The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-07-17
PRESIDENT SETS NEW
EXAMPLE In RATE
CASE
AS TO TARIFF REFORM
ISReVisiOn TO be Sidetracked
by COngresS1

special od DAILY Leader
Washington. D. c, July 17.--It
strikes me that President Roosevelt
has dealt Knockout blow to his own
pet railroad s4te regulation scheme by
his typical Rooseveltian strenuousity
in favor OF his friend Paul Morton
What earthly use can there be in Civ
ing him more law against railroad cor
porations. when he refuses to enforce
what he has at hand. IL it happens TO
affect a personal friend? His position
recalls to me Congressman Tim Camp
BELTS famous remark to President
Cleveland. What's the Constitution
between friendsgn
What's theo law as between
friendsg" says President Roosevelt.
Roosevelt, "when you can just as well
dodge 1t, shield friends and punish inn
personal corporations9s Yet the Inter
state Commerce law. which Roosevelt
maintains does not call for the punish
ment Of individuals but rather Of the
corporation Tor its violation. specihcal-
ly says in Section 10;
"That any common carrier subject
to the provisions Of this Act, or when
ever such common carrier as corpora
tion, any director or officer thereof, or
any receiver trustee. lessee, agent or
person acting for or employed by such
corporation, company person or party,
shall willfuIly DC or cause to be done.
Or shan willingly suffer or permit to
be done, any act matter or thing In
this act prohibited or declared to be
unlawful, or who shall aid or abet
therein, or who shah willfully omit or
fail y do any act, matter or thing in
this act roqulrca 20 be done. or shall
cause or willingly suffer or permit any
act. matter or thing so directed or re-
uuired by this act TO be done not to be
so done, or shall aid or abet any such
omission OF failure. or shall be guilty
Of any infraction OF this act, or shall
aid or abet therein shall be deemed
guilty Of a misdemeanor, and shall up
on conviction thereof IN any district
court Of the United States within the
jurisdiction Of which such onense was
committed be subjected to a fine not
TO exceed iye thousand dollars for
each oirense"
Tho so-calIad ElRins Az also specih-
caliy states in about the same Ian.
guage that persons are equally liable
with corporations to punishment un.
der It's provisions.
4 u the section have quoted does not
mean that Mr.. Morton. as the tiafic
manager Of the Atchison. Topeka and
Santa Fe railroad. after confessing to
have paid rebates, was guilty Of mis-.
iemeanor. then do not know what the
English language means. He admitted
that he paid rebates, and says that af-
ter the passage OF the Elkins law, he
personally ordered the dscontinuance
Of these rebates and the strict com.
plianee with the provisions cf the In.
terstate Commerce act His admission
in his letter TO the President that esr
mors than year these rebates were
ooEsiDued in defiance Of his orders. was
due 70 misplaced switch, is sub
terfuge too transparent for any sane
man excepting the President to believe.
Every railroad man knows that il
was an impossibility. nothing more nor
less, and every railroad manager up
to the time Of the Presidents declara.
tion understood that violation OF the
law was TO be followed by personal
punishment That they so construed
the act ! am credibly Informed, and
President Roosevelts letter is the first
intimation that they have had that they
were immune
The President with great splurge
IS trying 70 make much OF the prosecu
tion q the Atchison. Topeka aud San