Arizona republican., 1907-03-05
PHOENIX. ARIz.. MARCH ;, 1907.
THE RAILROADS ONLY OBJ
LEGATIONS.

LEGATIONS.
The sudden veering Of sentiment In
she house yesterday. with regard to the
worse than useless railroad bills which
have from the beginning been cham
STONED only by the uninfluential pop
ulistic minority. may be regarded As
,he result of the introduction of paru-
san politics into the situation at 2 mo-
ment when the bills were whitening
away under calm. sensible and IN
biased consideration Of them.
1t is difficult TO understand how
majority OF the members Of the house
who are Justly reputed to be men Of
good Judgment. can be led into the
following Of a small minority who are
Justly reputed to be men Of no juds-
ment and without influence in their
yarious communities. The situation
which suddenly developed yesterday
afternoon can be regarded only as
political stampede.
There is no new information TO be
added TO what the house showed yes
terdav morning that it was fully pos
sessed of. 1t was admitted that even
If the railway commission bill could be
enacted into a law, it would be futile
and as to the freight rate bill it was
reasonably argued by Mr.. Hampton
that if such a law as is contemplated
should be held To be valid. it would be
detrimental instead Of beneficial to
shippers and the general public, result
ing in heavier average rates than those
charged BY the railroad companies now.
We can think Of nothing more to be
said than the members themselves have
said. members too. who are not ac-
cused Of friendliness to the roads.
There is one point. however, regarding
which some of the members may be
under misrepresentation. That is the
presence in the city Of prominent rail-
road men whose time is too valuable
TO be purposelessly spent.
The champions OF the and-railroad
bills have laid stress on the presence Of
these gentlemen and have attributed
it to an opposition to any legislation
for their restraint or the curtailment
Of their earnings
That. we are certain IS not the in
terest Of the railroad men. for even
men Of ordinary sense and OF an ordi-
nary layman's knowledge Of the law,
are fully aware that the proposed laws
would last only long enough to be
brought into the courts.
The railroad men have not the
slightest fear that they might be re-
strained or materially affected. They
have only two objections to the bill.
both moral objections. and one Of
which is shared by all citizens who
are intelligently Interested in the de-
velopment Of the territory.
If either. or both Of these bills should
become laws. suits would result, and
though the result might be easily fore
seen. there would still exist the cry
of the demagoSue that the courts had
misconstrued the law as they always
do in the interest u the corporations.
tkus prejUdicing the minds of many
w-si-.aeaninG. but ill-advised persons
whose friendliness the railroads always
desire 90 retain. Railroads for this
reason avoid as far as possible. resist
Ruce to laws though unjust and even
Invalid and worthless
Tho other objection Of the railroads
10 these bills is one in which. as we
have said all citizens really and in
diligently Interested in the territory
share. To them the reputation Of the
territory for the good judgment OF its
citizens is a valuable asset. 1t makes
it easier 40 obtain capital for the
carrying out Of great projects by which
all are benefited. on the other hand.
when legislation such as is now pro-
posed is enacted. childish and ineffec-
tual as il mly b.. IT is regarded as an
oppression Of g foolish though an i'm
met!at5Iy harmless antagonism 10
railroad d,ve.ouw .nt Tic men who
have ia. money r.aiize that even fools
mas. and then stumble upon a means OF
accomplishing actual harm TO them.
Though The Twenty-fourth Legislature
had failed through its ignorance. Of
doing what il desired TO accomplish.
the Twenty-fifth or the Twenty-sixth
Legislature might be composed Of