Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-06-17
State Regulates Railways.

1.-The first railroad came to the
Mississippi river in 1864 and today
Iowa is the first state in the union in
the distribution OF mileage. 1t affords
most inviting field for transporta-
ton companies. The great bulk of the
agricultural products and live stock is
shipped to markets beyond it's borders.
The people purchase their necessary
merchandise and supplies In large
measure beyond the limits of the
state.
From an early day the law making
power has affirmed the principle of the
state regulation of railways. 1t has in
sisted that there shall be equality
among all localities and individuals
and has repeatedly urged upon con-
gress the prevention of rebates and
discrimination. About sixteen years
ago. an honored governor of Iowa, now
present as chairman of the Iowa COM
mission at this exposition found 1t
necessary to insist upon corrective
legislation, because of the manifest
disregard by some railroad managers
or their duties as common carriers. This
demand was based upon the idea that
railroads should not regulate busi-
ness interests, but that their true
Office was to serve those interests.
This legislation was in the main fair
in it's operation and has not been re-
pealed. 1t is gratifying to record that
the state board Of railway commits
sioners has never since its creation in
creased tariff charge except in some
instance of palpable error.
1T is also gratifying to know that
the people of our state have been
greatly benefited by the constantly re-
ducing freight charge for the trans
portation of commodities from Iowa
farms to market. The complaint that
"a governor of Iowa once made that
capital the skeleton in the Iowa corn
crib is the freight rate from the Miss
ouri river to Chicago can no longer be
made. The farmer has secured and
now enjoys many of the advantages
that come from decreasing freight
rates, and this has not been compelled
by rash or i'll considered legislation,
working a deprivation of any property
right We have borrowed from the
constitution of the United States the
fundamental guarantees of the citizen
and his property. The federal con-
stitution borrowed greatly from the
state constitutions then existing, and
we therefore had incorporated in the
constitution of Iowa double guaran-
tees for the preservation of those
rights exercised in d state where the
government is one of law and not of
caprice.
"A state that has furnished to the
nation Samuel +. Miller and John
+. Dillon who have enriched the juris-
prudence of mankind, may be justly
conscious that the law and its tradi-
tions are firmly woven into the wool
and warp of it's governmental fabric.
When our law was III it's formative
period, the Iowa supreme court speak
ing thru Mason, Dillon, Wright, Cole
and Beck established for our people
standards for humanity as well as
wisdom
Governmental Functions.
"tThe predominance of the judiciary
has created a recognition of legality.
Our people unconsciously give to the
decision OF the court regard equiv
alent to that given to the enactment of
Il law, and this acquiesceuce is granted
with knowledge that it may be mis-
take in judgment. The Iowa legisla-
tor has not looked askance upon the
growth OF governmental functions and
we have readily yielded acauiescence
to the thought that the disorder and