Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-01
rock ROOTED oLNEY.

net Of Grover Cleveland, IS the typical
representative Of rock-rooted democracy
that cannot be moved from its ancient
twentieth century conditions. Mr. OIL
ney Is an able jurist, trained in the
straight-laced state rights school, who,
like the Rev. Jasper, refuses TO believe
that "the earth do move"
While admitting that "the railroads
are the arteries Of commerce, that deter
mine very largely the outcome Of all
private enterprises and upon which
hinges too often the material well-belng,
II not the very existence of towns, cities,
seaports and large sections Of country"
MFR. Olney plants himself squarely in op-
position to supervision and regulation
He asserts that the railroads are prl-
vate property and do not come within
the scope and jurisdiction Of rate regu-
lation by congress or by any adminstra-
tive body created by congress.
1.-THE railroad" declares Mr.. Olney,
lis only one species of highways, and
what is true of railways must be true
OF ordinary highways. The jurisdiction
of the national government must be the
same in both cases" This is eminently
sound logic and a retrospective glance
should convince Mr. Olney that the
power OF rate making on highways has
been exercised by municipal, state and
national legislatures since the days of
Washington and jefferson.
Mr. Olney cannot be ignorant of the
fact that in the District of Columbia
congress has for nearly a century ex-
ercised the rate making power for all
vehicles used for hire that traverse the
public highways and streets of the ma
tional capital. If congress has the right
either to fix directly the rates for the
conveyance of passengers and freight in
the streets of Washington, or indirectly
to have the rates established through the
Board of District Commissioners, that
have for years governed the city of
Washington, why has it not also the
right to establish reasonable transporta-
tion rates over railroads in pursuance of
the power vested in 1t to regulate COM
merce between the states?
But Mr.. Olney brushes aside all prece-
dent and turns his face against the ire
sistible march of progress by pointing
backward to the exploded state rights
doctrine that would subdivide the rail-
road systems Of America and establish
terminals at every state line, although
every railroad in the country is linked
to every other railroad, and every sta
ton agent will sell tickets and bill
freight to any other station in America
regardless of state lines.
Mr.. Olney's rock-rooted proclivlties
are most forcibly exhibited in the fol
lowing summary of conclusions on the
rate making power: "Ours is a govern
.ment by both state and nation by po-
litical parties, and to political rate max
ing for railroads-rate making by poll
ticians animated by partisan motives
and working for partisan ends-the OBJ
jections of an economic and business
character are on the score of public pol
icy generally as obvious as they should
prove insuperable."
What arrant nonsense! In the very
nature Of things ours is a government
that has always exercised its functions
through men affiliated with political
parties, and this condition is sure to
continue as long as the republic sur
wives. Are we, therefore, forever pre-
vented from using the machinery of gov
eminent for the protection of its citizens
against excessive taxation imposed upon
them by common carriers? Are we to
permit these carriers TO play the part of
Providence and leave them free to en-
rich one class of patrons, or one com
munity, and impoverish another class
of patrons and other communities Just
because the law makers and executive
officers of our government are affiliated
with political parties? If the logic of
Mr.. Olney applies to railroads IT would
apply to all other agencies created under
modern conditions for facilitating COM
merce and effecting exchanges, but the
very suggestion repels the idea.