The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-06-01
nAIrINa rHr RA1nRoApS.

morial Day address was his recom- mendation that all interstate railroad companies take out federal papers of incorporation. In all other respects he stood pat, asserting that all that had been done legislatiyely was well done and that in fact the administration could do no wrong, and the railroad managers, who are daily becoming more law-abiding citizens, are realizing it more and more. In way it. IS a pity that this well thought out scheme for batting the railroads should be criti- cised by that other indefatigable batter of them,. MT. Bryan, who still holds President Roosevelt responsible for running off with his remedies of re- form.
 MT. Bryan was guest of the James town Exposition company Wednesday, when the anniversary of the opposition of the Virginia House of Burgesses to the notorious stamp act was celebrat- cd. A great grandson of the immortal Patrick Henry attended to that part of the program, while MT. Bryan di- rected his attention to the railroad question. His attitude was a bit criti- cal. It was scarcely justified by a care full study of the facts He said What is the effect of our new rate law which was so hard to get? There are two eff fleets so far, One Is, it stopped rebates. That is good but what was the pecun- iary effect? Why, the railroads kept the money they paid to the favored ship pers, that Is, the railroads got more money out of this, What was the oth- CT effect? It gave to the railroads the money that the fellows used to save that rode on passes. So far we have in- creased the revenues of the roads and that is all that law has done thus far; and when the various States said, Well, now, we have given you this ad- vantage by stopping rebates. and passes, we will reduce passenger rates and make you divide with the people, and in some States they have reduced the passenger rates, the railroads in some cases are so ungrateful for what has been given them that they go into court to try to keep the people from having the benefit of the two-cent rate law. When I find q man who Is con- stantly talking against government ownership of railroads, believe he is doing it from his own interests
 One is forced to admit the difficulty of President Roosevelt keeping up with MT. Bryan in his act of batting the railroads, and the like difficulty which confronts Mir Bryan every day he lives in racing as fast as the Pres ident docs, but this picturesque com petition need not necessarily blind the eyes of the public to the actual sltua- 1 ton. Is it fair to state that the bene- 1 its which have flowed from the reform !, railroad legislation which has been en- acted are wholly enjoyed by the rail- roads? Let us take Mir. Bryan at his word and admit that the abollshment of rebates has left in tho treasuries of the companies the moneys which would otherwise have gone to the ship pers; let 1t also be admitted that the elimination of free passes has increas- ed their revenues, Is that the end and all of the good accomplished? II would occur to the ordinary student of the problem, that the taking of extra ordinary privileges, in the shape of re- bates, from the favored shippers and placing all shippers upon the same bas- is deprived tho commercial giant of the opportunity to use his giants power | like a giant This Is what the smaller shipper has complained of, who has In consequence seen his business taken from him and his independence de- l stroyed If there is any virtue In equal | ity before the law, that must be pub lie gain. So in the case of free pass | es, given to those who are in posi- tion to pull railroad chestnuts out of the fire. While their withdrawal has compelled the holders of free passes to thereafter pay their fares. the revenue the railroads have secured as a result Is as nothing compared with the ad- vantage enjoyed by the public in being relieved of the burdens put upon them by these corrupted agents. The rebate and the free pass were enemies of the lpublic welfare. If that is true, then their destruction as demorallzina forces must be counted public beno- fit.
 The trouble with the self imposed task of batting the railroads is that it precludes the possibility of ap. I preaching the problem involved in g dlspasslonate spirit of inquiry, There Is not necessarily connection between
 the elimination of these evil practices and the attitude of certain legislatures in undertaking 10 formulate the rates
 railroad may charge, Nor does i follow that because man accepts tht
 theory of government ownership re