The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-08-20

Columbus, Ohio, Aug i19.-Secre-
tary Of War TAFT had an ovation to
night on the occasion of his address
before the Buckeye Republican club
and be spoke nearly two hours, dis
cnssiug very fully nearly all the i'm
portant questions which have been
before the people Of the country or
are likely to come before them Ia the
next campaign
He spoke Of the failure of the old
interstate commerce law Of 1887. in
that II did not authorize the commits,
sion te fix rates, hence the need of
the new rate bill recommended by
President Roosevelt. and passed con
grcss, which would prove effective.
Outraged public opinion, sal dhe, car
ried this bill through congress. He
thought the constitutional objection
to the bill made by railroads would be
without weight. He said the oppo
nents OF the new rate law were now
praising the Elkins law which they
formerly evaded because under It
violators could not be sent to the pen
itentiary, The chief prosecutions of
trusts, the Sugar trust, STANDARD Oil
company, and certain railway com.
paniaa. had been hrmlght nndcf the
Elkinslaw because the offenses fer
which they We're indicted were com.
mitted before the new rate law was
passed. The rate bill restored the
Jail penalty and therefore all the big
trusts opposed it, 1T is we'll known,
said the secretary, that the Elkins
bill was passed without opposition by,
and withsthe full consent of, the rail
roads and that the chief reason for
this was the elimination of the peni
tentiary for unjust determinations.
The abolition Of imprisonment, as
possible penalty, was unfortunate. Ex-
perients has shown that mere fine
is generally not enough to deter a
corporation from violation of the law
because 1t then becomes a matter Of
Nero business speculation. The inn
prisonment of two or three prominent
officers OF railway company, or a
trust. engaged in giving or receiving
secret rebates, would have greater
deterrent effect for the future than
millions in fine. In the rate bill.
congress amended the EllIins bill and
restored Imprisonment as part of the
punishment for secret rebates. Had
the rebating and dishonest practices
OF the railroad companies and the
trusts, been as clearly known to con
gress and tho public, when the FL
kins bill was considered, as they were
when the rate bill was passed, the
Elkins bill would not have passed so
smoothls;.
After referring to some OF the COOL
effects OF the rate bill, the attitude
of the country toward il, declaring
that Mr. Bryan erred in saying that
the court review feature was a Sc.
straint upon the commission. the sec
retary pointed out that amendments
were needed to make the bill more
effective, notably one relating to
classification. another to prevent over
capitalization. against the purchase oi
stock In competing lines and joint
directors and others. The law and
the proposed amendments were not
socialisti.
Objections to Government Ownership
am opposed to government owner
ship
First. because existing government
railways are not managed with either
the efficiency OF economy of privately
managed roads and the rates chargel
are not as low and therefore not as
beneficial to the public
Second. because it would involve
an expenditure OF certainly twelve
billion of dollars to acquire the inter
state railways and the creation of an
enormous national debt.
Third. because it would place IN the
hands Of a reckless executive pow
er of control over business aud pol
tics that the imagination can hardly
conceive. and would expose our popn
lar institutions to danger
The speaker favored railroad agree
ment II submitted to and approved ~
tn, commission. fiightful loss Of lifi
among euIployees-4.0en killed an
6 non injured in one yesr-calicd fo
stricteF government supervision III
ssu law made a uniform rule for ia