Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-08-26
BRYANH|IS ROOSEVELT
Sees Opesing For Attack For
Presidents Proposal OF Cen
tralized Power
CALLS DEMOCRATS TO ARMS
Bryan Says At Last Secret is Out and
Roosevelt is Only Trying to Protect
Observation-Disclosures Leader Seeks
to Get His Forces in Line for Bat
tie. -.

Lincoln, Neb., Aug. 26.-W. j. Bry-
ans leading editorial In the next issue
Of the Commoner will be a reply to
President Rooseyelts recent speech at
Proyincetown, Mass.
1.-THE president, says Mr.. Bryan,
..has at last disclosed his scheme for
Capitalization at which he has hintea
in former speeches. In his Province
town, Mass, address he proposes the
national Incorporation of railroads and
other corporations engaged in inter-
state commerce.
1.-THE president says:
".Most large corporations do bust
ness that is not confined to any one
state, Experience has shown that the
effort to control these corporations by
mere action cannot produce whole
some results. In most cases such ef-
fort fails to correct the real abuses OF
which the corporation is or may pc
guilty, while in other cases the EFFORT
Ii apt to cause either hardship to the
corporation itself or else hardship to
ueighboring states which have nos
tried to grapple with the problem IN
the same manner; and, Of course, we
must be as scrupulous to safeguard
the rights Of the corporations as to
exact from them in return full meas
ure Of Justice to the public.
II .stI believe in national incorpora-
Ition law for corporations engaged In
Interstate business. believe further
more that the need for action Is most
pressing as regards those corporations
which. because they are common car
sriers. exercise quasi public function,
sand which can be completely con-
! trolled, in all respects, by the federal
I government, by the exercise of the
power conferred under the Interstate
commerce clause, and, II necessary,
under the post-road clause of the con-
etitution.
During the last few years we have
taken marked strides in advance along
the road OF proper regulation of these
railroad corporations, but we must not
! stop In the work. The national gov
eminent should exercise over them q
similar supervision and control to
I that which it exercises over national
banks. We can do this only by pro-
sceeding farther along the lines marked
out by the recent national legislation
Federal Protection for Roads.
IS "Here is the secret-it is out At
last! The states are annoying the
corporations and the corporations de-
mand federal protection from state
legislation The president thinks that
action is most pressing as regards
those corporations which, because they
public function The states have been
enacting 2-cent fare laws and laws re-
ducing freight rates, and the railroad
managers demand that they shall be
relieved from further fear of such leg
isiation. The presidents Hamiltonian
ideas make him an easy victim and he
Yields to the entreaties Of the rail-
roads.
T IF it was the public he sought to
protect he would recommend federal
remedies, which would not interfere
with state renedies-but it is the rail-
road, not the public, that demands the
removal of authority to Washington.
The democrats can be depended
upon to oppose with all their might
this movement toward Capitalization.
II any democrat waivers, his constitu-
ents should look into his business re-
slations and see whether he is under
obligations to the railroads. A Ham
iltonian republican, like the president,
may honestly think that the farther
the government is removed from the
people the better it will be, but a JEFF
fersonian democrat does not cherish
any such delusion. Even the Hamil-
tonian republicans ought to hesitate to
trust congress with any more power
while the United States senators are
elected by the legislatures.
Fortunate Object Lesson.
1t is fortunate that the people have
had an object, lesson so recently. The
federal laws stopped rebates and
passes, but the railroads make more
money than they did before. The
states, on the other hand, gave the
people reduction in rates, and those
who are receiving the benefit of these
reductions will be slow to surrender
the advantage thus far gained.
TT is very doubtful whether the
republican congressman from the west
will dare to support the presidents
proposition, but if an attempt is made
TO put such measure thru congress,
The democrats will stand a good chance
OF retiring every western republican
who votes for it. Let the democrats
present an unbroken front on this vi
tai proposition"