The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1905-06-29
THE CORPORATION SENATOR'S.

Possibly the corporation senators
who are members of the senate inter-
state commerce committee are persuad-
ed that the interests they represent
have just ended. A number of able
railroad men have been afforded an op-
portunity to say at length why they do
not think freight rates should be regu-
lated by general government. The cor
poration senators may be of the opinion
that the general public will be Impress
ed by the earnestness and the unanimity
of the railroad advocates who addressed
the committee, and may conclude that
perhaps it will be wiser to proceed
slowly in the matter of the regulation
of rates. The general public has not
been seriously impressed by the argu-
ments of the railroad presidents. 1t
has not lost sight of the fact that they
were made by interested parties and
has discounted them literally for that
reason. 1t has not been favorably i'm
pressed by the assertion that railroad
men alone are competent to make rates.
Nor is it prepared to admit that the
managers of railroads understand the
business of the shippers and what is
good for them better than the shippers
themselves. More or less irritation has
been created by the position taken by
some of the railroad men that they are
the guardian angels Of the communities
they serve. The railroad president, it
is alleged, is the man who knows best
how the resources of particular region
can be developed and its industries
stimulated. 1t is claimed that if he is
hampered in his beneficent work all will
go WE'LL, But if the railroads have the
power claimed for them they can use it
for evil instead of good and the general
public, familiar with many of their harm
full acts, is resolved to place some re-
strictions on the exercise of that power.
1t does not want despots, even though
they profess the most benevolent inten-
tions. 1t may be that the representa-
tives Of corporations, who appear to con-
stitute a majority of the senate inter-
state commerce committee, have been
letting the railroad men talk in order to
provide themselves with additional
arguments against rate regulation legis-
lation. 1t may be that it is their inten-
ton to say to the public few months
hence that they have heard both sides
of the case, and have reached the con-
scientious conclusion that matters
should be left as they are. That will be
their attitude when congress meets,
probably about the middle of October.
Between now and then they can do
what they please. They can have more
hearings if they choose and invite rail
road men to attend them. But when
congress convenes the president will
call it's attention specially to the ques-
ton Of regulating rates. The public will
applaud him and call on congress to act
Then the senator will either have to
get out of the way or be run over. He
! will try to substitute some milk and
water measure for whatever effective
legislation may be proposed. He will
have his tricky amendments and his de-
ceptive provisos in readiness. He will
resort to the tactics of delay and OBJ
struction- to stifle legislation in commit
tee if possible, and, if not, to talk it to
death in the senate chamber. That
method of defeating the popular will
cannot be submitted to. The subject OF
rate regulation must be given fair play
in the senate. There should be an
early opportunity for a direct vote on
effective legislation which will put
every senator on record for his constit-
uents or for his corporations. When
such vote is taken the corporations
will be deserted by many of the men
they count on.-Chicago Tribune rep.