Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1906-04-05
DEMOCRATS IN CHARGE
Railroad Rate Bill In the Hands
of Its Friends.
PUBLICITY WILL STOP CORRUPTION
Startling Charges Against the Cor
~porRtiOns In League with tho
Trusts to Plumber the Peoplc-The
Hepburn BILL but the Entering
Wedge of Railway Legislation.

Now the Democrats have charce of
the railroad rate legislation in the SEN
ate the chances for the passage of
the bill are increased fourfOld, as SEN
ator Tillman is a firm friend of the
people and cannot be swerved from
any purpose which he undertakes.
The present railroad rate bill will
only be the entering wedge of the nee
essary legislation to protect the pub
lie from unreasonable rates. PERHAPS
The greatest benefit to he produced by
the law will be the publicity clause,
through which the inside WORKINGS of
the railroads will be exposed to the
public gaze and the actua! income and
expenses Of all the railroads be laid
bare.
Charles S. Hanke of Boston, who
has been for years gathering informal
ton about the cost Of transportation.
furnishes evidence that railroad rates
are now too high, that the companies
take more for the service they render
than it is worth, that they conceal
much of their earnings by various
bookkeeping devices and that the proof
Of these charges will soon become an
parent after some real publicity is
turned on the affairs Of railroad COM
panies.
The things Mr.. Hanke charges are
startling in the extreme. The rail
roads, he says, control now a sixth Of
the national wealth; their capitaliza-
ton is ten times that of the banking
business. They are in close alliance
with the trusts that control iron, steel,
meats, grains, sugar, salt and other
necessaries. They are steadily raising
rates despite that business is growing
by leaps and bounds and that they
were never so prosperous as now and
do not dare let the public know how
much they are earning.
There has been from the beginning a
strong belief in certain quarters that
the railroad opposition to the pending
legislation was aimed at least as much
against the publicity feature as against
rate regulation. 1t is known, too, that
many of the most enthusiastic friends
Of corporate regulation expect more
immediate results from the publicity
than from the regulation features.
They expect that the things which pub
licity will bring to light will determine
the community before long to greatly
strengthen the rate making features Of
the law.
Under the proposed law the inter-
state commerce commission will have
power to enforce publicity in railroad
affairs, to examine the books and ac-
counts of these companies and to en-
force something like method and uni
formity in this branch of the transport
tation business. There will be little de-
lay about investigating the reasonable
ness Of present rates.
This publicity clause is. one Of the
chief points that the Democrats insist
cd upon being included in the bill, and
when that was conceded they deter
mined to support the Hepburn bill as
the best that could be expected of a
Republican congress. With publicity
assured and with a full knowledge Of
the profits the railroads are making,
equitable rates can be made that will
be reasonable to the people and fair to
the corporations. 1t will also no longer
be possible for the corporations to use
large sums to bride legislatures or to
give Republican committees to corrupt
the voters, for such expenditures, in
stead of being hid under the head Of
legal expenses" will have to appear
in their books, charged to the corrupt
purposes for which used.
Every one is interested in reason
able railroad rates and to obtain them
must back up the Democracy in its
efforts to protect the public by elect
ing congressman and vote for members
Of the legislature, who elect senators,
who are pledged to this and other nee
essary reforms.