The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1905-09-29
.OLNEY'S REPLY
BRYAN N'SLETT[R
A Convincing Statement Against
Proposed Rate Legislation
FEDERAL OWNERSHIP
WOULD BE THE RESULT or THE
iNToLERABLE SITUATION
THAT WOULD COME FROM
THE PLAN

New York, September IS. The re-
lply of the conservative wing Of The
demeeratic party 10 w J. Bryan's re
cent open letter to the president on
railroad rate Legislation. IS contained
in an ariice by Richard O1ney IN the
iOctober number Of the North Ameri-
lean Review. published tomorrow ri
what is practically his first public
Eutterances in two years, CIevelanda
Former secretary Of state presents his
final judgment against the proposed
Legislation In the form of brief coy
ering not only the law but the public
policy involved in the agitation,
In discussing the effects Of govern
ment regulation upon the railroads.
Mr. Olney says
The situation to be anticipated,
then, Is that railroads private proper.
ties and representing private invest
ments aggregrating billions Of dol
lars-wills find themselves controlled
In the vital matter or their charges.
not by their private owners, hut by
two public hoardsone representa-
tive of local interests and the other
Iof national interests, and both anita.
gonistic to the interests of the private
owner concerned. The two boanis will
aim at the lowest poss ble rates each
In behalf Of the particular business
under its charge, and will therefore
be In constant rivalry with each other
In the. endeayor to extorr from the car.
rier the best service at the smallest
cost Under these conditions any.
thing like slxillful, just, reasonable or
i stable rate making becomes inpossi-
I Bile A situation III created inrnIerabie
l alike Ii, the carrinaa and TIL the nalaIlss
1 aaiu sife sefrr 0sltcefaaI lissapsa IN
I whole scheme of government rate
making be abandoned II government
i ownership.
! Government ownership IN dill rail.
!. roads isa obviously the goal toward
i which some III the government rate.
!. makers are striving. while others, III
il NOT welcoming Il and not working
for it, profess not To fear II, and
i claim thai II would at all events. be
!. an improvement upon the present
r statlls Both point to existing I'M
Istances of government ownership on
| railroads the one claiming that the
|. results to the public are distinctly
i favorable, the other that they are AT
j least not so detrimental ais Is some
y times declared But when government
4 ownership of the railroads of the
II Ecountry III seriously considered, our
. dual political system Ii at once seen
II ID present problems Of the grayeEt
7 character The few and comparative
Il " unimportant railroads that are
wholly intra state may be properly
i ignored. Every railroad nf conse-
Il transportation In transportation that
II begins and ends in single state, and
in transportation that passes beyond
!, state lines Hence, IL government own
IA ership Of railroads be regarded as the
~ inevitable sequence Of government
rate-making the first question: Ia
which government III VI that rs I'd own
the railroads, the state or the United
States?
d The significance and Importance al
the inquiry continues Mr.. olney, al
apparent Ii we remember that the
o railroad is only one species "a high
as way. and that what III true of railroad;
24 must be true of onllnary highways
or The jurisdiction Of the national GOV
nv crnmeni must be the same In both
ut cases, If It Is competent for the na
VIZ tional government under the com
ri. merce clause to own and operate al
We the great railroads of the country, |
an must be also competent for u to owl
or control and operate an the grea
highways Of the country
lis II hy any possibility true tina
The national government has beer
i'm granted any such powers--that as re
spects every roal or street In th'
country which III d link tn Interstate
In communication the national govern
mt ncnt may at its option take complesi
st possession and control may dercct th'
~, mode OF us construction lis grades
raj the sort of vehicles by which u ma,
Ea be used, may, in short. assume It's en-
,ig tire management and operation IN al
'ru the most minute detail5? Nothinl
on could be more revolutionary IN prac
ier ticc nothing more contradictory q
mi the views customarily he'll. II
be necessary to consider most carefully
Try therefore. whether the powers IN uucs
ur' tion are actually conferred on the nu
iill tional governmcnt-it being conceded
at as VI must be-, that the power can b
lts deduced, II at all. only from the CON
fes merce clause OF the constitution.
mn In pointing out the conflict of Jul
fas isdction under 4 system ~ govern
te, ment control of railroad pf0pertiel
fer MIR Olnry has this ~ say The rat'