The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-06
A RAILROAD VIEW.


The only real danger in giving a
government body the right to correct
a railroad rate that has been COM
planned of as unjust is that the COM
mission or other body in which this
power is vested might be corrupt or
incompetent. There is little danger
that this would be the case with any
commission that Theodore Roosevelt
names. but the railroads point out that
the time may come when political
revolution might place an admins
tration Of a different character IN
power.
If the rate-regulating power is
given to government commission,
that commission should certainly be as
carefully made up as a high court
would be- It's members should be
men of undoubted integrity and of
ability to handle the rate problem,
men who would be uniniuenced by
any personal considerations either in
favor of shippers or railroads.
With such a commission both sides
would get Justice, and that is all that
it sought-a square deal The posi-
bility of a corrupt commission can
not be overlooked, however, but it is
not the railroads that would suffer
from a commission Of that kind. Cor
rupt men are purchasable, and it is
always the corporations and not the
public that take advantage Of cor
ruptfon. Besides. if a rate that is I'M
Just to the railroads is ever put into
effect by the commission, the rail-
roads can overturn it in the courts by
showing its injustice.
The same movement that is making
for rate regulation is also demanding
incorruptible public officials, and
there will be less danger of corrup-
ton hereafter than there has been in
the past The people cannot afford
/ to have any but men of the strictest
/ integrity in charge of their affairs.
There are undoubtedly honest rail-
road officials who are opposing rate
regulation by a government commits
sion because OF the fear that it would
/ be placing a great power where it
might fall into the control Of men
who would use it to "hold up" the
railroads or for other dishonest pur-
poses. One of these is Mr.. James H.
/ Maddy, of the Erie. In setting forth
this view Mr.. Maddy says:
ct will be admitted on all sides.
and properly should be, that under the
s administrator
present chief executive OF the country
both the railroads and the shippers
would receive, as far as he is concern
ed as fair and proper treatment as
could be given under the conditions;
In other words, his character and
standing are such that no one would
for a moment believe that he would
descend to or cOuntenance the use of
a railroad commission for any other
purpose than for which it WIS prl-
marty intended, viz, to maintain
parity of rates and to provide just and
rapid means for the quick settlement
lof complaints.
1T should be understood for the
purpose of this argument, that rate
law such as might be enacted would
not be of temporary character. 1t
would not be passed by congress to be
enforced for a limited time, say dur
ing the incumbency in office of the
present executive. 1t is a law not only
for the present but for the future and
its provisions would apply six, eight or
ten years from now unless repealed,
the same as now.
Suppose there should be a political
lupheava1 such as has occurred in the
past and that there should be elected
to the presidents chair man whose
ideals and honesty of purpose were
not as high as those of the present
incumbent; a man whose fealty to
party and political friends would be
greater than his desire to do Justice
to the public in general and whose
party and political associates might be
so hard pushed as to render it neces-
sary for them to use every possible
weapon in their power to continue
themselves in Office. Would not a rail-
road rate fixing commission with
practically absolute powers become in
the hands of such a group of men a
most powerful and formidable weapon
for offense and defense ?"
While there is a certain force in this
argument, it might also be used as an
argument against trying to correct any
other evil. We might say that we
ought not to give the police power to
suppress certain forms of vice in large
cities, because a municipal administra-
ton might some time get into Office
that would misuse its power to cor
ruptly maintain itself. It is a fact that
this sometimes happens, yet it can not
be seriously considered as an argu-
ment against giving city officials power
to regulate and suppress certain evils.