The Wichita daily eagle., 1904-05-26

we are not in a position to allow your
claim.
Il trust you will understand that per-
sonally we regret our inability to afford
relief in your case.
Il see by your letter that you are un-
/ der a misrepresentation of the obligations
| of the common carrier: in fact railroads
! are no longer common carriers in the
! ancient sense of that word Of course
there was time when We were poor
! when we needed not only a franchise or
! license from the people, but we needed
financial aid, national state, municipal,
and individual. and We not only held our
selves answerable to the common law as
common carriers but we felt grateful
for ali that was being done for us, and
we did more than the law really required
We carried the products of commerce at
as low a rate as We could afford to do
This was our rule. rather than to charge
all the tariff the traffic would bear We
understood then the people were entitled
to the profits of their toll. Above all,
We gave in those days prompt and eff
cient service. Under these conditions the
country proSpered. and we came to realize
that in a large measure this prosperity
was due to the railroads Great enter
prises were conceived. diversified indus
tries were consolidated. and monopolized
by the few.-in which transportation was
a vital and indispensable factor Smith
or Brown or Jones might have been the
Standard Oil company and Rockefeller
might have been today working a horse
power oil-derrick at Titusville if the rail
roads had so willed We suddenly be
came the source Of power. the mother of
trusts. and the people having slept upon
their rights, are now barred by the stat
ute of limitations from making COM
plants. Do not blame the railroads
Modern political methods are at the bot
tom of il. Realizing the power OF rail-
roads. when n man became ambitious for
office ne applied to the railroads for their
influence. and it goes without saving that
in return ne offered them his Thus his
political career was mortgaged and the
railroads held the debentures. You charge
the railroads with corruption when poll
ticians and promoters of great CONNER
cial schemes have approached and Sc
duced railroad officials into their corrupt
rings. Thus political as we'll as COM
mercial power, has been almost thrust
upon US.
The first thing a candidate does when
he gets the nomination for the Legislators
is TO write to the railroad. one or more
running through his district for trans
portation. which We always send with
our best wishes for his success and an
invitation for him TO can upon US When
the opposite party makes its nomination
the same thing is sure to occur and with
the same result. and in both cases we are
equally sincere We know that one will
succeed, and if he has any sense OF graf
itude. he vii be opposed to any drastic
railroad legislation. Railroads have no
politics. business and patriotism are syn
onyms with us.
I'VE have missed a few OF the state
legislatures. notably that of Texas. bat
this does not trouble US. We will disci-
pline that state in our own good time
our dependence however, is on congress
and the courts. The interstate commerce
commission has been against Us since its
creation. but il is powerless. They can
decide TO use the terms OF the act that
created them. that our charges are not
just and reasonable. or. il they like.
that they are unjust and unreasonable
they can say Don't" or you must
cease and desist." but this is only a
protest without power 10 give it effect
Where the supreme cour, declared |
that congress has not delegated the leg |
rates either maximum, minimum or alb |