The sun., 1905-01-31

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as whole. our peculiar form Of govern
meut. a government in which the nation
Is supreme throughout the Union in GER
tain respects. while each OF nearly hnli
a hundred States ~ supreme ia IT. part
Of the Union in certain other r'-ir"ts.
render. the task of dealing with these
conditions especially difficult No hnnlly
satisfactory result can be expected from
merely State action. Tho action must
come through the Federal Government
The business of the country is now car
ried on in a way Of which the founders
Of our CONSTITUTION could by no possibility
bave had any idea.
CONSTITUTION TO PIT PRESENT NEEDS
All r1eat hlisiness concerns are engaged
In Interstate commerce, and ii was beyond
Question the intention Of the iounders ol
our Government that interstate commerce
L: all its branches and aspects shouu 4s
under national and not state control II
the courts decide that this intention was
not carried out and made effective IN the
Constitution as it now stands, then IN the
end the Constitution If not construed tui-
ferentlv. will have 10 be amended 10 tliAt
the Original undoubted intention may be
made effective But. of course, con-ttu-
tional amendment is only to be used as a
last resort il every effort Of legislation and
administration shall have been proved
inadequate.
CAUTION sHoULD DE USED.
Meanwhile the men in public life and
the men who direct the great business m
ierests Of the country should work not m
antasonisn but IN harmony toward THIS
given end In entering field who're the
progress must of necessity be so hrgely
experimental II ls essential thht the eHoit
20 make progress should be- tentative anu
cautious. We must grow by evolution not
by revolution. There must he no hurry
but there must also be no halt; ana those
who are anxious that there should De no
sudden and violent changes must relneh-
changes will be rendered likely II we refuse
TO make the needed changes in cautious
and moderate manner.
KEEP HIGHWAYS or COMMERCE OPEN.
At tho present moment the greatest
need is for an increase in the power OF the
national Government TO keep the Rreat
highways of commerce open alike 70 all
on reasonable and equitable terms. Less
than a century ago these highways were
still as they had been since the dawn OF
history either waterways, natural or artI.
ficial or else ordinary roads for wheel
vehicles drawn by animal power. The
railroad, which was utterly unknown when
our Government was formed ana when
the great pr nciples of our Jurisprudence
were laid down, has now become almost
everywhere the most important, and, III
many large regions, the only form OF hign-
way for commerce. The man who G m
trolls its use can not be permitted IA control
II in hin own interest alone.
of the public that this man should receive
the amplest payment for the ma,terful
business capacity which enables MN 70
benefit himself while benehttng the public,
hut in return he must himself recognize
his duty to the public. He will not and
can not do this II our laws are so defective
that in the sharp competition of the busi-
meas world the conscientious man ia put
at a disadvantage by his less scrupulous
fellows.
IL is in the interest OF the conscientious
and public spirited railway man that there
should he such governmental supervision
Of the railway traffic of the country as 10
require from his less scTupulous compet
tors, and from unscupulous big shippers
as we'll, that heed TO the public welfare
which he himself would willingly give and
which is of vital consequence 70 the small
shipper. Every important railroad Is en-
gagged in interstate commerce. Therefore,
This control over the railroads must come
through the national Government.
REAL CONTROL NECESSARY.
The control must be exercised by some
governmental tribunal, and II must I've real
and effective. Doubtless there will be risk
that occasionally. IL an unfit President is
elected, this control will be abused. but this
is only another way Of saving that any ade-
quate governmental power. from the power
Of taxation down. can and will be abused
II the wrong men get control of It,
POWER OVER RATES
The details must rest with the lawmakers
OF the two houses of Congre ~. but about
the principle there can be no doubt. Hasty
or vindCtive action would merely work
damage; but in temperate, TnsOlute fashion
there must be lodged in some tribunal
tho power over rates, and especially over
rebates-whet ther secured by means OF
private cars. of private tracks. In the form
OF damages or commissions, or IN any other
manner which Will protect alike the rail
road and the shipper and put the big ship
uer and the little shipper on an equal foot
ing Doubtless no law would accomplish
all that enthusiast, hope; there is always
disappointment over the results OF such a
law among the oversan guine, but very real
and marked good has come from the leFis
laton and administration OF the last lew
years, and now. as part OF II coherent pian
Il is entirg ly possible. and indeed. neceA-
sarv To enact an additional law which will
mean further progress along the same lines
OF definite achievement In tho dire otion of
securing fair dealing as between man and
man
IN some such body rs the Interstate Com
merce Commission there must te lodged in
effective shape the power 70 see that every
shipper who uses The railroads and every
man who owns or manages "a railroad shall
on the one hand be given justice and on the
other hand be required to do Justice jus
tice-so far as II is humanity possible 10 give
and TO get justice-ia the foundation Of our
Government.
NOT TRYING TO STRIKE 1HE RICH
We are not trying to strike down the rich
nan--on the contrary, we will not tolerate
any attack upon his rights We are not
trying TO give an improper advantage To the
pocr man because he ia poor, TO the man OF
small means because be has not lArger
means; but we are striving to see that the
man Of small means has exactly Qs good a
chance 30 far as we can obtain II for him
as the man OF larger means that there shall
he equality OF opportunity for the one as for
the other
We do not intend that this republic shall
ever fail a. those republics Of olden time
failed. in which there finally came TO be a
government by classes. which resulted
either in the poor plundering the rich or the
rich exploiting and IN one form or another
enslavinR the poor, for either event means
the destructio Of free institutions and Of
individual lbl rty. Ours is not n govern
ment which ecognizes classes il Is based
on the recognition Of the individual We
are not for the poor man az such, nor for
tho rich man as such, We are for every
man rich or poor, provided he acts Justly
and fairly hy his fellows and If he 50 actA
the Government must do all it can TO see that
inasnuch as he does no wrong 80 he shall
suffer no wrong
Gov. Pennypacker was expected 10 be
present, but sent word from Harrisburg
tha. he was detained by a severe cold.
IL Thurlaa