The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-08-17

luHJ ldCls ne ullSul bc utSCllD III
a phrase as a small bundle of contra
dictions, nervousness and brains
The States and the Railroads.
After all, these southern advocates
Of state rights have much logic and
many facts TO support their conten-
ton Within ninety days more has
been done by states north and south
to relieve the people from railroad az
gressions than has been accomplished
by the federal government since the
interstate commerce commission wus
created Let me quote from memory,
as one would in casual conversation
OF course the latest state triumph
over a railroad is that scored by Gov
ernOr Glenn of North Carolina when
he compelled the Southern railroad to
recede from its position Of denying
the authority of the state and the state
courts and To accept the rate Of fare.
fixed ut 2li cents per mile, until the
United States supreme court should
pass upon its justice That was
stroke for a Democratic governor In
the south. Yet, not many weeks be
fore, the legislature of Illinois passed
a law fixing the rate of fare IN that
state at cents mile. The railroads
protested ard threatened litigation
Governor Deneen with admirable tact
persuaded them to make q test of the
rate for a number Of months, with the
understanding that at the expiration
Of that time, IL they believed it was
Contiscatory, they could go into court
to have 1t set aside ON that ground
That, 1t seems to me- was an equally
clever stroke by Republican govern.
or ia n northern state.
Looking over the recent history of
railroad regulation, we iind the inter
state commerce commission interesting
itself with recommendations for the
regulation of freight rates, most of
which have not been given effect. We
find congress and the administration
highly successful in cutting of passes
and in other ways contributing to the
advantage of the railroads, but the
states have taken up the issue which is
Of the greatest interest to the greatest
number Of people-namcly, passenger
rates-and have brought their reduC-
ton.
The Future Of Foraker.
Senator Joseph Il. Foraker Is almost
siXty-two years old. He has been IN
public life since 1879. His public ca
reer has always been stormy. He
seems to thrive on political warfare
But today he is facing what may be
the vital fight for his political life. 1t
is fair 10 say for Foraker that his
lighting has always been open and
abOycbOard and, moreover, that his
voting and his work in the senate
have been equally In the open. II was
II plucky thing for him, alone among
the Republicans, TO stand out against
the rate law so strenuously urged by
President Roosevelt. In city where
Calumny Is always active you will hear
that lie did It at the behest of his rail
road clients. The charge Is arrant
nonsense. There We're plenty of rail.
road attorneys who voted for the bill,
and one solitary vote against il would
not have been worth the while Of any
railroad to secure at the cost Of weak,
enlng the political standing of It's at
torney. But 1t helped to beat Mr.. For.
aker In Ohio when the contest over
the Endorsement of Secretary Taft was
ON Il short time ago Yet people who
know him and who know his fighting
qualities wonder whether, beaten In
the sklrmish, he may not win in the
battle. He himself shows no great
,sf ~ tYsat In "a
state committee controlled by federal
ofiiceholders to the people, and shrewd
observers are inclined to believe that
he will be able either to split the Ohio
delegation or else 10 make 80 great an
outcry against federal Intervention In
Ohio affairs that n national convention
will be very slow To accept an Ohio
nominee.
Ohio has often brought Il fight iuto
the national councils of the Republican
party, and every time the fight was
thus brought Ohio lost its fayorite
son. 1t was so with Salmon +. Chase.
1t was 50 with John Sherman IN three
conventions, aud il may yet be so with
Secretary Taft.
The HapIess Hartman.
After all, one must feel some sym
pathy for t. Ii. Hartman. He Is
the latest target for the American
press ana the American politician, He
Is the present prototype OF Jay Gould,
Pierpout Morgan and John ID. Rocke-
feller, all of whom haze apparently
become immune either by death or
a..