Bisbee daily review., 1905-12-26
NolcTiNe RAILROAD MEN.

The active campaign against rail road men. begun before the Federal grand jury in Philadelphia yesterday, strengthens the impression that the president has founioa new weSp0a ia his fight to place the making Cf rail- road rates in the control of the later state Commerce Commission. inf.ct ments for violations of Inc law against rebates were found against the Great Northern railroad company, agairst the Mutual Transit company, and two of its agents in Philadelphia; against the local agent of the Great Northern, and against four members OF agents of the firm of R. D. Wood & Co. for receiving rebates. These indictments were based upon evidence Eut into the hands of the United States Dis. trict Attorney by the National Es- sence for Coffee company, which se- cured immunity for it's officers fv turning states evidence
 These indictments in themselves are not serious matter, besausa the otfense charged against the defeI C ant is only punishable by fine, in cese they are convicted. But the same law which provides a fine for the man who gives or takes a rebate also makes . conspiracy to give or secure rebates an offense punishable by imprison- ment.
 As soon as the indictments were found yesterday the United States District Attorney received irstruc- tions from Washington to employ all the secret service officers in Phila- delphia, together with all the postal inspectors, and, if necessary, detec- tives borrowed from the city, in order to secure evidence of conspiracy against the railroad men whose roads have been granting rebates.
 At the same time similar campaign was begun at Kansas City. There it is alleged that the traffic manager of the beef firm whose members were let of in Chicago with a fine has placed in the hands of the government evi- dence enough to indict every railroad entering the city.
 The purpose of these orders is al legged to be to send railroad men to jail for consPiring to grant rebates. If that allegation of intention is cor rect this move is the most important that has been made in the railroad fight and is even more strenuous than the campaign waged against the beef packers in Chicago. But that no haste is intended is shown from the fact that the evidence secured by the Phjld- delphia detectives is to be laid before the March grand jury. Between now and March many things may happen. It is even conceivable that Congress may pass the law which President Roosevelt asks for, giving to the Inter state Commerce Commission the DOW CT to make rates. If such law should be passed, insuring equitable rates hereafter, there would be little mo- tive to prosecute railroad men for past offenses arising from a system which involved all the railroads of the coun- try. The country has long regarded rebates as an evil, but they have never been considered a crime The sup pression of the evil would leave little support in public sentiment for pros cautions of past offenses under the criminal law. That point of view may be expected to impress itself strongly upon railroad men if half dozen of them are indicted for conspiracy, wilh Imprisonment as a penalty on con viction. Such indictments would pit a new face upon the railroad situa- ton in Congress. In that view, the success of the detectives who have been turned loose in Philadelphia in a grand conspiracy hunt will be watched with the greatest interest.