Marble Hill press. (Marbel [sic] Hill, Mo.) 1881-1923, 1905-05-11

himself. He said that shortly after h
was made u Encouragement OF volunteer
: in the Spanish-American war he mat al
Il old trooper who rode with him arount
f Richmond in the wild days Of 81 to '65
! and after looking steadily at his briliian
? new uniform Of blue, the old trooper sale
t 30 him: "General, | hope l will die be.
fore you DO" "NNhy, my dear foliow?'
: said the general. Because" answered
: he, II want 10 be over there when you
: come in with that blue uniform on anG
hear what old JubaI Early Will say
He was loved here and know he will
be loved over there. Requiescat in pace
The selection of ex- Governor Atkinson
OF West Virginia, by President Roosevelt
for ? scat on the bench OF the court of
Claims, Will increase the dissatisfaction
with the president 5 attitude toward these
important appointments. It has been
hard enough to understand why Roose-
welt, the civil service reformer, should
have thrown his principles to the wind in
! dispensing army patronage. But his
lack of discretion in dealing with the
most important judicial positions is GER
| tain to hurt him, particularly with the
! legal profession. The scandal Of Judge
| kohlsaat's appointment in Chicago was
I bad enough. There Mr.. ROosevelt's
surrender to the Illinois senators and to
his friend, H. II. kChlsaat, was perfectly
plain. In the case Of 4 llinsor it seems
equally apparent that he turned the Office
over to Senator Scott as political spoiIs.
From Mr.. Atkinson's record I submit
that he is in no way fit for the place be-
slowed upon him. Moreover the court of
claims is at this time particularly in need
OF strengthening. Had Mr.. Mckinley or
even Mr.. Harrison, made an appointment
or this kind, it would have excited sur
prise and distrust. Coming from Theo-
dore Roosevelt, it must make the average
lawyer rub his eyes in amaZement.
One point that has been persistently
made during the hearings before the
senate committee on Inter- State Com |
merce is that the present Inter- State |
Commerce Commission has not attempt |
ed to enforce the laws now on the statute |
books to prevent railroads from allowing |
determinations to favored shippers. Had |
this been done, admit the railroad presi- |
dents who have been heard, there would |
be no public clamor about rebates and ,
determinations.
"Why has not the commission done this
if they had the power?" is a question |
frequently asked by the man in the street.
The answer by politicians Of the re-
publican stripe is that it would not have
been good politics, and SO reveals the true
inwardness OF this whole agitation, so far
as the republican members Of congress
90. They want big club with which to
beat the railroads for campaign contri-
buttons. A threat to reduce freight rates
lnless the railroads open their dough
oags is the best possible one in sight. So
he commission has been howIing for
power to regulate rates as part Of the
That's the extent ofrepub-
Jean sincerity in this whole business.
The railroads assert that they are obey
ng the law, both in letter and spirit, and
therefore, are not proper subjects for this
'Ort OF treatment, and refuse to be held
lp in this fashion. So they are fighting
he EschTownsend bill, which was de-
Used and passed for this purpose, as we'll
Is an incidental stop to public cIanlor.
1t is the general belief here, however, ;
hat neither the Esch- Townsend bill nor
my other drastic Legislation like it,
which would give the commission such a
lub as they wish for will reach the presi-
lent.
It's only scarecrow.
Effective Legislation will only be secur-
d when the democrats again get control /
II congress, and indications are bright |
hat this may soon come about. The re- {
publican "bluff'' will be called by the
,eople themselves at the next congress
ional election.-C. a. EDWARDS.