The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-12-17
ON THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.


1t is an open secret in America that
when the President CATER the Govern
ors of the Northwestern States had
organized to fight the Northern Sc
curities Company began the proceed
ings that prevented the completion or
that gigantic transportation trust, he
was roundly denounced by the rail-
road magnates in America. 1t is also
an open secret that ]. Pierpont Nor
gan, Cassatt and other great railroad
men encouraged a fight upon Mr..
Roosevelt before either National Con-
vention was held.
1t is equally we'll known that, after
the campaign was well in progress,
all the members of the transportation
trust, as well as the other trusts, sud
denly wheeled into line and support
ed Mr.. Roosevelt. and helped to furn-
ish the sinews of war. This was so no
torious that many men believed that
the President had made terms with
them or that the party leaders had Sc
cured their support by pledging that
they would be treated right"
Inasmuch as Mr. Roosevelt has
recommended that the Interstate
Commerce Commission be given power
to regulate rates. it is clear that he
made no agreement with the rail-
road magnates. If he presses the pas
sage of a bill that will reach the case,
nobody can doubt his good faith In
this matter. And he can secure the
passage if he is determined to do so.
for Congress will listen and heed his
we'll considered policies.
During the campaign, the Demo-
cratic leaders soon found that thew
would get no support from the great
railroad corporations. One frank anu
vigorous high UP railroad official, who
in January had been an earnest advo-
cate OF Parker's nomination, virtually
came out for Roosevelt and said he
had changed because Democrats had
made war on the railroads in the Ma
tional platform He referred to this
plank:
1--WE especially denounce rebates and
discrimination by transportation COM
panieS as the most potent agency in
promoting and strengthening these I'M
lawful conspiracies against trade. We
demand an enlargement of the pow
ers of the interstate commerce COM
mission, to the end that the travelling
public and shippers of this country
may have prompt and adequate relief
from the abuses to which they are
subjected IN the matter of transporta-
ton"
That was, next TO the tariff declara-
tion the soundest plank in the Demos
cratic platform. But it drove away
support of the men who control great
railroad systems, and they were al
most as solidly lined up against the
Democratic party in 1904 as in 1895
when the owners OF their bonds made
them dance for Mckinley. The DEM
ocrats made a mistake in not empha-
sizing that plank more than they did,
and appealing to the business and
manufacturing world to help to put
that platform into statute.
Mr.. Roosevelt's recommendation is
in direct line with the Democratic plat
form, and if he will refuse to listen
to the makeshifts that railroad at
IOFHeyS Will OucI III oIueI " pIeFSlll lC-
lief he will be sure to find every true
Democrat in Congress voting to give
the Inter-St Commerce Commission
the power to fix and regulate rates.
Nothing less than that will afford re-
lief All other legislative plans would
deny the relief that American COM
merce needs.
II the administration will enact the
above plank into law it will do a great
thing for business prosperity.