The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1907-06-06

Thinks They Should Help Dc.
fend:thesPrinciple Of State
Control Over Railroads.

st. Paul, Mimi, June 5.-Othe%
states ma get together with Minnesota
to defend the principle OF state control
over railroads. This Is the idea OF AT
torney General r.. q. Young In
ton with the Injunction suits TO bas
argued soon before Judge Lochren In
the federal court. The railroad stock-
holders who appear as complainants are
trying to enjofn the enforcement o3
state laws regulating freight and pas
senger rates OF the plea that the sole
power to regulate rests In
the national government. Minnesota
Is the state attacked, but nearly every
state in the union has laws regulating
common carriers n most OF them
have rate laws. The Minnesota case
is just Is important in Its outcome I'd
other states as 1t is to Minnesota. On
h decision in this case all state lawi
controlling common carriers will havs
to stand or fall.
Will Invite Sister States.
Mr.. Young's thought is that other
states ma consider the issue serioua
enough to make it worth while tt give
Minnesota some help. They would
hardly volunteer assistance, though
anu TO pave the way for such an offef
he favors an understanding With this
attorney generals of the states. giving
them an opportunity to join in defend
st.6 LAY AiiJhilSlAOA SuAt. IL CACl dA
offer is made n accepted 1T will
make h hearings in st. Paul notable
for the array of prominent counsel on
both sides OF the table.
Attorney General Young made thu
following statement:
In the suits Just commenced thu
issue is ~squarely raised as to the
power Of the states to regulate theiI
domestic or fix railroad
rates for either passenger or freight
even on business beginning and ending
within the state.
1T is claimed that the fixing of such
rates by a state necessarily affects the
rates on Interstate commerce
1t is pointed u in the complaints
that II the several adjacent states
through which the roads doing BUSH
ness in Minnesota carry o N their inter-
state business adopted h sames rates
as minnesota the rates thereafter on
Interstate business could not be greater
thar the sum of the local rates from
the point where the business originated
TO the state line, and from there to
the point of termination, and that
therefore interstate rates, which are
exclusively within the jurisdiction of
congress are affected, and, as a conse-
quence, state regulation must be aban-
doned.
Issue Of Vital Importance.
consider the argument unsound
ana revolutionary in the domain of rail-
road regulation, and 1t is of the most
vital Importance to all other states as
well as Minnesota.
This would be especially true as to
the states that have passed a 2-cent
fare law where 1t has not yet gone into
effect. / am considering a plan to take
the matter up with the attorney gem
erals OF Iowa, Illinois, Indiana. New
York and other states where state laws
regulating rates nave been passed and
invite their cooperation.
Asked about an extra session Mr..
Young said it could not be of n helm
in settling the legal questions and ha
was ready to meet the issue.
AT Madison, Mimi, a mass meeting
was held at which a resolution was
adopted calling on Governor johnson ia
convene the Legislature in extraordi.
nary session. Many letters urging q
special session are being received bv
the governor. Most Of them express
indignation at the suits and talk of re.
taliation. Railroad Commissioner G. r,
staples favors a special session strong.
~. There are several things the legis.
lature could do IL it went into session
now MI. Staples said. The Rockney
Dill regulating stock and bond issues
was mentioned, and Mr.. Staples said
that was n possibility. Every mem.
Der Of the legislature ought to BACK up
the attorney general now" he said.
and urge him to incur any needed ex.
penSe to fight these cases