Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1905-07-06


special counsel found q way under
the so called Elkin's law and the |
provisions Of the Sherman Act TO
punish not only the railroads but |
the officers of those railroads. And
when the way is found, the Presi- |
dent Of the United States steps in
and says it shall not be used effec- |
tive because it happens to hit one Of |
his friends. The crux OF the whole |
matter, therefore, seems to be that |
the country has law enough to pun
ish any offender among railroad
men who may make rebates and dis
ordinations in favor OF individuals
or localities, but that law is not, and
has not been enforced TO it's extent,
as the railroads claim. This strange
correspondence would seem to indi-
cate further that President Roose-
welt, at least. does not want it en-
forced.
Such being the case. it is impos-
sible to believe in the sincerity OF
President Roosevelt's expressed de-
sire TO punish the railroad COM
panies, :" as he is pleased to term it,
for violation Of the law. 1t would
seem apparent instead that what he
really wants is o power OF absolute
control over the companies through
rate regulation so that they may be
used TO advance his political inter
est or those OF his successor in the
Presidential chair. It also agrees
with my contention in previous let
ters that this whole railway rate re-
gulatiOn agitation is only device of
the protected industries to stave off
and smother for time at least, all
propositions for sucn tariff revision
as are now urgently demanded for
the relief OF the people and to sup
ply the deficit now existing in the
government treasury, and that Pre-
sident Roosevelt is a party to the
scheme. IL his back sommersaults
and gyrations do not mean this then
| am hunting for the man who can
explain them to me.
People who think that Roosevelt
is little tin deity, should study
some Of his inconsistencies. He
can side-step proposition quicker
than Hades can scorch o feather.
Just watch him.
-
AS a plea for the shipper and the
grower of fruits and his rights to
make contracts with the people who
can serve his interests best without
the interference of the law makers
of the country, the testimony of Mr..
f. S. Quincy. OF Hart, Michigan, is
about the best that was made before
the Senate Committee on Interstate
Commerce, during the hearings re-
Gently adjourned. My interest in
this matter was excited because this
has been the cause of the man behind
the hoe and he has the right to have
his side OF the story go out to the peo-
plesOthat they may say to their men,
Der Of Congress what it seems right |
and best that they say to him before |
he comes here next fall to make laws.
| gave part Of Mr.. Hats testi-
mony in my letter Of last week. He
is a grower OF peaches and he went |
on to say: Every dollar that has
ever gone into those peaches the |
peach grower put in. He has to |
educate himself when he buys the
land, and he has TO put money in it
when he plants his trees, and he has |
to put in the money when he kills |
the San Jose scale, and he keeps |
putting in money until those peaches
land on the desk or the counter
stall of some commission man. That
is the reason the commission men
are here. Did you ever consider |
when these commission men are
talking TO you that they never paid
one dollar OF these excessive freight |
charges or icing charges that they
talk about? l do not represent the
people Of western Michigan, but |
am here to say that we have q very
long strip of country along the west
shore OF Lake Michigan that raises
large quantities Of fruit, and am
here to say that l voice the senti- |
ments of 80 per cent. of the fruit |
growers of western Michigan when
| say that the Armour service is
the lest service we ever had. |
would rattle, pay $50 or $50 for the
icing charges on their car to Bos-
ton, when know that car is going
to land there in good condition,
than to pay IS or so for a poor SER
vice and then lose car of peaches.
Senator Kean, of New Jersey,
then asked the question: Then
you are satisfied with existing con-
ditions?"
I'VE are satisfied" said Mr.. Cur
ney. Il want to say this further,
that those rates are published, and |