The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-26
Hitting the Cat In the window.

Hitting the Cat In the window.
No one knows and few dare to predict
the result Of the railway rate discussion.
Seldom in the history Of American legis-
lation has a measure been so little under
stood by the people or 30 ~intricately
tangled in its experience in Congress.
We find it impossible to accept Mr.. LA
FoLLETTE's declaration that at is not
prejudice nor clamor which Is pressing
this subject upon the attention of this
body. 1t Is a calm, well considered pub
lie judgment. 1t is born of conviction
mot ~passion-and it were wise for us
to give heed"
1t Is not easy to place this "calm, well
considered public Judgment" For years
there has been an increasing indigna-
ton at certain railway iniquities, such as
rebates, unfair determinations, icing
charges, terminal charges and sundry
undue exactions by private car lines;
but these are not the issues involved in
the present debate. The controversy
started with those features as the object
Of attack, but little or nothing has been
heard Of them for many months. The
ground has been shifted to a considera-
ton of the fixing of rates Of transporta-
ton by an appointed commission and
the scope of the powers Of that body.
= This is the case despite the fact that
complaints OF %exorbitant charges have
rarely been heard and still more rarely
justified. The original issue, which is a
substantial ground for complaint, has
virtually disappeared.
There are many who think it high
time that something was done, that Con-
gress reached some conclusion, passed
some bill. 1t certainly is high time that
the country, with its calm, well on
sidered judgment" found out what it
wants done; but the country is no less
at sea than is the Congress. Mr.. LA
TOILETTE doubtless believes that the
country wants just what he wants, that
he is the interpreter and the mouthpiece
of public opinion; but the junior Senator
from Wisconsin is not in harmony with
the President, and it is possible that
the Executive regards himself az the
exponent Of public opinion. It is eve
possible that Senator SPooNER, who is
in harmony with neither his colleague
nor the President, has reason to believe
that he represents public opinion, that
he and not Mr.. LA TOILETTE speaks for
the Badger State and the rest Of the
country.
The fact is that a violent effort is
being made to remedy an imaginary
evil while practically no attention is
paid to the grievous wrongs pointed out
by the President in his message Of De-
cember, 1904. He there denounced the
evils of rebates, concessions, discrim-
nations and the abuses Of the private
a the private terminal track and the
side track. The country expressed its
approval of the demand for the correc-
ton of these evils and abuses, but the
clarion call is no longer heard and its
echoes have subsidized. Yet those are
the economic disorders which the coun-
try set out to remedy. The Hepburn
bill does not provide for them and does
provide an alleged remedy fora disease
whose existence has never been proved
and seldom asserted. If a pathway
could be found leading out Of the present
maze the wisest course would be a return
to the original proposal, the cure of
recognized evils.
Meanwhile, in spite Of feebly sup
ported allegations of robbery of the
public by extortionate railway charges,
the sun rises and sets, the earth yields
its increase, and the country has fifteen
or twenty millions of dollars to give in
q single week to those who are in need.