The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-10

would be shameless tyranny, ana Npt. DIS A
practical question. is it conceivable that anv
bill having that object in vIew could over
pass Congress? II We are to have Govern.
meat ownership. It IS more in pcpnrlau,
with my notions OF Justice frankly 20 ayov
it a. the outset and have tho Government
take the railroads on the hands of their oyr.
crs at their fair value. That. | under-' tHi.
is the programme of the fascinating l.nt..
man who Il now the leader OF the iiemoorI'lr
party. But tho policy which believe b, likely
20 be the outgrowth Of this bll ia its present
drastic form will have In II no such an element
Of Justice. The commission which Won eN-
dow with such transccndcnt power " 10 slou~r
or later inevitably become political body.
II viii respond 70 public demands for lower
rates The gentleman from Florida ette A
startling proof of this tendency ia ms cloulalt
speech Ia favor OF this bill when he cited 70 law
case which showed that his own State had
fixed railroad rates below the cost Of opera
ton If that course WAS taken by an old and
conservative state like Florida. what could
be expected from the more radical States
OF the tniony Railroad securities would.
under such policy gradually decline ~
value. The public viii forget the conditions
OF things existing one or two decades in tl.
past. or. II it remembers. its conscience Bil
be sufficiently hardened by this policy 20 re-
spond TO vague appeals 70 seize those rtctt
national highways in the interests OF nat oral
symmetry. and perhaps in the Interests ~
civilization, "A plea that has been worn thread
bare in our time. and the present generation
would, I believe. see the railroads owned ami
opera ted by the Government
IL is alleged as reason for this legislation
that rates have slightly increased in the last
FIVE years. That depends entirely upon what
you accept as your standard Tho man who
la. Il. 10
common use can buy more transportation
with a given amount OF his commodity to-
day than he could FIVE years ago IN other
words. treating transportation a. q product.
il IL. relatively to other products, cheaper To-
day than it was Ave years ago. for while COM
modties in general have during that time
risen about 20 per cent in price trHusporfl-
ton has risen about per cent And this enc
tire increase OF per cent. ia accounted Tor by
the Increase IN the wages the railroads paw
their men. What Will be the first step hv the
engineers OF this rate fixing device' They
must justify the proceeding by cutting down
rates or here will be no public benefit from
this standpoint. That in turn Will compel
the railroads to reduce the cost OF their SCR
vice. and II they cannot reduce the price they
pay for steel and ties they will Of ccss.ly
be compelled to reduce the wages Of labor
and the benevolent design OF the nlanufact-
urer of leather or pig iron TO secure lower
rates and greater profits for himself Will be-
attended with general public inconvenience
IT VIII be far better for society 10 let the
natural struggle 20 on between railroads.
employees, shippers and localities than IL
would he 10 set up lit tie machine dcity called
a commission, with a the most only gov
ernmental interest and with a mandate 70
supersede the laws of nature and still thoss
great industrial energies which are as neces-
sary to the health of society "a the nova
menis Of tides and currents are TO the sweet
ness OF the sea.
am opposed to this bill because Of It's ton
dency tremendously to Increase the power Of
the Government Mt Washington. The cnor-
nous concentration and pressure Of power n
volved in the attempt to have a single govern
ment run our railroads. and. as result, those
grent engines that produce the articles OF inter-
state commerce. would be TO engender here a
heated centre of despotism destructive Of the
last appearance OF individual freedom.
Liberty IL only compatible in this country
with keeping the management OF their anairs
near to the people, where they can see how
they are conducted Distant ms they are
from Washington. they get merely the stage
effects. and the actor who ia set down to play
all the vrtuous parts in the play may he in
fact the real villain. system like ours. with
the functions Of government distributed
among different organs and localities. Is
tolerant in the highest degree OF freedom.
and tho unshackled liberty Of millions Of
men employing with the least restraint tho
faculties God u1s given them is what has pro-
dured our marvellous development Stihe
by your puny statutes that splendid oppor-
mnity for cnterprisng human endeavor.
and YOU will profancly lay your hands upon
the very shrine OF American liberty. | 40
not care to SEQ created at Washington
Little Father" as there is one at 81, Peters
burg For my part | prefer tho American
system Of distributed power, with as muc1
as possible left TO the individual, to the Rus
sian system of centralized power.
II is said that this legislation is popular
The popularity OF measure is not always
tho test of It's wisdom. unfortunately. d y
usually popular. for the time being. for tho-e
in high authority to marshal and crafty the
predatory instincts OF people. Suppo"
Grant had listened 10 the argument that 'h'
gfeenback was good enough for the soldier
who rissed his life and that therefore II wa
good enough for the bondholder who ha
riskcd only his money. and suppose Ice hal
started the printing presses IN motion -
money for the payment Of 'ln
public creditor Does any one doubt tina h'
would have been popular. even as popular az
Franklin Pierce the day the latter was cl"c'e
IrthlNfNi NN more 1UNU NFf-Nl Atii~ tl INV
electoral oollsge2 And yet Grant. instead ID.
appea!iag 20 the passiGu o! tho moment ce1-
sidercd the real interests OF his country and
gave he people a chance 20 think and 70 form
a real opinion. and BY 20 doing he laid th-
foundation upon which was built the flir'-'
structure Of national credit eve, reared by
nation Did Grover Cleveland perform
popular act when hr issued oonds In time o'
profound peace? And We he saved the gold
r andard to his country.
Grant, II you want to. that our people toe
dey would not condone any act Of injustice
by the Government. yet we must remcmbe
that progress is not constant and there are
ups and downs in the career OF a nation Ait"r
the strain OF producing great heroes and
great statesmen 10 is natural that the national
energies should become relaxed and eICag"
themselves IA bringing forth pygmic, and
hat the whim and vagary of the mormon
heeting across the mind OF somebody ~ hcr
authority should for a time usurp the place
NJ the principles OF enduring constitutional
We may well hesitate 60 h--
uueath the policy Of this bill a. a LEGACY ia
such a time. let MS then permit this tNu
I'd ged sword TO sleep In its scabbard az least
until some one shall give a reason Hhy
should be drawn. Let ne make the 8mpic-t
provision the law can make for the absoluteif
equal treatment OF everybody by the rail-
roads. but let us not enter upon the sdveH-
lrous policy OF this bill. | do not fatfer
myself that anything / have said can turn
~.