Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1906-04-27
HIS OPENING REMARKS.
Senator Fulton on Railway Rate
Regulation.

Mr.. President. In discussing
the pending measure / do not pur-
pose entering upon any argument
or attempt to prove either the
necessity or the importance of
additional legislation for the pur-
pose of providing for wider and
stricter regulation and control of
the persons engaged or the in
strurHentalities employed in con-
ducting commerce among the
states. / assume that it is the
concenses of opinion here, as it
unquestionably is throughout the
country, that legislation of such
character is not only desirable,
but necessary, and that we be-
lieve, as the people believe, the
time has come when a ,uore strict
and systematic regulation and
control of the great transporta-
ton lines of this country engaged
in interstate commerce should be
exercised by the Federal Govern
ment. This conviction in the
public mind has been of slow
growth, but it is the result Of
profound deliberation, thought,
and study.
1t would not be accurate to say
that the suggestion of govern
ment control and regulation of
rates, fares, and charges OF trans
portation lines is suggestion of
a new governmental policy, be-
cause in trnth It is policy that
has obtained in many of the
states for a considerable period
of time; it is policy that was
long since adopted by many of
the leading countries OF Europe,
and is still adhered to in one
form or another. That it is
problem replete with difficulties
and perplexing questions, partic-
ulally in this country, with its
wide area and vast internal COM
merce is quite generally conced-
ed. Hence it is not surprising
that even among those who are
most earnestly favoring legisla-
ton of this character there would
be wide differences of opinion
touching the methods to be en-
ployed, nor is it any impeach-
ment of ones sincerity or zeal
that his ideas upon a subject so
fraught with difficulties and COM
plex questions should not be in
accord with the views or convic-
tions of some other person or of
many other persons. Nor should
the public conclude that simply
because the members of a legisla-
tive body, confronted with
great governmental policy or pro-
posed policy such as this are dis
posed to move slowly in solving
it, to study it from every posi-
BILE point of view, that they are
wanting in either earnestness or
patriotism.
1t is quite true, Mr.. President,
that there is school of pniloso-
pliers and magazine essayists who
have discovered not the slightest
difficulty in determining just
exactly what should be done in
this matter, and how it should be
done. They do not admit that
there is any excuse whatever for
a moments delay in the enact
ment of the legislation I am
frank to confess, Mr.. President,
that I am not so happily or fortu-
nately constituted, nor am l suffi-
GENTLY supplied with the quality
of gray matter that is neoes-
sary to so ready and easy solu-
ton of the grave governmental
and constitutional questions
which are presented by this in
quiry.
I have given during the last
several months such time as
have been able to spare to the
study and investigation of a few
only OF the numerous questions
involved, and I cannot say that l
have yet reached perfectly sat-
istactory conclusion concerning
all of them.
/ do not expect, Mr.. President,
to be able to contribute a single
original thought or suggestion to
this discussion or to change or in
fuence the views of any member
Of this body. I only hope to be
able to 30 express my own views
that I will have furnished a rea-