The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-08-02

IL 10 especially incumbent upon
Pennsylvania TO take vigorous ac-
tion along these lines. This State
was the pioneer in the anti.dis-
elimination movement. It was
my privilege more than q quarter
of century ago TO assist m
wringing from the political pow
ers at Harris burg auanu.dlscrim
nation law. The fight was long,
hard and bitter The people of
the oil regions we're being reduc.
ed to poverty and their property
was being coniisticated by a con-
spiracy between the Standard Oh
Company, the Peunsy wanna Rail
road and the, bosses. The act
was not all that could be desired.
The striking out Of the imprison-
ment clause destroyed It's effect
and the relations existing between
the political machine and the cor
porations nulh6ed the law in a
great degree.
To Pennsylvania belongs also
the credit tor having taken the
first step toward the enactment
Of the Inter State Commerce law
The idea as born out Of the ira
vail of the people who were op.
pressed 0y the corporations and
robbed bythetransportatiou COM
panies. | had the honor, in 1872,
to be ember of a committee to
carry to Washington the draft of
the bill upon which. thirteen
years later, the Interstate Com
merce law was modelled. II is
worthy of note that the same IN
huences which killed the penal
clause Of the Pennsylvania anti
discrimination bill, also caused
the penal clause to be stricken
from the Interstate Commerce
act.
For thirty-four years, there
fore, have [, and others who are
associated with us, fought aloug
tie same lines upon which Presi-
dent Roosevelt has taken his
stand. Pennsylvanians were
first to feel the crushing effects
Of rebates and determinations
Pennsylyanians were early vic
tins of the Standard Oil Com
pany, whose methods, gradually
extending throughout the couu-
try, have borne frultage in the
creation of the many trusts which
oppress the public. BY Penusyl,
vanlans the shackles will, next
fall, Je stricken from the State,
and the message carried to Presi,
dent Rooseveltthatwe wehave struck
mighty blow to aid him in his
warfare for pure politics for the
rights Of the pubic and for the
cause Of good government
In the fight of the people it is
note wothy that among our lead
ers are found no grafters, none
with necks scared by collar Of
boss, no franchise grabber, no
political contract manIpulator,
none whose names are associated
with political pollution or public
infamy. The horde Of ballot. box
suffers, macers, camp followers
Of the army of pIllage, are against
us to man. This fact cannot
fail to have a powerful moral eff,
feet upon the intelligent citizens
of the Commonwealth.
OF equal significance is the fact
that against US, and our most ac.
tive foe, Is the corporation which
more than any other has amassed
colossal fortunes by means of
special privileges granted at the
cost, and ia yiolation.of the rights
of the people Of this State, and by
means of advantages seized and
enjoyed in defiance of both the
moral ald the statute law.
As a mean of carrying into ef.
feet the principles Of good govern
meni, additional Legislation is
needed along the lines Of the mer-
| it system ia the public service,
revision Of the revenue laws with
Il view to equalizing taxation,
granting to electrical railroads :
the right to carry freight and ex-
| press, effective pure food laws,
prohibition of the owning by rail
roads o' the products thoy trans.