The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1906-08-16

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facilities as they please and there is
not law on our statute books nor
voice from our officials to interfere.
All these years the people have been
stone. / insist that all these years
the people have been tricked and be-
trayed by sham legislation and sham
enforcement of law and it is high
time that these betrayals and conspir-
acies shall stop.
But now, notwithstanding all these
experiences, you come with a consti-
tutional amendment creating a rail
way commission which is stripped of
every power to do anything and the
people are to chase this rainbow for
about ten years and at the end OF that
time find out that they are again de-
ceived. Under your amendment the
legislature may not confer adequate
power or it may confer no power at
all. In either case the whole amend
ment will fail Mix in with all this
the litigation that is usually injected
into this kind of legislation and it is
difficult to hope for much RELIEF
through this amendment. How much
better it would have been to have
clothed this commission with full pow
ers in the amendment itself and
placed the powers of the commission
out of reach of legislative tinkering
and railroad lobbying and for once
have given the people actual relief.
What would you say if the trainers
of the constitution had created the
office of governor, of state treasurer
or the supreme court without confer
ring, in the constitution itself, the
powers and duties of the officials oc-
cupying these respective positions?
What would you say if the powers
and duties of these executive and
judicial officials had been left entire
" to the caprice of the legislature?
You will agree that this would be alb
surd. But now you propose an amend
ment to the constitution creating a
commission which is far more impor-
tant to the people of this state than
| any of the constitutional offices |
have named and you insist that all the
"
only such as the legislature may give
or take away from time to time. I'm
! der this amendment one legislature
may confer power upon the commits
sion and another legislature take it
away again. There will be continue!
| tinkering by every legislature touch
| ing the powers of the commission.
The railroads will be knocking at
every legislative door for the purpose
of either preventing the passage OF
laws clothing the commission with
powers or for the purpose OF repeal
ing laws already passed. You invite
the political activities of the railroads
in every campaign. And you invite
the people again to follow in the wake
of the old transportation law and the
maximum freight law.
In your letter you argue that it is
not wise to put into the constitution
the details of government am not
contending for details. / am arguing
for general powers. You have neither
details nor general powers in your
amendment Your amendment is alb
solutely a blank without single prin
ciple or detail in it. With your logic
/ could argue away the whole constl
tuition. No one claims that details
should be put into this amendment
but | do claim that the general pow
ers of the commission should go in
For instance | want this commission
to be clothed with the power to fiz
rates and | want that power written
in the amendment itself. That is 9
general power. But | do not want the