Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-08-14
DEMOCRATIC PLANS
President ROOSEVELT and The
DEMOCRATIC HANDBOOK.
The Attitude of the Pre- eSidenf To-
ward Trusts and Law Breaking
Railroads Compile teIy VerifieS a
Chapter of the Democratic Cam
Dailn Book of 1900.

As reminder OF the manner in which
democrats have urged the railroad policy
to which Mr. Roosevelt is committed, a
chapter from the democratic campaign
book OF 1900 is interesting This chapter
is entitled "The Railroad Question-Dis-
elimination in Favor of the Trusts"
This extract from the democratic cam
paign book is particularly interesting at
this time. 1t is as follows:
Comparatively little attention has yet
been given to the great domestic and
practical question OF the control (not
ownership of those great trusts, the
public transportation lines.
In 1887 congress passed what was
known as the interstate commerce law,
which was intended by those who took
part in it's enactment, to regulate the
interstate railroad rates of the country
and afford some protection to the small
shipper as against his great competitor,
who, was and is, fattening off OF the
special privileges granted him by the
railroads. The senate committee on in.
terstate commerce reported that year to
the senate that "the effect nf the prevail.
ing policy of railroad management. is by
an elaborate system OF secret rates, re-
bates, draw backs and concessions, to
foster monopoly, to enrich favored ship.
pers, and to prevent fee com netition in
many lines OF trade IN which the items
of transport alton is All important factor !"
and that crates are established without
apparent regard to the actual cost OF the
service performed, and are based largely
on what the traffic will besr."
1t was contemplated by it's trainers
that the act to regulate interstate com.
merce would correct this condition of
affairs, but its application and construc.
ton by the courts have tended to the
reverse.
Under the decisions of the United
States supreme court, with this law on
the statute book, declaring that all rates
shall "be reasonable and just" and that
unjust and unreasonable rates" are un.
lawful, the railroads may still charge
whatever rates they see proper and there
is power in no commission, in no court,
to say them nay.
That this is true, read what the su-
preme court said in the case Of the 9. N.
0. Il I. p. ky. VS.. Interstate Commerce
Commission, l62 U. S., 1874: "Whether
congress intended to confer upon the i'm
terstate commerce commission the power
to itself fix rates was mooted in the
courts below and is discussed in the
briefs OF counsel.
"This appears to be the present basis
of the value of railway property. If the
people need fixed rule OF law for estab-
fishing the basis of rates, the companies
need it even more. But such law, to
be just or beneticially effective, should
consider the rights of both parties"
Mr.. NJ. f. Ingalls,, president of the Big
Four and tue Chesapeake 4 Ohio, in an
address to the convention Of state rail-
road commissioners in Washington,
said:
at is we'll, perhaps, that we should
look the situation fairly in the face, and
while l do not care to be an alarmist,
feel bound to describe plainly to you the
condition today, SO that you may under.
stand the necessity for action. Never in
the history of railways have tariffs been
so little respected as today. Private ar.
rangements and understandings are more
plentiful than regular rates. The large
shippers. the irresponsible shippers, are
or later prove the ruin OF the smaller
and more conservative traders, and In
the end will break up many OF the com.
mercial houses in this country and ruin
the railways. A madness seems to have
seized upon some railway managers, and
a large portion of the freight Of the coun.
try is being carried at prices far below
cost"
The Standard Oil trust is often held
up by our republican friends as an ex-
ample of great trust not founded upon
the import tariff. That is true. But no
trust in this or any other country has
ever received such rebates from the rail.
roads as this combination. 1t has not
only received rebates upon its own ship.
ments below that paid by any other
producer of oil, but it is said, and very
generally believed, that it has actually
demanded that the railroads collect an
excessive rate from the independent oil
ref ner and pay that excess to the Stand
ard Oil ompany.
Not all other causes combined have