Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-02-04
PRESIDENT ON
RATE ABUSES
Advocates Government Control to
Abolish Rebates.
JUSTICE FOR LITTLE SHIPPER

sary banquet of the Union League.
The banquet room was a marvel of
the decorators art. The national col
ors predominated in the floral and
electrical effects, and the tables were
designated by letters in red, white and
blue, forming the name Roosevelt"
President Roosevelt occupied a seat
in the centre of the guests table, with
President E. T. Stotesbury, of the I'm
ion League, on his right, and United
States Senator Penrose on his left.
Seated at the same table were former
Postmaster General Charles Emory
Smith, Congressman Bingham, Sur
geon General Rixey, Major General
Frederick d. Grant, Lieutenant Gen
eral S. B. NJ. Young, Governor Lea,
of Delaware; Governor Stokes, of New
Jersey, and Mayor Weaver, of this city.
When President Roosevelt arose to
make his address he was greeted with
long-continued applause. He said in
part:
This club was founded to uphold the
hands of Abraham Lincoln when he stood
as the great leader in the struggle for
union and liberty. The principles which
Lincoln applied to the solution of the
problems of his day are those which we
must apply if we expect successfully to
solve the different problems of our own
day-problems which are so largely in
dustrial. Unquestonably the great de-
velopment of industrialism means that
there must be an increase in the super
vision exercised by the government over
business enterprises. This supervision
should not take the form of violent and
iu-advised interference; and assuredly
there is danger lest it take such form if
the business leaders of the business COM
munity contine themselves to trying to
thwart the effort at regulation instead Of
guiding it Alright.
Neither this people nor any other free
people will permanently tolerate the use
or the vast power conferred by vast
wealth, and especially by wealth in it's
corporate form, without lodging some
where in the government the still higher
power OF seeing that this power in addi-
ton to being used in the interest of the
Individual or individuals possessing 1t, is
also used for and not against the inter-
ests of the people as a whole. Our pecul-
lar form of government. a government In
which the nation y supreme thrnr~ho,rt
RE ufS-'4 - cSrIa.u respects, white H,lcn
or nearly half hundred states is su-
prene In It's part OF the union in certain
other respects, renders the task of deal
ing with these conditions especially diff
cult. No finally satisfactory result can
The action must come through the fed
eral government. The business of the
country is now carried on in a way Of
which the founders of our constitution
could by no possibility have had any idea
All great business concerns are engag-
ed in interstate commerce and il was be-
yond question the intention of the found
ers OF our government that interstate
commerce in all its branches and aspects
should be under national and not state
control. II the courts decide that this in
tention was not carried out and made eff
fecttve in the constitution as It now
stands, then in the end the constitution
II not construed differently, will have to
be amended 50 that the original undoubt-
ed intention may be made effective. But
a constitutional amendment is only to be
used ms n last resort IL every effort of
legislation and administration shall have
been proved inadequate
Ine railroad, which was utterly I'M
Known when our government was formed
and when the great principles of our
Jurisprudence were laid down. has now
become almost everywhere the most i'm
portant and only form Of highway for
commerce. The man who controls its
use cannot be permitted to control it in
his own interest alone. 1T is not ONLY
Just but it is in the interest of the public
that this man should receive ample nav
ment for the business capacity which en-
ables him to benefit himself while bene-
fitting the public: but in return no ,,,,,s+
himself recognizes his dutNy 10 me r,,I,I;o
He will not and cannot do tbis - 1,,,.
laws are so detective that in tho So,
competition of the business v-orI5 ~
conscientious man is mt at a dIsa;,-oY-
tage by his less .scrupulous falIows- IL -
in the interest of the conscientious 81
public spiritod railway man tbat +tara
should be such eovernIoentoI s,,ne,.,risi,,,1
of the railway ira tHc of tba co5,,t,.,, -
to REQUIRE from his less scrunnIo,,s go
petitors and from I1nscrlIpuIous Mo shin
pers as well. that heed to the n,IbIi, Vel
fare which he himself yvouId ,,-jI,ioci,,
give. and which is of vital copsa,I,,a,,,,
to the small simmer. Fver, ir,,"7,ts,,t
railroad is engaged in inta-starr ,,,,,,-
nerce. Therefore. this control o,,e,, a.,
railroads must come tbrouob ,ba -,
tional government
The control must he evercised NV conn
governmental tribunal and II n,,,st ~,
real and effective
The details must rest with tho LON
makers Of fl,a MO to,,s.s - - %"
doubt. Hasty or vindlctive action yyouI6
merely work damage; but in temperate,
fesoIute l8shion, there must be lodged in
seneSisii oa rue PoweL over r.e ana
by means of private cars. of nriS,ats