Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-07-21

railroads is the ultimate solution of
the problem, still those who believe
that the public will finally. in self
defense. be driven 10 ownership. real
ize that regulation must be tried un-
der the most foVaroble circumstances
before the masses viii be ready to try
a more radical remedy.
"Regulation cannot be sufficiently
tried within the next year There is
no desire anywhere fo make govern
ment ownership the issue I'm 1905.
Mr.. Bryan fully agrees with those who
believe thai Il would he unWisc tu
turn attention from regulation. ON
which the pcopleNarc ready to act. To
government ownership. upon which
The people are not ready 20 act. To
inject the government ownership ques-
dion into the next campaign would
simply give representative of the
railroads a chance fu dodge the issue
and deceive the public
$50 far the railroads have been sue
ccssful in preventing effective federal
regulation. and state regulation has.
as "a rule. been restrained by tho
United States courts. II is aSbut
twenty years since the interstate com
merce commission was created. Il
required about ten years for the
courts To find out that the powers
conferred uDon the commission were
insufficient. and then i'd took about
ten wears to secure an amendment.
The railroads fought the amendment
at every step. and the president WAS
finally forced to compromise with the
railroad republicans I'm the senate In
order To secure their support Even
that amendment. secured with enor-
nous effort. falls short of what IL
d H "a -Hy.a o.. fL4 .n.EA and
rebates. The railroads profit pecuni-
arily by both abe stoppage of rebates
and the prohibition of passes, but cN-
carbonate rates still exist. state leg
islation for the reduction Of rates has
resulted In an agitation on h part of
the railroads for legislation which Will
deprive the state of authority and cen
tralize an ate legislation in congress.
The democratic party must meet
The issue presented. II must resist
the encroachments upon authority OF
the states. It must insist upon the
exercise of federal power for the reg
ulation Of interstate commerce, ana u
must insist unon the exercise of state
authority for the exercise Of all of
the mower vested I'm the state. This
question has grown In importance
during the pasoyear. and its promi-
nence will be Increased If cflofl
is made to impeach state rights. The
republican party Is as impotcnt To
roruIatc the railroads as It isAo eN-
terminate the trust and reform the
tariff
"Thc democratic party has In three
national conventions demanded re
forms. while the republican platforms
have been silent on the subject The
president has partially adopted the
democratic view on this subject, hut
SO far the republican leaders have res
~olutely opposed il. The president is
heIpinp 10 educate the people up to
The need of railroad regulation. bur
his marty. under its present leadership
is powcrlcss to accomplish this or any
either important reform " the dem
o~cratic party will clearly and uno-
m"ivocally demand. first. the ascet-
tanning Of the value Of an h rail-
roads: second, the preventing of oyer
capitalization. and third, the educ
ton Of rates 10 IL point whore they VII
WELD only "a reasonable return upon
Inc real values of tho roads-ii the
partv will do this, il viii commend
itself not only 10 democrats, but to
those republicans who have been led
to study the railroad situation The
railroad situation present "a vital issue
and the issue should be SO stated that
every one can understand the party
Doeition."