The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1906-05-18
Senators From Many States Do Not
Measure Up To The Senatorial
Standard.
From the Baltimore Sun, May Is.

From the Baltimore Sun. May 15
The student of American political history
must have found much that is suggestive and
edifying in the debate in the Senate on the
Hepburn Rate bill. He has seen the strong
est and best equipped men in the Republican
party and in the Democratic party measure
intellects on question of far reaching i'm
portance, namely, the proposition to empower
the Interstate Commerce Commission to sub
stitute for an unjust and unreasonable railroad
rate Just and reasonable rate, subject to an
appeal to the Federal courts. Putting aside
the purely legal questions involved in this
controversy, tits evident that the issue, viewed
solely as an economic one, is of immense
significance When the Interstate Commerce
Commission was created, in 1887, there was
general complaint that the people were not
given fair treatment by the railroads. The
fact that Congress is now about to enlarge
the powers of the commission indicates that
the original Interstate Commerce Act, and the
commission which for 10 years has been
charged with its enforcement, have fallen
short of public expectations. 1t shows that
the people believe the exercise of a much
greater measure of control by the Federal
Government over the railroads is essential to
the nations welfare.
For many years this reform has been i'm
pending Now that The climax has been
reached, it is worth while to look into the
condition in The Senate, where the real fight
has been made. Attention has been directed
heretofore to the magnitude of the railroad
interests in the United States. The railroad
interests of no other country in the world are
comparable to them. 1t has been said that
the railroads in the United States are organ
lied into few systems, controlled by syndi
&c Tha &c
TENS is to be found in the city of New York,
the metropolis of the richest and most pop
ulous State in the Union. How have the
interests of New York, of its citizens gener
ally as we'll as its railroad magnates, been
protected in the contest in the Senate? New
Jersey has also large railroad interests, while
Pennsylvania ranks second to New York
alone. How have the representatives of these
States in the Senate figured in this tremendous
struggle?
In years to come the student of history will
be astonished, when he examines the record,
to discover what a pitiable part these States
played in one of the greatest economic con
troversies since the Civil War. OF the New
York Senators one-Mr Depew-is former
railroad president; the other, Mr.. Plat, is
the president of an express company. The
Empire State might as well havebeen with
out representation, for its Senators reflected
no credit upon it and accomplished no good
for it. There Is nothing more melancholy III
the annals of the greatest State in the Union
than that its influence counted absolutely for
nothing in this movement for railroad legisla-
ton. If the result in the Senate had been
determined by weighty argument alone, Sena-
tor Aldrich, of Rhode Island, would have
been an inconspicuous figure. and New Eng
land would have played only a minor part,
for even Mr.. Lodge, of Massachusetts, has
shown to little advantage. Senator Knox, of
Pennsylvania, the able and experienced cor,
poration lawyer, rescued his State from obiv
ion by pleading the cause of the railroads
In this entire group of New England and
other States no Senator with the exception
of Mr.. Knox proved himself a man of first
class ability. The other Senators were either
silent or mediocre and without weight or in
fuence in deliberative body. The brains Of
the Republican party in this fight were sup
piled by the West. Without John G. Spoon
er, of Wisconsin, and j. B. Foraker, of Ohio,
one element of the party, and j.
P. Dolliver, of Iowa. and r. NJ. La Toilette.
of Wisconsin, representing another, the Re-
publican party would have appeared to slight
advantage. 1t is surprising that Illinois did
not figure prominently in the debate. while |
Indiana was equally iuconspcuous, although |
the SILVER louSueu DeFeTiuse is one Cl llS |
Senators.
The poverty of intellect which the wealthy,
cultivated and highly developed States of New |
England and the East exhibited in the Senate
is in sharp contrast to the learning, ability and |
strength of the leading Democratic champions
Of rate legislation. Senator Rayner of Mary. |
land; Senators Bailey and Culberson, of |
Texas; Senator Bacon, of Georgia, and Sena-
tor Tillnan, of South Carolina, constituted a |
coterie of debaters who were more than able |
to hold their own with the mightiest spokes- |
men of the opposition. The laurels which |
Mr. Rayner has won are especially gratifying
to the people Of Maryland. The enviable |
position to which they have attained in the |
Senate demonstrates anew the importance of |
every State sending to the Senate representa-.
lives of its highest culture and craftsmanship. |
The spectacle which New England and New |
York and others Eastern States presented |
Turing the Rate debate is saddening, but not |
my great degree TO be the creations of party |
or influenced by vast corporate |
interest, the standard of craftsmanship will not |
De high. 1t was not through such influences,
f a retrospect may be permitted. that Daniel !
Webster was elected to the Senate from |
If the Rate bill had come up |
n Webster's day, how he would have illumi- |
lated the subject with his learning and |
eloquence If man of the type of Stephen |
Douglass represented Illinois in the Senate
now, that magnificent State would not have
oeen relegated to obscurity in the debate on
he rate measure. Missouri would be we'll to
he front if the spirit and brains of Thomas
d. Benton had been handed down to all his |
successors in the Senate. Kentucky would
always have high rank among her sister States
t her Senators measured up to the intellectual
standard of Henry Clay. Louisiana has sent
several strong men to the Senate since the old
order passed away, but none who was wholly
he equal OF Judah T. Benjamin. The Sena-
ors of the old regime were not made by
political bosses and were not chosen as the
champions of special interests.
If the Senate is decadent, it is not necessary
o 60 far to find the cause. nor is it difficult to
uggest the remedy. In every State the
people should determine that no man should
re elected to the Senate who dees not measure
p to the Senatorial standard. Experience
las shown that high order of intellect, com.
'lned with an ardent desire to promote public
interests, will enable Senator to serve his
state with more distinction and usefulness
han man who does not possess these quail
ties. There is no'reason, outside of machine
'olitics and sordid influences, why the United
states Senate should not be as brilliant
ody now as it ever was, representing the best
bought of the age--a body swayed neither by
adicalism on the one hand nor by corporate
interests on the other, but promoting the
Welfare of all the elements in the body polite,
n the spirit of justice to everyone and favors
o none. If Senators were chosen on this
rinciple, New York, Pennsylvania and the
lew England States would have representa-
ives worthy of the palmiest DAYS of these |
tates, when John Quincy Adams, Rufus
,hoate, Rufus King, W. L. Marcy, Robert
lorris, James Buchanan and De Witt Clinton
'ere examples of real craftsmanship.