Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1907-08-01
NATIONAL CAPITAL THE CITY COUNCIL {
NEWSY GOSSIP FROM NATIONAL
CENTER.
North Carolina Railroad Rates At
tracing Attention. An Issue Be-
tween State and Federal authority
Involved. pOt-Hunfing Federal
Officials Given Their Medicine.

Especial correspondence to the HERALD.
WAsnINGroN, d. c., July 27.-The
political event of the week has been
the legal fight in North Carolina by
the railroads against the state law reduc-
ing passenger rate to pa cents a mile
The railroads evaded the law by charg
ing the former full rates, but attached
coupon to the tickets which promised to
repay the overcharge il the courts decid-
ed against it on the ground of unconsti-
tutionalty. Judge Prtchard, Of the
United States Circuit Court, had decided
that the state law, under which the rail-
road employees had been imprisoned by
tue state court, was unconstitutional and
void, and the prisoners were discharged
under habeas corpus proceedings. The
case has been appealed by the state
authorities and will go to the United
States Supreme Court for final decision.
In bis decision Judge Pritchard declared
that:
the statute of the state, any attempt to
punish the company or its agents for the
observance OF the order and decree Of
this court, would be in utter disregard of
the comfy which should exist between
the state and federal courts, as well as
an absolute nullity."
tnto ,,ek oIo hn
Southern railroad $50, 900 and execution
has been ordered issued and no doubt
will be resisted. Thus the question of
State Rights and Home Rule is made
the chief question and must be decided
before the real issue of whether the rate
reduction is reasonable or confiscatory
can be settled. 1t is to be noted that
Judge Pritchard is late appointee Of
President Roosevelt, and was notorious
ly in favorable to the railroads before he
was appointed and from his actions
would appear to be still of that mind.
This would indicate that President Roose-
welt, although desiring to appear as a
railroad regulator is actually opposed to
the states protecting their citizens from
unreasonable railroad rates, Or he would
not have appointed a friend of the rail-
roads to the important position OF a
judge. This matter may take on even
more importance for other arrests for
overcharses III other parts OF the state
are certain to follow, and Governor Glenn
i said TO he determined TO uphold the
rights OF the state with all the force at
mis- command.
The pot-hunting federal oiiice-holders
here are gleefuly inquiring OF democrats
how they stand on government owner
ship OF railroads now Mr.. Bryan has
relegated that issue to the rear as a
paramount one. The republicans are
taunting the democrats with the declara-
ton that if Mr.. Bryan is nominated they
will see that government ownership is
thoroughly discussed upon the stump in
all the close states and districts and that
the democrats will have to defend it or
backwater. But our republican friends
should not get too gay, for issues are
born, not made. While many democrats
much regret that Mr.. Bryan was led to
make government ownership prominent
they feel that tariff protection to the
trusts and the curbing cf predatory cor
porations and Home Rule through the
reserved rights of the states, will far out
shadow other and lesser issues.
ROBERT MILLER.