The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-12-20

honest attempts to remedy the evil tina
calls for correction, but the Foraker
: measure, according to q searching
analysis of its provisions by the Port
land Oregonian, is q brazen attempt
to deceive the people and defeat any
really effective legislation. It gives
this review of the deceptive Foraker
rate bill:
Let US then patiently unravel the de-
ceptive intricacies of the Foraker
scheme for rate legislation. To Oh.
tain relief in q case of discrimin alton
or excessive rates under this bill in.
wolves certainly twelve different steps,
and probably many more, all ruin.
ously retarded by red tape, postpone.
ments, dilatory pleas and the other
devices so skillfully employed by cor
poration lawyers to defeat justice.
In the first place the interstate com.
merce commission must discover and
prove the offense. This, of course,
demands going through books, exam
lining witnesses and so on, exactly rs
II the proceeding mean something.
In Mr.. Roosevelt's plan 1t does mean
something. 1t means the end Of the
controversy, 60 far as the shipper Is
concerned: for, as the president pro.
poses, as soon as the commission
proves the offense it will make and en-.
force q remedial order. Not 80 in MIR.
Foraker's scheme. Here, when the
commission has proved that the rail.
road is breaking the law, it must take
q second step: it must entreat the
criminal to cease his law-breaking.
1t ear not order, it must entreat, and
the presumption is its entreaties will
fare exactly as they do now.
Then 81 the commission must try
the case again before the attorney
general and obtain a decision from
him. If he decides against the rail-
road he will al direct his subordi.
mates to begin an action in the federal
district court. Understand that with
all this kowtowing, tergivers alton and
heart breaking delay the case, though
already tried and decided twice, is not
yet really begun. The court now,
after all the circumlocutions prepare.
tory to an action in equity, 5 tries
the Ease again. This makes three
trials.
The bill provides that the trial must
proceed without 1.-THE usual pleas"
but we all know what that means. 1t
means the usual pleas plus an inini.
ty OF new ones to get at them. And
all this time the evil aourishes un-
checked. The court then (6) will or.
der the railroae to show cause why an
INDUCTION should not be issued against
the excessive rate. The railroad (7)
shows cause. This means q fourth
trial of the case and no remedy yet;
but let US not dispatr. While there Is
life there is hope.
Being q case against q railroad it
Is very important, and therefore (S)
the court takes it under advisement;
but, after q few months delay it de.
cides against the corporation, and (9)
the injunction issues. Here, then. 10
the end; justice at last triumphs?
Softly, softly; not too fast. The rail.
road hoy appeals to the supreme
court and obtains my IN Injunction
against the Injunction, and the in.
iquous rate runs merrily on. Some
years later the supreme court gets
around to hear the case, and (l2) dis.
solves its counter injunction. This
leaves the injunction Of the circuit
court In force, aud now We may really
rejoice, for the case Is ended. That
is, we may rejoice II we have the heart
for It.
This is Mr.. Foraker's plan for reg.
ulating railroad rates. The senate
may prefer it to the presidents, but
the nation will not: aud, between the
wish of the senate and the wish of the
American people, which shall finally
prevail: