The Saint Paul globe., 1905-02-19
Mr.. TELLER's RAILROAD BILL


Senator Teller, of Colorado, is tired
of the ordinary processes incident to
the display of senatorial dignity and
has lent his name to bill calculated
to move the body of which he is con-
spicuous if not distinguished member
to popularity. He has introduced, by
"a Bill to Authorize the Construction
of a Public Railway for the Transpor-
tation of the Mails, Troops and NUM-
tions of War of the United States, and
to Aid in the Regulation of Interstate
Commerce" The bill has been read
twice in the senate without receiving
from the pages and doorkeepers of the
chamber that attention which they are
hired to pay to the reading of bills,
the joke editor of our esteemed and
frivolous contemporary, the Congress
sional Record. If Mr.. Teller had not
already been accorded some need of
praise from those gentlemen in the
gallery who appreciate political agility,
we would accept this bill as a bid on
the part of the venerable senator from
Colorado for the laurels. 1t is the one
good thing that has appeared in the
senate this session. 1t stands out in
bold relief from the mass of sparkling
humor which goes to make up the
owns to being the very best thing that
was ever invented in the way of
lawmaking institution.
Unhappily the title does not explain
all the provisions of this bill, inspired
by philanthropy and fathered by
master of the science of political trans
portation. The bill simply provides In
direct terms for the appropriation of
all moneys at present in the treasury or
that may be accumulated to be
applied at once to the construction of
a line of railway from coast to coast
and the maintenance of such railway.
BY way of insuring the popularity and
dividend = earning capacity of this
trifling undertaking it is specifically
provided that it shall be built and
operated by jovial crew of fifteen
members, to be known as the board of
managers, to be appointed by the pres
ident of the United States, eight mem
bers of which must be of the political
complexion represented by the existing
administration and seven claiming
affiliation with the party whose candi-
date for the presidency ran second.
This may be intended as blow at the
Liberty party, for Mr.. Debs appears
to be included in a prohibited list
which is indicated as taboo.
No man who is interested in a railroad
is eligible, but five of the members must
be engaged in railroad direction. This
simple little provision is calculated to
exclude perniciously active persons
who might be disposed to look upon
the board of managers as an institu-
ton distinct from politics. The pater-
nal wisdom of the author of the bill is
further indicated in a provision which
makes ineligible to membership all
drunkards, smokers and poker PLAYERS.
In a general way it is intimated that
anybody who knows enough to know
that he would like to be a member of
the board is thereby excluded from the
eligible list. When the board is ap-
pointed it will proceed to draw salary
at the rate of $500 per year per mem
Der and build a railway line from
some point on the Atlantic coast to
desirable point on the Pacific coast,
with branches to such handy way sta
tions as New York, Chicago, New Or
leans, st. Paul, Savannah (Ga-), Tacoma
(Wash.), Mobile (Ala.) and San Fran
cisco. On behalf of Seattle, which is
not included in the plan of the man be-
hind Mr.. Teller, we might protest the
selection of Tacoma, but as st. Paul is
included in the list of stations We will
not go looking for trouble.
Having built the road, from which
all hindrances, physical, financial and
political are providentially removed
by the bill, the truly moral and nom
professional board of managers will
proceed to run it. With a view to re-
lieving the managers of any embar-
rassment that might arise from too
large surplus of profits it is provided
in this bill, which reduces the science
of operating a railroad to the last de-
gree of simplicity, that not more than
5 per cent per annum on the amount
invested in the property shall be real
lied in profit in any one year, and
that this sum shall be spent in the
improvement of the property ard
otherwise. This provision will appeal
in its wisdom to practical railroad men
who are worried to death trying to
keep down the earning capacity of