn another of it's reports urging that C0f0raaa armand fhA In OrHpr the public might be protected from the effects of these combinations the com mission says: It will lie within the power of two or three men, or at most a small group of men, to say what tax shall be imposed upon the vast traffic moving between the East and the West. One kind of property may determine what tribute every other kind of prop erty snail pay to it.
 'In the event of my election I shall exert my best efforts toward the correL- ton of the evils here suggested, having at the same time due regard for, ard shall endeavor to protect all the righ;s of all the Interests involved.
 Tn this matter Of curing these dc- fects in the law empowering the Intcc- state Commerce Commission to regulate freight rates on interstate commerce, 1t is altogether possible that my distin- guished competitor will not agree wIth me. This conclude from ais having made no effort to correct these defects during his terms in Congress, althoUga they have been drawn to his attention as directly as to that of any man; he hay ing had occasion in hIs large proies- sional experience to point out some Of the most material of these defects, espc- cially in successfully defeating the cf- forts made by Interstate Commerce Commission to regulate and reduce cs.- tain rates charged by his clients-tfe Alabama Midland Railway I suggeS. this not by way of crlticising his coutse as attorney to client, but to show that since he knows the serious defects in the machinery for applying the provisions of the law to existing conditions, and since he has not attempted in either of ais two terms to correct them. he must not favor any legislation along this line. As he evidently does not favor such legIs- lation and the Congressional nomination this time Is to be made by a primary and not by convention. thus affOrding no means of instructing the nominee, llo