Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1905-03-04
THE RAILROAD RATE QUESTION.

The question of railroad rebates lie
just now exciting the President and
Congress, and there is a movement oil
foot to authorize the Government to
make rates. We are satisfied that this
il an error. In the first place, the mai
ing Of rates is a very intricate business,
and it 10 altogether impracticatIe for the
government to fx rates to control all the
roads In the United States. This is a
privilege that belongs to the roads them
selves. just as a grocer or a dry goods
merchant has a right to put a price npon
his wares. What 10 desirable ia thai
there shall be uniformity Of charges and
no invidious discrimination against indi-
viduals or communities. II the govern
ment can establieh uniformity and pre-
vent discrimination. it will have done
all that it 10 called upon to do.
There are laws now upon the statute
books smphatically condemning favor
ism and discrimination. We do not
| doubt that all railroads would prefer to
charge uniform rates; but it frequently
happens that thosewho control the roads
are themselves shippers, or the business
associates of shippers. and through them
special rates are obtained. This is nm
q~uestioaably a great evil. and there is a
law against it. and this law has been in
existence over since 1887. II any COM
munity is Disseminated against the In
tsrstate Commerce Commission has the
authority to correct 1t. Why. then,
should any further laws be passed on
the subject What 10 necessary is to
enforce the existinglaws. If they can't
be enforced 1t Is not likely that more
drastic laws along the same lines can be
enforced. All railroads have public
rate schedules, but it often happens that
some favored individual gets a rebate by
virtue OF which he 10 able to successfully
fight and perhaps rout his rivals. This
is against the law; but az the arrange.
ment 10 secret 1t 10 hard to prove. Still
the thing to do 10 to gather the proof. SO
as to make q case, and then enforce the
law. There are q great many violation,
Of the law which are hard to PROVE. and
any methods that will facilitate the col.
lection Of evidence are all right; but
these methods should be strictly in &C
cordance with the rights Of the people
and the general theory Of the law. We
have already on the statute books laws
against all tho evils complained of.
Manifestly the thing to do is to enforce
these laws, before We pile up a lot Of
additional laws upon them. that would
probably be even more difficult to enforce
When there 10 a law against murder
in existence. there IL no need to pass
another law against murder. because
some guilty ones have managed to es
cape justice.
We would not put any obstacles IN
the way Of enforcing the existing laws;
on the contrary. we insist that it is the
duty Of the Government to enforce
those laws. But We object to saddling
the railroad business Of the country on
the Federal government. The func
tons of the Government are already
complicated enough, and the tenden
cies towards p%aternalism are already toe
pronounced. II the Government will try
to hold the railroads 10 q strict compIi
ance withlaws now upon the statute
books, it will have about all 1t can at
tend to. Editorial Memphis Tenn. J
Commercial Appeal, Feb. 7, 1905.