The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1907-06-08
CAN AFFORD TO PAY
FINES ASSESSED
Knowing That in the End
The Consumer VIII Have
TO Come Through

Washington, L' G.. June S.--If the
public men. the statesmen who arc
making addresses on Memorial day, a.
expositlons, or at the unveiling of Con-
federato monuments. have any know
ledge OF what is interesting the pub
lie mind. 1t would seem TO be the
question OF public control, regulation
or ownership of railroads.
The newspapers, whose editors ara
reasonably credited with an effort 10
determine what is the matter OF i'm
mediate public import aad TO discuss
IT, are giving lavishly of their space
to this subject, discussing IL according
to their editorial convictions, or more
often in accordance with their fiaal-
cial obligations. How important the
question now neems to be may fairly
be indicated by the fact that when
President Roosevelt went to Indiana
polls to unyeil a statue erected IN non
or of General Lawton, who died fight.
ing magniflcently in the Philippines,
he said three or four hun irCd words
about I.awton. and five Or six thou
sand words about his plan for tho
control of railroads.
Yet lei us be fair. When Mr. Bryan
spoke at Norfolk ON Decoration day.
though he had no immediate hero to
culogize. he followed what he said
about the honor and the va,or Of the
men who wore either the blue or the
gray with some expressions OF his
convictions as TO how the railroads OF
the country might be made the SER
wants rather than the masters OF tho
people.
II Is In no spirit os criticism that
these incidsats are here chToaicled.
Rather they are set down to show. ia
those who read these columns that The
two men who, perhaps. may ne con
ccded leadership in their parties arS
giving their chief attention to tia
question of railroad transportation
and OF the relation of the government
to those railroads.
How Law Can Be Enforced.
And further: probably tho greatest
American newspaper. the World. Of
! New York gave the first page OF its
editorial section last Sunday TO an In,
| ierYicN with Acknowledgement Bona,
parte in which he declares with en-.
phasis that .he remedy for sins of cor
poraiions. including and chiefly SO
the railroads, Is the impris0nm3pt OF
4 individuals or officials who had Gimi
nal knowledge ot them. Tbs is a point
which has been urged for years by
Mr. Bryan and which every newspaper
standing for the people as against the
/ trusts has demanded. Il is so per
fectly obvious that to fine a trust
means only paying by the people who
are compelled TO purchase IT'S product
that even such great fine as thai
imposed on the STANDARD OH company
in Texas. of $l.600,0O0 does no
amount TO so much a protection To The
public welfare as would have beer
the sentence Of two or three of it's re
sponsiblo officials to the 9enitentiary
What Has Been Done.
Mr. Bonapaue's summary given I,
the World of what has been done thui
far 10 check the trusts and the rail
roads is worth repeating:
Under the Sherman Anti-Trus
law. bills In equity %, Injunction
granted "a. dismissed g. pending G
Indictments 49, Convictions 3. dis
missed 6. pending o. lnformationi
and contempt proceedings 4, con
vietions 3, qnashed /. total cases 45
Goyenmeat successes 20, total finc
imposed 100000. Under the Inter
state Commerce Law. including M
Elkins act: indictments as, convle
tiOns 2d cases pending 49. aceuittal
and dismissals 3, total fines inipose'
$507 100.
Ia addition 10 the fines two defend
ants were sentenced TO jail"
III illustrates what ne have alfoad
said, pamoly that nothing thus far ha
been accomplished under the much
advertised rate law OF the Flfty-nintl
Of Roosevelt, congress, II even seem