Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1905-12-05

blSNldttCh DAILY TRIBUNE,
could accomplish much in preventing
willful violations Of the law. It would
not be necessary for them to examine
into the accounts Of any railroad unless
for good reasons they were directed to
do so by the interstate commerce COM
mission. It is greatly to be desired
that some way might be found by
which an agreement as to transporta-
ton within state intended to operate
as fraud upon the FEDERAL interstate
commerce laws could be brought under
the jurisdiction of the federal authori-
ties. At present it occurs that large
shipments Of interstate traffic are con-
trolled by concessions on purely state
business, which OF course amounts to
an evasion Of the law. The commits
sion should have power to enforce fair
treatment by the great trunk lines of
lateral and branch lines. .
| l urge upon the congress the need Of
providing for expeditions action by the
interstate commerce commission in all
these matters, whether in regulating
rates for transportation or for storing
or for handling property or commodi-
ties in transit. The history Of the cases
litigated under the present commerce
act shows that its efficacy has been
to a great degree destroyed by the
weapon of delay, almost the most
formidable weapon In the hands Of
those whose purpose it is to violate the
law. III 5;.'55 ~
No Hostility to Railroads.
| Let me most earnestly say that these
recommendations are not made in any
spirit Of hostility. to the railroads. On
ethical grounds, on grounds of right,
such hostility would be intolerable, and
on grounds Of mere national self inter-
est we must remember that such hos
tlity would tell against the welfare
not merely Of some few rich men, but
Of multitude of small investors,
multitude Of railway employees, wage
workers, and most severely against the
interest Of the public as whole. I be-
heve that on the whole our railroads
have done well and not Ill, but the
railroad men who wish to do well
should not be exposed to competition
with those who have no such desire
and the only way to secure this end is
to give to some government tribunal
the power to see that Justice is done
by the unwilling exactly as it is gladly
done by the willing. Moreover, If some
government body is given increased
power the effect will be to furnish au-
thoritative answer on behalf Of the
railroad whenever Irrational clamor
against it is raised or whenever
charges made against it are disproved.
ask this legislation not only in the
interest of the public, but in the inter-
est of the honest railroad man and the
honest shipper alike, for it is they who
are chiefly jeoparded by the practices
Of their dishonest competitors. This
legislation should be enacted in a spir-
1t as remote as possible from hysteria
and rancor. II we Of the American
body polite are true to the traditions
we have inherited we shall always
scorn any effort to make us hate any
man because he is rich, just as much
as we should scorn any effort to make
us look down upon or treat contemptu-
ously any man because he is poor. We
Judge man by his conduct-that is,
by his character-and not by his
wealth or intellect. If he makes his
fortune honestly, there is no just cause
OF quarrel with him. Indeed, we have
nothing but the kindliest feelings Of
admiration for the successful business
man who behaves decently, whether
he has made his success by building or
| managing railroad or by shipping
goods over that railroad The big rail-
road men and big shippers are simply
Americans OF the ordinary type who
have developed to an extraordinary de-
gree certain great business qualities.
They are neither better nor worse than
their fellow citizens Of smaller means.
They are merely more able in certain
lines and therefore exposed to certain
peculiarly strong temptations. 81
lndustriaiism's Temptations.
These temptations have not sprung
newly into being. The exceptionally
successful among mankind have al
ways been exposed to them, but they
have grown amazingly In power as d
J result Of the extraordinary development
Of industrialsm along new lines, and
under these new conditions, which the
lawmakers of old could not foresee and
therefore could not provide against
they have become so serious and men,
acing as to demand entirely new RENEE
dies. It is In the interest Of the best
type Of railroad man and the best type
Of shipper no less than Of the public
| that there should be governmental SUI
pervision and regulation Of these great
business operations, for the same rea-
son that it is In the interest of the cor
poration which wishes to treat its en-
ployees Alright that there should be an
effective employers liability act Or an
effective system of factory laws to
prevent the abuse Of women and chill
dren. ALI such legislation frees the
corporation that wishes to do well from