The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-11-30

scsptieses rom PAGE oos1
wings Of legislative Performance OF
tile dim future. But as topics OF dis.
%cassion, they Til not down and when
the next Republican National eonyen;
ton meets to adopt platform declare;
Etions: they viii be embodied in the
main In the affirmation OF party doc.
%trines. by which the dominant party
OF the republic expects to stand or
fait.. TO a degree, the next Presidential
message may be confidently forecast.
ed. Because Of the unsettled fnan.
cial situation through which the coun-
try Is passing, the currency question
is Unexpectedly uppermost In the pub
lie mind. and President Roosevelt's ref.
erences to 1t will receive the prayer.
fdl consideration of Congress. 1t has
been a yexing topic for many years,
but never more yexing than at present.
and Just as difficult, Il not impossible.
Of solution. II President Roosevelt
has discovered a remedy, he has. as
yet. taken no one Into his confidence.
In fact. n definite recommendation.
is expected, and IL there were a den.
mite recommendation. Its problemati.
cal to what extent 1t would appeal to
congress. unless supported by the
practically unanimous demand of the
people, from whom. at the time. such
u demand Is out of the question. Con.
sress is infested with a choice collec.
Ion of currency cooks. who have ever
succeeded IN spelling the broth. There
are too many conflicting opinions to
Justify beating hopes. The experts
don't agree. and those who are not
experts think they are, which is Just
as bad. and are ready to propose chin.
erical cure.alls and nostrums.
Tariff discussion also will be precipf-
tated-prematureIy precipitated, In
the opinion OF some-by the Presi-
dents recommendation In this partici-
lar before congress, In order that the
arrogance OF the Paper trust may be
checked, President Roosevelt doesn't
intend to put HIS Recommendation in
this particular before Congress MS a
tariff revision suggestion; he sees In
It. father. a measure looking to the
preservation OF our forest resources.
now being denuded in order that the
public may be constantly advised of
the progress of events.
Then comes the railroad question,
and the question OF further regulating
the great corporations which depend
upon the expansion OF Interstate anil
foreign commerce for their profits
and the enlistment OF their promoters.
President Roosevelt wants a further
Strengthening OF the Hepburn railroad
act, u q%uickening OF the powers OF
the Interstate Commerce commission.
The Federal incorporation Of compa.
niles engaged in commerce between
the States viii be outlined In his me
sage. and there is an intimatlon that
he goes even farther than that, argu-
ing that the right to revoke a license
Is q concomitant of the right to grant
one. The desire to bring about q val.
uation OF the physical properties OF
railroads has not been abandoned;
nor is Mr.. Roosevelt less insistent
upon the supervision OF issues Of cap
ftaifzatiou operating public utilities.
designed to safeguard the interests OF
investors. He stands for a more ef.
ficlent control Of vast corporate for
tunes that enter into Interstate com.
mercc, for the creation of authority
to properly combine railroads under
the supervision of the Interstate Com.
mercc commission, for a Federal on.
troll over railroads similar to that
which is nov exercised over national
banks.
He wants a statute providing I'm.
%prisonment for those who offend
against the antitrust and the inter.
state commerce laws. and desires to
prevent DISQUALIFICATION by prohib-
iilng railroad speculation. and per.
hitting railroads to apply their capital
only to the legitimate purposes Of the
transportation business. He has in
Itimated that It might be we'll to ap-
ply Federal regulation even to those
railroads whose business is strictly
Interstate, finding authority for such
action in the constitutional clause that
gives the Government the right to es.
tablish postroads. and inferentially.
properly to maintain them. Traffic
agreeemnts between and among rail-.
roads seem desirable to him, when
made under Federal scrutiny and with
Federal assent, and laws that stand
In the way will be met with recon-.
m%endations Of repeal or modification.
Railroad attorneys who appear before
the national Legislature on matters
of nuhltc concorp n, MT orouso tha