The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-12-03


often railroads would ike to combine
for the purpose of preventing % biz
shipper from maintaining improper ad
vantages at the expense Of small ship
pers and of the genera. public. such q
combination. instead " being forbid
den by law. should he favored.
II Is a public evii 20 have on the
statute books law Incapable of full
enforcement. because both judges and
jurics realize that lts full enforcement
would destroy the business OF the
country. FOR the result is to make de
cent men violutors Of the Iaw against
their will and 20 put .rcmium on the
behavior " the wi''ul wroneloerS
Such result Ia turn tends 20 throw
the decent man ami the wilIful wrong
doer into close association and In tho
end 20 drag down the former 90 the
latter's Level. for the man who be.
comes lawbreaker in one way un
happily tends TO lose al respect Tor
law and 10 be willing 20 break it 90
many ways. No more scathiug con
demuatlou could De visited upon law
than is contained iu the words OF tho
Interstate commerce commission when
In commenting upon the fact that the
numerous joint traffic associations do
technically violate the law they say
The decision OF the United States su.
preme court In the transmIssouri case
and the Joint Traffic association case
has produced no practical effect upon
the railway operations Of the country
Such associations. In fact. exist now
as they did before these decisions and
with the same general effect In
/ justice TO all parties we ought prob
ably TO add that It is difficult to see
how our interstate railways could be
operated with due regard to the inter
est OF the shipper and the railway
without concerted action OF the kind
afforded through these associations
This means that the law as con
strued by the supreme court Is such
that the business Of the country can
not be conducted without breaking It."
As have elsewhere said:
Not a New Proposition.
"All this X substantially what have
+ said over and over again Surely g.
ought not to lie necessary TO say that
| II In no shape or way represents any
| hostility to corporations as such On
the contrary. II means frank rccogni
tion Of the fact that combinations Of
I capital. like combinations Of labor. are
n natural result Of modern condition.
and of our national development. \.
far as In my ability lies. my endeavu
is and will be TO prevent abuse o.
power by either and to favor both su
long as they do well. The aim Of III,
national government Is quite as muc'
TO favor and protect honest corpora
tious. honest business men Of wealth
as TO bring TO justice those indlvi ~
and corporations representing dishuu
est methods. Most certainly there wi.
bc no relaxation 10y the goycrnmcu
authorities in the effort 10 get at am
great railroad wrecker-uny man VIII.
10y clever swinlling devices robs lu
ycstors. opprcsses wageworkers an
does Injustice to the general public
But amy such move rs this Is I'm IN,
interest of honest railway operator
OF honest corporations and Of tho,
who when they invest their small say
ings In stocks and bonds wish 10 D.,
assured that these will rcprcscu'
money honestly expended for legitmut,
business purposes To confer upon
the national government the power fo'
which asked would he check upp.
oycrcapitali2atlOn. But Il alone wOul p
Tcnn an increase In the value. am iu
crease In the safety. of the stocks AMI
bonds of law abiding. honestly mlu
aged railroads and would render IL IA.
easier TO market their securities. I
believe IN proper publicity. There ha.
been complaint of some Of the invcsU
cations recently carried on but tho.
who complain should put the blame
where II belongs upon the mlsdccl
which are done in darkness ana no.
upon the Investigations which brought
them To light The administration
responsible for turning ON the llglt
hut II Is not responsible for what IN"
light showed | ask for full power tn
hc given the federal government. be-
cause no single state can by lcgisa
tion cfcctually cope with these pow
state commerce and. while doing them
fun Justice. exact from them I'm rruru
fun Justice To others. The condition
Of railroad activity, the conditions OF
our Immense interstate commerce. urr
such ms 10 make the central govern
wcut alone competent to exercise ful.
supervision and control.
Grave Reeults OF Abuses.
THE grave abuses In iudivduu.
cases uf railroad management iu un
past represent wrongs not merely 10
the general public, but, above an
wrong to fair dealing and honest cor
porations and men Of wealth. because
they excite popular anger and dis
trust which from the very nature OF
the case tend 10 include In the sweep
of Its resentment good and bad alike
From the standpoint OF the Iubllc !