The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-03-14
WARNS The RAILROADS
THE PEOPLE MAY RISE
RAYNER IS RATE
BILLS DEFENDER
Maryland Senator Advises Roads
to Accept Hepburn Bill
or Face Revolt.

Washington, March 14.-Afffirming
that his, interests are identified with the
railroads, Senator Isidor Rayner of
Maryland, in the senate today, warned
the railroads Of the United States to
beware an uprising of the people.
Mr.. Rayner advised the railroad man
ayers to accept the legislation lest the
people take the question in their own
hands, organize a political party that
far more stringent provisions.
EThe interstate commerce commits
sion will not dare,'' he said, to take
any step that will depreciate the prop
erty of the people, or. that will cause
any extreme changes in railroad man
agement or policy. The business IN
terests of the country would not sub.
nit to such action, and the courts would
not sanction or tolerate it.
A Truce, Says Rayner.
II would, therefore, advise the rail
roads, as their friend, to withdraw their
agents and their counsel and their rep
resentatives from the scene of conflict
and let the conflict cease. Let truce
20 Up between the people and the cor
porate interests to the rights Of the
PUBLIC. g.
your livelihood and your profit absolute
your confidence and do not possess your
Selves Of the vain delusion that your
railroads exist for the sole benefit Of
your stockholders and officers, and that
the people have no rights that it Is
your duty to regard:
elf you fail to- take some such ad
vice as this, then. I believe you will
rue the day. I have no fear that the
hour will ever. come when Ignorance
and anarchy will prevail in this counn
Fears Economic Uprising.
.tWhat I fear is an economic upris
| ing of the Intelligent and substantial
property interests Of the country
against monopoly and unlawful com
binations of centralized wealth; Avole
this strife. Anarchy and socialism cal
be regulated by law and put down by
force. Intelligence, that is spreading
upon the wings of lightning, can ne neve7
be covered and defeated
| to the rate bill as it passed the house
After stating. that the power to,regn
Hate eoalnlercs anf6Sn g the STAKES is til
greatest power conferred upon congress
By the constitution, Mr.. Rayner en-
tered Immediately upon the considera
| ton Of the various branches of his sub
| iect. He expressed the opinion tina
discrimination is the real issue.
| Rate Discrimination.
ssIf,' he said, can accurate rail
| road discrimination map Of the Unite
States were published today, there i
hardly anyone who could be made t
believe that it truly represents tn
| actual situation. 1t would be deride
by the public as the product and hallr r
cination Of disordered intellect. W
know, for instance, that the rate on Gel
tain lines Of merchandise from Chicag
to Denver is nearly three times as niue
as the rate on precisely the same line
! Of merchandise from New York to Sa
Francisco. We know that the rat
a upon first-class freight from New Ems
land to the gulf is less than the rat
from Chicago to- the same terminals, a
greater. We know that it costs less
shin goods the entire distance acros
the continent than it does to ship th
same goods, one-third the distance, an
that when goods are destined from Boz
ton to Salt Lake City they are carrie
to California and back again to Sa
Lake City in order to obtain the chea
rate: and, knowing these things, w
must realize that such a condition {
affairs at least requires supervisio
upon the part of some tribunal outsio
: of and beyond the railroads that al
simply building up their own terr1to1
to increase their own revenue an
| profts.'
i Impotency Of Commission.