Rocky Ford enterprise., 1907-06-07

nrst giving TO the government ths
power Of supervision sad cOplJo
which ] have advocated above. the Law
should be amended SO that railroads
may be permitted and encouraged le
make tfaffic agreements when yhesf
are in the interest Of the general public
as well AZ VI the railroad corporation,
making them. These agreements
should. OF course. be made public IN
the minutsst detail. and should be sub
leet Ia securing the previous assent o.
the Interstate Commerce. Commission
The movement To regulate railways
BY law has come To stay. The people
OF this country have made up their
ihihds-ahd wisely made up theii
inihds-to exercise . closer eontfS
over all kinds OF ;,ubiie-ssryiee eorpor
aiions. Including railways. Every hon
ss,ly managed railway will gain aud
not lose by this policy,
The men more anxious to mAnipu
late stocks than TO make the manage
ment Of their roads effieient and hon
eat are the only ones who have cause
TO oppose II.
We who believe In steady and
healthy progress stand unaltsrabiy foi
the new era Of thy widest publicity
and of fair dealing on III. part Of rail
roads with stockholders. passengers
and shippers We ask the consent oi
no man Ia carrying out this policy. hui
Ne gladly welcome a. aid OF even
man In perfeetins the Law in It's details
and In securing its enactment and thJ
faithful observance Of its Wise proyis
ions. We seek nothing revolutionary
W. ask for such laws as in their es
s.nce no~ obtain In the staid old com
mor~ealth of Massachusetts: such
laws as now obtain In England. ThS
purpose OF those of us who so rcso
lnt-ly believe In the rev policy. In its
thorough carrying out and In its pro
srcssi,e development. is In no sense
punitive or yindictiyc. We would bs
the nrst To prot.s, against any form
OF eonnseation Of property. and
whether ~e protested or not. may ade
that the Supreme Court can be trusted
In any event To sec that there should be
nothing done under the ruisc Of tcs,i.
latins roads 10 destroy property with
out just compensation or without due
process Of Law.
AS matter of course. We shall pun
lrh any criminal whom wo can convict
under tho Law. hut we hat. no inicn
iion of consoundins the innocent
many aud the guilty few by any III
judged and sweeping scheme OF ven
srnncc. Our aim Is primarily To pre-
vent these abuses In the future. whcr
ever evil dorr~ can be. they shall be-
brought to Justice. and no criminal
high or low. whom we can reach will
receive Immunity. hut the rights oi
E,,, l... - a -.
ardixcd by legislation or executive nc
ton: We sanction no legislation which
would fall heavily on them. instead oi
on the original wronsdocrs or bcncflci
aries Of the wrong.
"There must be no such rigid laws
ss will prevent the development Of the
country. and such development car
only be had " Investors are offered an
ample reward for the risk they take"
The experience Of the past winter
proves how great is our dependence on
the railroads and how serious the rc>
sponsibility Of those who undertake 10
care for tho public In the matter oi
transportation. ! believe that there Il
su!ficicnt ingenuity and executive gen.
iua In the operating officials of the
roads greatly TO diminish the troubles
complained Of
-'The most effective way to lessen
demands for unreasonable legislation
Ia for the railroads acting individually
and collectively to remedy as many ~
possible Of the abuses and sherteom.
inss for which there are remedies, and
for which remedial laws are demanded
by the shipping public.
"Thc admirable national LEGISLATION
of recent years. In taking away from
the railroads the power of giving lille.
gal favor. has taken away from them
one OF the illegitimatc methods by
which they used to protect themselves
from improper attack: and II Is there.
fore necessary that upright public ser.
wants should be rs vigilant to protect
them against harm as to prevent them
from doing harm.
what we have TO demand in our.
selves and in our public servants is
honesty-honesty TO all men: and II
we condone dishonesty because we
think It is exercised in the interests Of
the people. we may rest assured that
the man thus showing 1t lacks only the
opportunity to exercise Il against tho
interests Of the people. The man who
on occasion will corruptly do what is
wrong in the interest OF n big corpora.
tion Is tne very man euEeF 10 o'ack'
mail that corporation as the opportun-
ity arises.
"The man who Is on occasion cor.
ruptionist. is apt. when the gust Of
popular feeling blows hard against the
corporations he has corruptly served.
to be the loudest. most reckless and
most violent among those who de-
nounce them. Hunt such man out OF
public life. Hunt him out as remorse-
lessly II he is a blackmailer as II he
stands corruptly for special privilege.
Demand honesty-absolute. un-
flinching honesty-together with cour-
age and common sense. in public SER
want and in business man alike.
LET the man Of great wealth remem.
ber that, while using and enjoying It,
he must nevertheless feel that he is In