Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1906-11-08
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP OF
RAILROADS.

Bryan continues to preach his
doctrine. He has evidently come to
the conclusion that this government
is not strong enough to cope with
the pig combinations, to regulate
them while owned by the pirates of
transportation, skilled through long
experience in the art Of corrupting
the courts, national and state leg
islatures. Mr.. Bryan has too much
faith in the people, too little conf
dcnce in the strength of this gov
eminent. Last spring congress
came very near to enacting a law
that would have put the guiding
and restraining halter on the law
disregarding rail road managers.
Had President Roosevelt stood pat
in his demand that that law provide
for no court review of interstate
commissioner ruling, and then ap-
pointed brave, honest men on that
commission, the trick would have
been turned.
OF course, the railroad attorneys
in the senate contended that such
a provision would have render ed
the statute unconstitutional but it
wouldn't have done anything of the
kind That was merely a scare cry
rusc Of the senatorial traitors.
Your lawyer man, naturally, en-
deavors to impress the layman with
the idea that his mind can not
grasp and comprehend a legal prop
osition; that it requires years of
training in that one particular
groove to enable it to penetrate the
mysteries of that profession. That
is merely the human prediction
to make the mob believe that some
particular calling is above and be-
yond its intelligence, and for any
one without its pale to doubt its
teachings or to investigate for him
self is altogether presumptious, lit
tie short of sacrilege. In the earlier,
darker days, the priesthood worked
this dodge with the ignorant mas
scs 10 the limit. OF late years the
big bankers have cndeavored to con-
vince the world that only those
whose life is devoted to figuring out
exchange and interest can read I'M
dcrstandingly the history, or master
the abstract science of finance. The
truth of the matter is that, present
given problem in law, theology
or finance to an educated mind, it
can understand it quite as we'll
under certain conditions more clear
ly than-as one whose mind has
travelled in that one groove exclu-
sivcly, necessarily having become
narrowed and warped with profess
siossi prejudices. For instance ;
the federal courts are the creatures
OF congress; which can restrict
their jurisdiction, within constitu-
tional bounds, which means so as
NOT to conflict with those of the
state, as il sees fit. Congress can
create additional courts and dele
gate to them certain powers, can
fakc from one and give to another.
Is it not, therefore, asiily conten-
ton TO assert that congress can not
cndow the interstate commerce CON-
mission with the judicial power to
handle railroad rate cases, and to say
to all other courts of its creation
Keep your hands off of these par
ticuiar cases; the decisions of this
commission are finai2"
But if the railroads have grown
so strong and the government sc
weak that they oan not be regulated
by legislation, how can the govern
D,cnt secure controla II the railroad
managers and manipulstors are suf.
ficiently puissant to defeat rcgu-
lation, they can and also will block
any effort on the part of the govern
meDt to take possession. Again
sDould the railroad companies con
sent to sell to the government anc
the apparently insurruountablc OBJ
staclcs in that be overcome; ther
the remedy of government owner
ship would prove TO be more dam
aging to the people than the pres.
ent disease of insoient, piratica
railroad domination of commerce,
and politics The vast army of raj
road operatives would then be un
der the influence of politicians, ant
the party in power, when the new
order of things should go into effect
could easily perpetuate itself. The
then president of the United State
could become the progenitor Of {
race of kings. Only the guileles
dreamer hopes that political part