Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1905-07-20
WASHINGTON LETTER.

LEONARDTOWN. MD.

w AVN &6A&s
RrOm Our Regular Corresspondentl
IL strikes me that President Roose-
welt has dealt q Knockout blow TO
his own pet railroad rate regulation
scheme by his typical Rooseveltian
strenuousity in favor Of his friend
Paul Morton. What earthly use
can there be in giving him more
law against railroad corporations,
when he refuses 70 enforce what he
has at hand, If it happens to affect q
personal friend2 His position re-
calls TO me Congressman Tim Camp
bells famous remark to President
Cleveland, What s the Constitution
between friends2"
What's the law as between
friends2" says President Roosevelt,
when you can just as we'll dodge
it, shield friends, and punish inn
personal corporations2" Yet the
Interstate Commerce law. which
Roosevelt maintains does not call
for the punishment Of individuals
but rather of the corporation for it's
violation, specifically says in Sec
ton TO-
THAT any common carrier subject
TO the provisions of this Act, or
whatever such common carrier is q
corporation, and director or officer
thereof, or any receiver, trustee,
lessee, agent or person acting for or
employed by such corporation. CON-
pany, person or party, shall will
fully do or cause to be done, or
shall willingly suffer or permit to
be done, any act, matter or thing in
this act prohibited or declared to be
unlawful, or who shall aid or abet
therein, or who shall wilifully omit
or fail TO do any act. matter or thing
in this act required to be done. or
shall cause or willingly suffer or
permit any act, matter or thing SO
directed or required by this act to
be done not to be so done. or shall
aid or abet any such omission or
failure, or shall be guilty Of any in
fraction Of this act, or shall aid or
abet therein shall be deemed guilty
of a misdemeanor, and shall upon
conviction thereof in any district
court of the United States within
the jurisdiction of which such offense
was committed be subjected to a
fine not TO exceed five thousand dol
lars for each offense."
The so-called Elkins Act also
specifically states in about the same
language, that persons are equally
liable with corporations to punish
ment under it's provisions.
II the section l have quoted does
not mean that Mr.. Morton, as the
Traffic Manager of the Atchison,
Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad, after
confessing to have paid rebates,
was guilty of misdemeanor, then
do not know what the English Ian
guage means. He admitted that he
paid rebates, and says that after the
passage of the Elkins Law, he per-
sonally ordered the discontinuance
of these rebates and the strict COM
pliance with the provisions of the
Interstste Commerce Act. His ad-
mission in his letter to President,
that for more than q year these re-
bates were continued in defiance of
his orders, was due TO q misplaced
switch" is o subterfuge too trans
parent for any sane man excepting
the President to believe.
Every railroad man knows that il
was IA impossibility, nothing more
nor less, and every railroad mana
ger up to the time of the Presidents
declaration understood that viola
ton Of the law was to be followed
by personal punishment. That they
so construed the act, l am credibly
informed, and President Rooseve cit s
letter is the first intimation that
they have had that they were i'm
mune.
The President with a great splurge
is trying to make much Of the prose-
cution of the Atcuison. Topeka &
Santa Fe Railroad as corporation,
which he has ordered, but the feel
ing among people with whom have
talked is that the thing is becoming
farcical, and that its effect as an of
set to the shielding of Morton will
be absolutely nil.
And so fades away the peoples
hope for railroad rate Legislation at
the coming session of Congress.
Roosevelt's decision in this Morton
=