Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-06

Slvuiu Keep any DOCKS OF nlemOlduud
other than those reported pursuant to
law or regulation, and these books or
memoranda should be open to the in
spection of the government. Only In
this way can violations or evasions of
the law be surely detected. A system
of examination OF railroad accounts,
should be provided similar to that
now conducted into the national
banks by the bank examiners; a
few first-class railroad accountants,
lf they had proper direction and proper
authority to inspect books and papers.
could accomplish much in preventing
willful violations Of the law. 1t would
not be necessary for them to examine
into the accounts of any railroad unless
for good reasons they we're directed to
do so by the interstate commerce COM
mission. 1t Is greatly to be desired
that some way might be found by
which an agreement as to transporta-
tion within a state intended to operate
as fraud upon the federal interstate
commerce laws could be brought under
the jurisdiction of the federal authorl-
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.
Need for Prompt Action
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 of commod-
tiles in transit. The history of the cases
litigated under the present commerce
act shows that is 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 1t is to violate the law.
Not Hostile 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
tility would tell against the welfare not
merely of some few rich men, but of
multitude of small investors multi
tude of railway employees, wage-work-
ers; and most severely against the in
terest of the public as a whole. l be-
lieve that on the whole our railroads
have done we'll 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-
q
railroad whenever irrational clamor
against it is raised, or whenever
charges made against it are disproved.
In Interest of All
I ask this legislation ont only in the
interest of the public but in the interest
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 spirit
as remote as possible from hysteria
and rancor. If 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 contempt
uously any man because he is poor We
Judge a 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 quar-
rel 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
abroad or by shipping goods over that
railroad.
Exposed to Temptations
The big railroad men and big
shippers are simply Americans of
he ordinary type who have developed
20 an extraordinary degree certain
ines and therefore exposed to certain
peculiarly strong temptations. These
temptations have not sprung newly
nto being; the exceptionally successful
lmong mankind have always been eX-
posed to them; but they have grown
imazingly in power as result of the
extraordinary development of indus
trialism along new lines, and under
these new conditions, which the law
makers of old could not foresee and
therefore could not provide against,
they have become so serious and men
aCing as to demand entirely new rem
edies. 1t is in the interest of the best
type of railroad man and the best type
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
corporation which wishes to treat its
employees 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. All such legislation frees the
corporation that wishes to do well from
being driven into doing ill, in order to
compete with its rival, which prefers
to do ill. We desire to set up moral
standard. There can be no delusion
more fatal to the nation than the de-
lusion that the standard of profits, of
business prosperity, is sufficient in
Judging any business or political ques-
tion-from rate legislation to municipal
government Business success, whether
sor the individual OF for the nation, is
good thing only so far as it is ac-
companied by and develops a high
standard of conduct-honor, integrity
| civic courage. The kind of business
prosperial that blunts the standard OF
prosperity that blunts the standard of
on mere wealth, that makes a mar
s.a IL