Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1905-12-28
REGULATION
Attempt to Compromise by Re-
publican Congress.
DEMOCRATS STAND BY THE PEOPLE

publican SOllSlCSo
DEMOCRATS STAND BY THE PEOPLE
President Roosevelt Is Oh Good Solid
Democratic Ground on the Rate
Issue Shall the Railroads or the
People Rule the United St~ntess-Thnt
Is the Question.
Senator Knox, who was supposed to
know a bad trust when he saw it, but
when he was attorney general only dis
covered a railroad combine that needed
and will act as mediator or arbitrator
between the railroad combinations and
President Roosevelt. Senator Knox is
an old hand ut the trust bellows and
knows all about corporations. He was
raised on trust diet and drank the milk
of al octopus from his political child
hood. AS he owes his elevation to the
senate to the good will and otherwise
Of the Pennsylvania railroad, the great
est railroad combine in the country and
the most astute in it's political manage
ment, he should be successful from a
railroad point Of view. How the peo-
pie will fare is another matter. OF
course the railroad magnates will have
to come down off their high horse and
take their medicine, but the dose that
Knox will administer will be so sugar
coated and in such homeopathic guam
tity that it will not seriously affect
those corporations.
If through compromise and double
dealing the railroad lion should lie
down with the lamb and the lamb dis
appear there will be as much political
trouble hereafter as could be hoped for
from a Democratic standpoint.
The last Democratic national conven-
ton declared:
"We favor the comforting upon the
interstate commerce commission OF the
power when it finds a rate unreason-
able to fix a rate reasonable"
State Democratic platforms have fol
lowed that excellent example, especial
~ the platform Of the state of Ohio,
which declared:
1--WE demand an enlargement Of the
powers Of the interstate commerce com
mission to the end that the travelling
public and shippers of this government
may have prompt and adequate relief
from the abuse to which they are sub
jected in the matter of transportation.
We demand a strict enforcement of Ok
listing civil and criminal statutes against
all such trusts, combinations and mo-
! nopolies, and we demand the enact
| ment of such further legislation as may
be necessary to e%ffectually suppress
them"
When the control Of railroads was
under consideration in the house OF
representatives at the last session OF
congress every Democrat but one vot
ed for a bill to carry those platform
| pledges into effect, and there is only
| one Democratic United States senator
| who has openly expressed opposition t(
the right of the people to control the
! soulless corporations they have created
/ ~ lllc CillO ul1S lJal ~ IluS UC SCld L
be united upon the popular side of thu
| railroad issue. With the Republican:
| it is different. There are probably (;
majority opposed to rate regulation
though many fear to disagree will
President Roosevelt.
The popular Endorsement of Presiden
Roosevelt in his attempt to force TIL
! unwilling Republican leaders to pass
| bill to control the railroads has beer
| shown by the people wherever an(
whenever they have had an opportu
nifty to express it. If they should nov
be disappointed in securing relief thos'
who aid the railroads or stand by con
senting to others doing so will be mark
ed for political slaughter. The people
are aroused against all forms Of plum
dering. whether it be the Overcharge!
Of railroads or the evil Of the robbie.
tariff and the ubiquitous trust tina
sells cheaper to foreigners than to on
own people.
The whole question resolves itself in
to this simple proposition: Shall thu
railroads and combines run the country
and charge the people whatever thei,
avarice and discretion will allow then
to extort, or shall congress, in its I'm
doubted right to control interstate com
merce, protect the people from unrea
sonable rates and delegate its power tt
the interstate commerce commission tt
establish reasonable rates in place o:
those declared unreasonable?
If the present congress does not dt
it's duty another will be elected which
will do if, and the longer the matter i:
postponed the more drastic is the rem
edy likely to be.