Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-07-06
Secret Rate Cutting.

Judge GayuOr of New York stated IL
as his belief that rebates and secret
rate cutting to favored shippers has
led to the creation of trusts and com
bines and that if the law was amend
ed to punish these determinations the
trusts would be curbed. Perhaps Judge
GaynOr is a little too sanguiue of the
effect that putting all shippers by the
railroads, be they great or small, on
the same footing would have, but
there Is no doubt that taking from the
trusts and combines the discrlmina-
tions by the railways in their favor
would abolish one of their great mo-
nopOlies
To the farmer of the west it does
not matter which trunk line carries
his wheat or corn to the seaboard or
whether it eventually reaches New York
or some other city on the Atlantic or
some port on the gulf of Mexico. The
interest of the farmer ceases when he
has sold his grain TO the buyer at the
nearest railway station. But ii does
make vast difference to him If he
ships Al carload of grain or cattle or
hogs TO Chicago or elsewhere that the
freight rate charged him shall be no
more than TO the elevator company or
the big cattle buyer. 1t is also of the
utmost Importance TO the fnrmer that
he should have an equal opportunity
in being furnished cars like other ship
pers-in fact. that no discrimination in
rates or opportunity shall be made
against him.
As nearly all the railways are inter
state corporations IL is necessary that
federal legislation should be enacted to
give the interstate commerce commits
sion power TO punish railway officials
who disobey the law. The present law
as amended by the Elkins bill makes
ii misdemeanor on the part of any
person or corporation Ito offer. grant
or give or to solicit, accept or receive
any rebate, concession or discrimina-
ton in respect Of the transportation OF
any property named in Interstate or
foreign commerce at less rate than
that named in the tariffs published
and fled
But the law does not provide for n
way TO punish the lawless railway Off
Cial and is therefore secretly and often
openly violated with impunity. The
Republican majority in congress have
always refused 10 vote for an amend
ment TO the law giving the interstate
commerce commission the necessary
power, though the Democrats have
time and again proposed such an
amendment. The same opposition from
the Republicans prevented the monop-
- y
though the Democrats have struggled
TO reform II, but every Republican in
congress has stood like n stone wall
against even reducing the tariff on
those products of the trusts that they
sell cheaper abroad than here.
Republican candidates for congress
and senators may declaim upon the
stump and make promises that they
will favor reasonable revision of tariff
rates, but their votes show they had
no such honest intention. Some OF
| them seek shelter under the plea that
in u caucus of Republican members of
| congress the majority decided to stand
pat, and they had TO keep within party
lines. That is an ancient dodge at
Washington, for the trusts and cor
porations always have n majority OF
the Republican members ready TO do
their bidding.
II the farmers will pass resolutions
at their grange or farmers clubs de-
handing a pledge from the candidate
/ for congress that regardless of party
/ lines he Will vote in their interest
and declaring that otherwise they will
vote and work against such candidates
election there would surely he n ma
| tority in the next congress that would
] pass the relief demanded.