Morgan County democrat. (Versailles, Mo.) 1900-1906, 1905-12-08

be expressly put under the supervision or
the Interstate commission or
some similar body so far as rates and agree
ments practically affecting rates. are con-
cerned. The private car owners and the
owners of Industrial railroads are entitled
to a fair and reasonable compensation on
their Investment. but neither private cars
nor Industrial railroads nor spur tracks
should be utilized as devices for securing
| preferential rates. a rebate In icing
charges. or In mileage, or in "A division Of
the rate for re- frigcrating charges Is just
as pcrnicious as a rebate In any other way.
No lower rate should apply on goods i'm
ported than actually obtains on domestic
goods from the American seaboard to des.
tiiation except In cases where water com
petition is the controlling influence.
There should be publicity Of the accounts
OF common carriers. no common carrier
engaged In Interstate business should
Keep any books or memoranda other than
those reported pursuant to law or rtguia-
ton. and these books or memoranda should
be open to the inspection of the govern
ment. Only In this way can violations or
evasions OF the law he surely detected. A
system of examination of railroad ac-
counts should be provided similar TO that
now conducted into the national banks by
the bank examiners; a few first-ciass rail-
road accountants, If they had proper direc-
ton and proper authority to inspect books
anu papers, COu.u III pIlSh mucn IN pre-
venting willful violations Of the law. Il
would rot be necessary for them to exam
Inc into the accounts OF any railroad unless
for good reasons they were directed to do
so by the interstate commits
sion. II Is greatly to be desired that some
way might be found by which an agree
inent as to transportation within a state
intended to operate as "A fraud upon the
federal interstate laws could be
brought under the jurisdiction OF the fed
eral authorities. AT present It occurs that
large shipments Of Interstate traffic are
controlled by concessions on purely state
business. which of couise amounts to an
evasion Of the law. Tie commission Should
have power 20 enforce fair treatment by
tie great trunk lines of lattra. and bIarch
lines.
II urge upon the congress TIE reed OF
providing for expeditions action by tie in
tcrStat. Co,ninerC" commission in all these
matters. whether in regulating rates for
transportation or for storing or for hand
ing property or commodities in transit
Tie history Of he cases Irrigated under the
present act shows that it's .fii-
racy has been to a great Lcgroc destroy ed
BY the weapon of decay. Almost the most
fJfmidab!c weapon in the hands OF those
whose purpose it is to violate the Jaw"
Labor Questions.
The national government. the president
says. has as a rul" but little occasion to
d"al with the group Of problems known as
the labor question. State and municipal
authorities must deaf with these In most
cases, TIL" n.LCat!on Il, again mace
as in the message OF last year, that TIE de-
~phiin"nt OF and labor iuv"sti-
gaze III" genera! labor condition and that
"Sl"cini attention be paid to tn. ClrGitiarS
Of child labor and chi.d labor legislation
in the several states. An Investigation Of
tho aAt.T ,ta,, - a..
GiStry in the United States and state ard
municipal legislation looking to their pro-
lection Is recommended. Continuing, he
says: tn" Introduction of women into
industry is working charic ard disturb
ance in the domestic and social life Of The
nation. The decrease in marriage. and
especially in the birth rate, has been CO.
incident with it. We must face accom-
p.ish"d facts. ard the adjustment to fac
tory conditions must b. made; but surely
II can be made with less friction and less
harmful effeC's Oh faniy life than is nov
the case. This whole matter in reality
forms one OF the greatest sociological. phe-
noM"na OF our time: it IS a SOFA, question
of n" FIRST Importance, Of far greater i'm
portanCe than any merely political or eco
monte question can be; and to solve it We
need amp" data, gathered In a sane and
scientific spirit in the course Of al exhaust
~" Investigation"
The question Of securing n healthy and
s"!f-respecting ard mu'ua.,y sympathetic
attitude as between cmp.oN cr and laborer Is
discussed at length. In discussing the
prob, m, he says. We must adopt the prin-
cip.e OF treating a man on his worth as n
man rather than with reference to his So
CiaI position, his occupation or the class
10 which he belongs. TIE demand for de-
priv!ne courts of the power to issue injunc-
tons In labor disputes Is also touched upon.
The Insurance Scandal.
In the section devoted to tie recent lie
Insurance scandal the president declares
th"r" is reed of IA far |stric' cr and mCie uni
form regulation of the vast Insurance In
ter"Sts Of the country; much can be done
by legislation which Ii not Only drastic but
practical. The United states should in This
respect fo''ow the policy of other nations
by providing adequate national supcrvi-
sion Of commercial Interests which are
clearly national in character. lie scores
certain CfiCia.s OF the life Insurance com
ran.cS In the following words: Recent
events have emphasized the Importance Of
AN early ard exhaustive Consideration of
this question. to see whether ii is rot pos
sib.c to furnish better safeguards than the
several states have been able to furnish
against corruption of the fiagrart kind
which has been exposed. 1t has been only
too ct"ar.y shown that certain of the men
at the head Of these large corporations take
but small note Of TIE ethical distinction be-
tween honesty and dishonesty; they draw
tho line only this side Of what may be called
!aw-toIesty, the kind of honesty necessary
In order to avoid falling into the CLUTCHES
of the law, OF course TIE only compete
remedy for this condition must be found
in AN aroused pubic conscience, a higher
sense OF ethical conduct in the con muLity
at large, ard especially among business
men and In the great profession Of the law.
and In the growth of IA spirit which con-
demns all dishonesty. whether In rich man
or in poor man. whether 1t takes the shape
of bribery or of blackmai,.'