The Kemper herald. (Scooba, Miss.) 1875-1908, 1905-03-02
The Railroad Rate Question.

l. 6HN Co.'s anu
there is a movement on foot to
authorize the Government to
make rates. We are satisfied
that TINS is an error. In thesiirst
place, the making Of rates is a
very intricate business, and it is
altogether impracticable tor the
Government to fix rates to con
troll all the roads in the United
States. This is q privilege that
belongs to the roads themselves,
Just as a grocer or a dry goods
merchant has a right to put a
price upon his wares. What is
desirable is that there shall be
uniformity of charges, and no in
vldious discrimination against
individuals or communities. II
the Government car establish
uniformity and prevent discrim-
nation, it will have done all that
it is called upon to do.
There are laws now upon the
statute books emphatically con
demning favoritism and discrim
Iination. We do not doubt that
all railroads would prefer to
charge uniform rates; but it ire
qutntly happens that those who
control the roads are themselves
shippers, or the business associa-
ties OF shippers, andthrough them
special rates are obtained. This
is unqucstionably a great evil,
but there is a law against it, and
this law has been in existence
ever since 1887. If any commu
nifty is Disseminated against. the
Interstate Commerce Commits
sion has the authority to correct
it. Why, then, should any fur
Their laws be passed on the sub
Ijeet? What is necessary is to en-
force the existing laws. II they
can't be enforced, it is not likely
that more drastic laws along the
same lines can be enforced. All
railroads have public rate SEIZED
ules, but it often happens that
some favored individual gets a
rebate by virtue OF which he is
able to successfully fight and per
haps ront his rivals. This is
against the law; but as the al
rangement is secret it is hard to
prove. Still the thing to dois
gather the proof, SO as to make
q case, and then enforce the law.
There are a great many violations
of the law which are hard to
prove, and any methods that will
facilitate the collection of evi-
dence are all right; but these
methods should be strictly in &C
cordance with the rights of the
people and the general theory OF
the law. We have already on
the statute books laws against
all the evils complained of. Man
ifestly the thing to do is to en-
force these laws, before we pile
mp a lot of additional laws upon
them that would probably be
even more difficult to enforce.
When there is a law against muir
der in existence, there,is no need
to pass another law against muir
der, because some guilty ones
have managed to escape justice.
We would not put any OBJ
stacles in the way OF enforcing
the existing laws on the contra.
ry, we insist that tits the duty
Of the Government to enforce
those laws. But we object to
saddling the railroad business oil
the country on the Federal Gov
eminent. The functions Of the
Government are already compli
Gated enough, and the tendencies
towards paternalism are already
too pronounced. II the Govern
ment will try to hold the rail
roads to a strict compliance with
laws now upon the statute books,
it will have about all it can at
tend to.
The * regoing, an editorial
from the Memphis Commercial
Appeal of the 18th ult., .shits the
nail on the head
There can be no question but
that there is too much discrimi-
nation as to freight rates, that by
such discrimination the large
town prospers at the expense Of
her smaller neighbors, and that
the merchant in the latter and
that merchants customers have
to ssfoot the bill.D
But there are laws on the stat
ute books to cover every case,
and what we need is a more rigid
enforcing of the law. The enact