The Washington times., 1905-05-10
Continued from First Page.)

thoroughbred, which the railroad mas not
Eun over And the railroad is engaged
also. If 1t Is railroad Of ordinary luck in
killing some of the NEST valuable Citi-
zens in that county, t.
Now, the railroad begins IL protect
Itself. the original benefactors having
disappeared, they are retained as
conductors on the original railway they
are In luck. Some gentlemen who. never
heafd OF that county dt5 the time of the
construction ofythe railway appear and
gather in that link in the great chains
OF railways across the country.
The railways, as i say-and these
functions. these unions, are as in
evitable as the progress of, the world.
The union of capital for the purpose of
reducing the cost OF production is as
inevitable and beyond the control of
laws or sof man as the assembling of
parts OF a u3ac chine in order that pow eF
may be properly developed.
But in this union, power is accufnu-
Iated in the hand of the owners OF the
Railway and they take steps TO protect
tEeir property. They begin to find on
tEeir backs, first. and second and third
mortgages. and preferred stock and
stoekhoiders; and they regard them
selves as trustees for the owners of
these securities. as they are.
And then there begins that exercise
OF political control through Subterranean
methods and the influencing of legis-
latures and the control of the law-mak-
pression that they cannot get even with
the railroads through jury verdicts al
gogether, ana that they will take a
haIld in politics, too.
Then we have anti-railroad legisla-
ton. Sometimes It is more bitter than
at other times. Sometimes a railroad
and-railroad. people hold it until. /
should think, 1t would be a good part
OF railroad mans education to study
politics. OF course, he never does.
Taxes and Laws.
In addition TO Juries. we have taxes,
and we have laws OF all sorts against
the railroads. / do not think that the
common sense OF the country. on the
whole. Is against the railroads. That is
not. however, in my mind, such a GER
tain thing. but l believe IL is, and great
as the benefit is, and strong as the les
son is. that will be taught to any body
Q: men 10 whom the issue is brought,
Ii Is a question how great the prejudice
Is against the railroads on this account
that they have become bands of steel
binding this country from ocean TO
ocean, and from Canada to the Gulf, and
that they are exercising a power which
the people may regard as dangerous 10
be exercised unless. regulated.
/ have reason tonight TO ask the rail
road men OF this. country whether that
feeling ought not TO be taken into con-
sideration by them-whether We. have
not reached the time when that feeling
should be taken into consideration by
them.
rates, ! have read as far as l could
with a good deal of interest the objec-
ton to the regulation OF railway r;.ses
Some gentlemen whom 1 know. my
frien, George r. Peck among them, ar
convinced that the railway rates are SC
complicated that nobody ever could reg
uiata them.
.'That reminds me of the story of DR.
Ward and DR.. Robinson. DR.. Ward
lived on Scfatchawatehie Creek, and
Robinson went out to see him. After
dinner DIR. Robinson went out for wall
with DR. Ward. During the course o1
the conversation he said:
" .DoIor, how do you spell the name
of this creek you live on?''i DR.. Robin
son said: Some spells it one way, and
some spells il another way, but in my
judgment there is no correct way OF
spelling it.
Permit of Regulation.
Now. theoretically that may be cor
rect, but practically, gentlemen prac-
fically. there is nothing, no power SO
complicated IN its opsrations i wkiet
comes SO near the people as ff;hway
rates that can be. SO complicated thal
the public will not regulate taem Il
there is an abuse in them. That may
not be palatable. but Ii is true.
What the railway men Of this coun'
try ought to do is 10 assist in the pas
sage OF law that will accomplish tbs
result. 1t Is not an easy Law TO draw,
but If they viii stand up and assist
feeling which exists against the railroad:
because OF the power for evil that there
is in this feeling.
II am the last one to argue IN favo1
OF Government ownership think moth
ing could come TO this country tina
would be SO unfortunate IN its effec
as the Government ownership Of steam
railroads. And we are not going Il
come TO ii. but we may have a campaign
on the subject which VIII do no goos
to the railroads.
1T is true that the railroads have
been guilty of some abuses, and / SAY
this because 1 have run railroads for tel
years IL court as Judge through re
ceiyers. And il was mighty hard some
times 10 get receivers wno would not Gu
rates L had 10 stand them up at th'
end Of every week and swear them L
De sure, and then 1 was not quite sur
that they were not cutting rates
Railroad Prosperity.
s"Most railroads today are prosperous
and when sthss are prosperous they car
obey the law; but when ii comes to :
question of the survival Of the flttest
then the weakest bs gin to break the Law
and that leads all the others in the sam,
direction. What we want is a law tha
viii enable the railroads tnat wish Il
obey the law TO compel the others to d
SO or else go cut of business.
Il heard the ether night q speech from
q gentlemen whom | very much admire
an old friend of mine, President Baer
and I thought his tone, his attitude 70
ward regulation was one that was likel,
10 lead the railroads into position from
which they must some time sCrroWfull,
retire
THE railroads are q public institution
AN institution which must be regulate,
by law. on cannot run the railroad
as you would run a private business.
you must respond 10 public demand
ard if there Is danger OF discrimination
then you must allow the esta blishmcn
of some tribunal which shall punish tha
discrimination and give every man VIII
is affected unjustly the right to b
heard ard the right to a remedy agains
such discrimination.
Mr. Fish Replies.
The banqueters were on the qui Wv
when Mr. Fish left his seat to reply [
the Secretary of War. Mr. Fish said:
The words which have fallen from
the mouth af the LAST smaalker ceEtainl,