The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-12-20
WHY THE SUDDEN FLOP:

declaring that the government must
regulate the railroads or must own
them. From no quarter comes hos
tility to regulation. Even Mr.. Cas-
satt. president of the Pennsylvania
railroad. Journeys to Washington to
tell President Roosevelt that he Is
Sin substantial accord" with his rec.
concentrations. Those who SO vici-
ously assailed government regulation
as an unwarranted invasion upon the
rights of property owners have shut
up like clans. Great railroad mag
mates. Republican trust Senators. and
labor organizations and Populists have
all publicly declared their belief IN
the platform declaration in the Ma
tional convention at st. Louis, and it Is
said that the administration will press
1t in advance of all other legislation.
The sudden flop" has startled soma
people. What does it mean? The an.
Swer is that it is another Panama
canal case. For thirty years the great
railroad systems prevented action upon
the demand for an isthmian canal.
The late Coils p. Huntington main
tanned at Washington the most inf1u-
entail and respectable lobby ever seen
there Its business was TO prevent
legislation that would build canal.
Nearly everybody was silence1, iii enc
way or another. except Senator Nor
gan. He kept hammering away, but
as long as Huntington lived nothing
could be done. After he iiei. me
demand became so insistent that
had to be done. Suddenly
everybody "got busy" for a canal.
The obstructionists of thirty years be-
came most Jealous and declared that
there must be no more delay. But
almost as miraculously suddenly every
one of them became convinced thai
the Nicaraguan roulette route de-
manded by both the Republican and
Democratic National conventions
would not do at all. They counted
upon Senator Morgan's speaking a
whole session and defeating the legls-
lation for the Panama canal. The
able Albanian was "onto their little
game" and took their breath away
when he withdrew all opposition ana
voted for the Panama canal. The
railroad magnates couldn't believe
their ears when they heard that their
one they had proposed to
obstruct action-had actually passed
the Senate. The people, who knew
only what was on the surface. threw
hot. hot DIV
to get ready to sail through the new
canal. What do we hear now? That
the plans are all to be changed. IGat
it is necessary to build a sea level
canal, and that if there is plenty Of
money and labor the canal will be
not the diIatory tactics of the ola
time hostility to any canal seen here?
1t is doubtful if any man now living
will go through the isthmian canal.
The railroad bosses and their attor-
neys in the Senate see that they cam
not openly resist the public demand
for regulation of rates They did that
up to twenty or more years ago. Then
the people demanded that something
be done and the Interstate Commits
sion-(draWn so that any railroad
lawyer could drive a four horse team
it)-was enacted. 1t has been
shorn of the feeble powers it as first
possessed. And now the people are
aroused again over the determinations
and exorbitant rates Do the railroad
men rail at them and say "You are
trying to deny us the right to control
our own property?" Not a bit of it.
They are as wise as serpents and as
harmless as doves They declare
that the demands of the people are
just and should be granted and pub
lish interviews to prove that they are
sincere in desiring to be regulated.
Indeed they go to Washington to see
eminent railroad lawyers who are en-
ployed as Senators and urge them to
enact laws that will give to shippers
the right to fix rates through a COM
mission And lots of the people, with
a credulity and innocence that would
be beautiful if not misplaced. say:
"See how just our demands are. for
even TIE TdlITOduS are unlLlnS WIN
us to get legislation" and they go back
to their stores and factories and
farms confident that soon the power
to put rates in operation will be con-
ferred on the Interstate Commerce
Commission. AS soon as the people
are thus put to sleep, the railroad
lawyers will draw bill that will cre-
ate a lot of new offices, to be filled by
railroad lawyers, announce that the
new courts" to regulate rates have
been created and soon they will take
VI the complaints and dispose OF
them. And the people will wait an
other twenty-five years while the new
judges TO be appointed are trying to
find out the powers" of the court
and the people will find the new ma
chinery has far less authority than the
present Interstate Commerce Com.
mission, and its officers are in the