Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1906-10-11
RATE LEGISLATION.

1lahtNl 49,
flched bodily from the Democratic plat
form. The Democratic platforms of
1900 and 1904 contained planks insisting
upon a larger governmental power over
| railroads and a more rigid regulation of
interstate traffic. Mr.. Bryan and all
leading Democrats advocated that policy,
and the necessity OF enforcing it, in
speeches made throughout the country.
Though challenged by Democrats to take
this matter up, the Republicans refused
to do 1t. Not a word can be found in
In 1900 Mr.. Roosevelt was the Republic
can candidate for vice-president, and in
1904 was the candidate of that party for
the presidency. He ~canvassed the coun-
try, speaking from one ocean 10 the
other, but never a word spake he about
railroad regulation. But then the great
railroad magnates were his political COM
rades, laboring in more ways than one
for his election. After he was elected
and safely installed, q great new light
broke upon his vision. He appropriated
this plank in the Democratic platform
without giving credit, and exploited 1t as
ever his old friends of the railroad clan
may think, or you may think, OF his
sincerity and sense of gratitude, l con-
graduate the country that he brought
this great question SO sharply to public
attention. Still the fact remains that
the idea, the policy, of a more direct
and potential regulation of railroads IS
of Democratic origin. 1t was so consid-
cred in Congress. The course of the
President was offensive and exasperating
to most Of his party leaders IN bot1
houses of Congress. The bill he caused
to be introduced and passed in the
House was crude, imperfect and of little
value. When it reached the Senate it
was referred to the on In
spent many weeks in hearings on the
bill, and nearly every important rail-
road official in the country appeared
before the committee to discuss it. Gov
--.- z-x.. sc TN-IN xuha Nra xnl
before the committee, went back home
and said that the committee-that Is,
the Republican members of the commit
tee-seemed to be chiefly interested in
companies. Finally a motion was made
and carried to report the bill back to
the Senate without amendment. And
when that motion prevailed Senator Al
drich of Rhode Island, the Republican
Senate leader, said, that as this was 9
Democratic measure, not a Republican
measure. he would move that it be
placed in charge of a Democratic Sen,
manage it on the floor, and that motion
was adopted with Republican votes. In
consequence of that motion, the bill was
committed to the hands of Senator Till
man, the senior Democratic member of
the committee. When Mr.. Tillman re-
ported the bill he said, in substance, that
it was a grossly inadequate and imper-
fect piece of legislation, and he, dis
claimed responsibility for it. Neverthe-
less, the Democrats of the enate united
in an earnest effort to amend and per-
feet it, while the Republicans were split
into warning factions on account OF 1t.
Many valuable amendments were made
to the bill, chiefly on the motion and al
, the instance of Democrats; but many OF
the most important and effective amend
ments proposed We're voted down by Re
publicans. One very important amend
ment, proposed by Senator Bailey of Tex
as, which proposed to limit the power
, the orders of the Interstate Commerce
Commission establishing rates, was los,
through tn weakness of the President
That proposed amendment, as you know
President, through Ex-senator Chandler
entered into a deliberate agreement witt
Senators Tillman and Bailey to support
that amendment, and then, at the cruica
point, deserted them without warning. II
order to unite his party he betrayed the
= men with whom he had made a solemn
t compact, and, worse still, betrayed TIN
l people and stultified himself. Such il
welt bore in promoting its enactment.
! This bill will be a disappointment
1t will prove to be inadequate, inefh
Q Gent and ineffective. 1t will not cur
enacted, however, that would reach thos
e evils and afford a remedy but sucl
u law will never be passed under Repub
lican auspices. AS well had you expec
6 good out of Sodom and Gomorrah a
e to expect Republicans to enact a rat
law to which the railroads We're seriousi
n opposed. Roosevelt did perform a publ
g service by forcing this question to tn
front; but the law itself is far short 0
the public requirement, and Roosevelt
0 performance, taken as a whole, is no
one that should excite a frenzy of en-
thuSiaSm.
!. PUBLIC OWNERSHIP.
Apropos of this question of ~railroa
n regulation is the question of publ
discuss that question. further than t
say that 1 have never been favorabl
impressed with the proposition. l fea
that the evils of government OWNERSHIP
would be greater than the evils we woul
is attempt by that policy to cure. I beliey
if adequate laws regulating railroad
should be enacted, and if they shout
be sternly and rigidly enforced, praC
tically all the greater evils Of which Il
Of country Justly complains could be Grad
Gated. If | should be mistaken as
~ that II after the country has testG
n fail, then it will be time to discuss tt
to question of government ownership. The
n is no need to do that now. 1t Is n
m a question of immediate cor. .ern. No OF
Id proposes to undertake public ownersh
now. Those who believe that polit
s. practicable,$ safe, advisable, speak of
n only in a tentative way, as an ultima
at solution of the problem of transportatio
- ehiJ ~
Jet discussing and developing the idea, Fl
ne ultimately the country may conclude
n try it, and it is the part Of wisdo
of that every phase Of the subject shou
mt be elaborated. But now the discussi'
nd is of necessity more academic than pra
let tical, and hence l do not care to ent
at upon it at this time. In passing, howevt
l will say a word anent the ~criticisl
made of Mr.. Bryan for what he has sa
as upon that subject. He believes that t
in regulation Of railroads and railroad ira
it? the past, and he believes tina, pub
ownership will prove to be the only
fective remedy, and that the people W
no ultimately adopt that policy; and he dc
a upon government ownership, nor share
their fear Us to its dangers. He
re- lieves a plan can be worked out to
he divide ownership and responsibility !
le- tween the states and the general COVER
rs. ment as to largely obviate the objectio
He usually made to the proposition. But
he highly as I regard Mr.. Bryan and
ne opinions l can Ne not IT. b D!h;, doubt 10Th I !
RS, iect. Still he has said nothing, do
m nothing to invite, much less to merit,
a harsh partizan criticisms show9fed up
of him. He has simply acted the part
llel q statesman, as he always does,
in fearlessly discussing a great question
ra- paramount Importance for the enlightt
lis ment of the people. He does not {
old ownership of railroads should be tai
ind up as a question for immediate acti
ted He knows If 1t ever comes it Is s
lies years away, and he says himself Il
ere for the present he favors exhausting
ra- power of the government in regulati
the the roads before attempting the IN,
ess drastic remedy OF ownership; and
Ter, a Y If regulation can be made succe
per full, then there will be no need of own
in ship. What is there about that
set the Republicans to dancing? w
they talk as IL they had never he;
cen of government ownership before. ]