The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-07-15
AT THE HOTELS.

lnot be so stretched as 20 prohibit the
! Interstate shipment OF an article that
was harmless and a legitimate article OF
commerce in the State from which the
shipment originated" said Mr. K S.
Hawkins. OF the san Francisco bar, at
the shoreham.
In making this declaration the Penn
syIvania Senator spoke with his usual
good sense and regard for accuracy. He
no doubt had in mind such laws as that
regarding child labor proposed by Sena-
tor Beverage, but the principle applies
/ TO many others, and, especially. TO the
recently enacted pure-food statute. which
undertakes to prohibit the interstate
shipment Of an article which may be
misbranded according 10 the regulations
| Of the Department OF Agriculture, even
| though not misbranded under the laws
Of the State In which the article was
produced OF prepared FOR shipment
This is also recognition Of the State
rights doctrine. in respect to which. so
far as adulterated and misbranded ar
ticles OF food are concerned. the Supreme
Court OF the United States in the Plum
/ ley case held the authority OF the State
to be supreme"
In the days just preceding the break
ing out Of the civil war, a minister OF
Southern birth and education filed the
pulpit Of the leading church in an i'm
portant Pennsylvania town" said Judge
Alex. P. Humphrey, OF Louisville at the
New Willard.
This preacher was learned and elo-
1uent, and his popularity was greater
than that Of all the other local pastors
combined He was. moreover. a discreet
man. and though he was suspected Of
sympathy with the secession movement,
because Of his origin, nobody had ever
heard him express a single syllable in
regard to the question that was egitating
the public as no other question mas be-
fore or since. Some OF his most devoted
adherents even went so far as to say
he was surely q good Union man, but
then he had not SO declared. and clearly
he was the only proper authority in tie
matter
Finally, as the s-sue lew hotter and
hotter, and It looked certain as though
fratricidal strife we're coming, the pa
rishioneTs could no longer conceal their
keen desire TO know how the good man
stood. and a committee was appointed 10
wait upon him and find out The task
was a delicate one, and now TO go about
il was a puzzle. The committeeman, after
going to the preachers house, wished
themselves well out OF the job, but they
could not back out and one Of their
number was deputized 10 act as spOkes-
man. After being kindly received. the
committee was asked into the parIor and
for moment an awkward silence ensued-
Then the leader. after some preliminary
beating about the bush which elected no
information. said: Brother Jones. there's
lots Of talk in the community about this
secession business. and we've come TO
confer with you about IT, Wed Ike 70
know when people ask US whether you
are for the Union or secession-what
TO tell themP
a pleasant light shone in the min
ister's eye. and his face wore a broad
smile
What shall you tell them? Why, my
dear friends, just tell them that you
don't know" "
Il think one reason that San Francisco
has had such a miserable political ex-
perience of late years, Is that so great a
proportion Of its influential men live out
side the corporation limits. % remarked Mr..
J. R. oFallon. Of that city, at the
Raleigh.
Very many solid and high-class men
who go to san Francisco daily TO look
after their business only stay there dur
ing business hours. Many of them have
their homes across the bay, in Oakland
Berkeley, or Alameda, and still others
live as far out as San Jose, fifty miles 10
the south. These men have taken no con-
Germ in public affairs, for a large proper
ton OF them do not have a vote in the
city. On the other hand, the element that
has dominated in the municipal govern
ment knows no outside connection, and
is on the spot every day in the year. This
Is the element that has furnished the
votes 70 put boodlers in power. to the
everlasting shame Of San Franchises best
inhabitants
The position taken by United States
Judge Phillips. Of the Western district
Of Missouri, with regard to the new rail-
road rate law in Missouri. would seem
TO be just and reasonable. and one which
may presage the treatment Of the Fed
eral law on the same subject" said Mr.
r. F. Gray. Of Chicago, at the Arlington
Hotel last evening.
The railroads in Missouri attempted 20
eljoin the enforcement Of the 2-cent-rate
law by the Missouri Railroad and Ware
house Commissioners. and Judge Phillips
held that its validity depended upon its
reasonableness, and that as there was no
evidence before the court from which il
could draw any conclusion, he directed s
trial OF the rate by the railroads with
directions TO report TO the court at the
end OF certain time Attorney General
Hadley, OF Missouri. then made the point
that in order 10 give the rate a fair trial
the railroads should not, during the trial,
issue any passes or honor any passes or
free transportation Of any kind. or make
excursion rates at any lower figures.
THE experience of the railroads so far
indicates that the reduction will hardly
be made up by cutting of free transpor-
taion, and that It may seriously impair
the ability OF the roads 10 keep up the
necessary repairs and equipments. In this
respect the railroads In the East are no
Just criterion. for there the country Is
more thickly populated, the roads are
already double-tracked, or better, and
there is not the necessity for the use OF
capital in Improvements.
What the people really want is not
cheaper rates, but better service, and 1t is
false economy, from the public stand
point, 10 cripple the roads 50 that they
cannot make the necessary repairs TO
nj T
suggested that gripping the roads so as
TO force them in the hands Of receivers
is only a part Of the movement toward
government ownership, but this is too
monstrous TO be believed"
Serious Responsibility.