Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1907-09-26

The Fourteenth Amendment had
rather a hard time getting itself rat
flied. After its adoption by Congress
in 1866, more than two years elapsed
before the approval of three -fourths
of the States was secured. Ohio and
New Jersey each ratified it, but q
later legislature having a different
party majority, sought to nullify the
previous ratification by recalling it.
Several Southern States rejected it
and later under the pressure of the
reconstruction legislation, changed
about and ratified it. Finally Con-
gress declared that three-fourths of
the States had ratified the amend
ment, and that it was now part Of
the Constitution, and the Secretary
of State issued proclamation in
accordance with that resolution.
For thirtynine years the Four
teenth Amendment has been recog-
nized as part of the Constitution.
The Supreme court has passed upon
its provisions again and again, and
while refusing to give them the
wide Interpretation asked for in
me instances, has treated the
amendment as part of the supreme
law of the land. The State of GeOr-
gia is little late i'm questioning the
validity of its ratification.
The Pennsylvania Railroad COM
pany has taken broad and ar-sight-
ed course in accepting the 2-cents.a-
mile passenger fare act until it is
passed upon by the court of last
resort.
Aside from the legal inconven-
fences of such a step, with a decision
in it's favor only authoritative in
this jurisdiction, contentious oppo-
sition to statute law, such as some
roads have adopted ON this issue, is
no policy for great corporation to
follow. Such corporation is a Great
ure of law. Its whole safety ana all
its values rest on obedience to law.
1t would lose and risk infinitely
more than it would gain by any more
resistance to a statute which affected
the property interests committed to
its officers and directors than Is need
ed to insure the validity of the law
under the FedeIafand State Consti
tutions. The public under the poll
cy of the Pennsylvania, will receive
the benefit of the reduction in fares
rs soon as the law goes into effect
under its provisions. If the law
proves unconstitutional the .loss .is
small, as the average passenger fare
on the Pennsylvania now is below .
cents mile. If the law is held con-
stitutional, as has a. like law in Ohio,
where the expense of carrying on
the business of the Pennsylvania is
no higher than in this State, the
railroad has avoided the risk of SER
ious penalties. Philadelphia Press
Arrangements have been com
pleted for the consolidation of the
Bell telephone company of Philadel-
phia, the Pennsylvania telephone
company and the Chesapeake and
Potomac telephone company, now
operating in Southern New Jersey,
Eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware,
Maryland, District of Columbia,
Northern Virginia and West Vir-
ginia. The companies now operat-
ing 100000 telephones, are in nc
sense competitive, as they do not OPP
crate anywhere over parallel or com.
peting lines. The object of the con-
solidation is to secure greater econo.
my and efficiency in administration
and operation and greater efficiency
i'm future extensions and enlarge
ments. The issue capital of the com
bined companies upon the compile
ton of the transaction will be less
than the aggregate capital stock,
Including the debt of the several
present companies.
The shareholders of the Philadela-
delphia company and the Pennsyl.
vania company respectively will re.
ceive an equal amount of new stock
for old stock surrendered. The div.
idend rate in each of these compan-
les is per cent. The shareholder.
of the Chesapeake and Potomac com
nanny will rcn.aiyQ twO SharaS al