Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-09-03

rafnly not an easy problem to solve.
All reasonable men will confess that
1t is complex. To deal effectively with
this transportation question all the
Information possible should be had
There is little danger Of getting too
muchs light on this subject, but a
great deal of danger Of not getting
enough. 1t is agreed by all, except
railroad managers themselves, that
these great arteries of commerce
should be strictly regulated by law,
the primary purpose of which is the
protection of the public against the
brutal purpose that 'Sthe public be
damned. The power to fix rates,
from time to time, it is conceded
must be lodged somewhere else than
in the traffic managers. Therefore, for
either the interstate commerce com
mission or other similar body to fix
rates just to the public and not unjust
to the railroad companies, certainly
requires some definite knowledge as
to the values of these roads. 1t seems
to me there can be nothing more nat
ural than the desire to obtain this
knowledge and nothing more irration.
al than to proceed to fix rates in a
| hap-hazard ignorant way. AS we'll try
to navigate ship without compass.
Gov. Cummins states that from the
best source of information available
the estimated aggregate capitalization
of the roads Is sixteen billions of dol
lars. Again he states that nine bill
lions is the true value while the re-
naming seven billions Is fictitious
is water Now why not empower a
competent board to ascertain as near
ly as possible the physical value of
this immense property SO that in the
fixing of rates the blunder of making
an unjust one may be avoided? If the
| railroads are not overcapitalized. then
the rates should be so adjusted as to
yield an annual revenue that would
| pay operating expenses, maintain the
properties IN good condition and pay
reasonable dividends on stocks and a
fair rate of interest on bonds But if
almost fifty per cent of this sixteen
billions has no existence, is water,
then the actual value only, the nine
billions should govern in the fixing Of
rates. II railroads. are permitted to
earn reasonable returns upon the &C.
tual value OF their property no one Is
hurt, no one has right to complain,
but If dividends and interest is to be
earned upon seven billions of water
then to that extent the public is rob-
bed.
Weak Spots In Our Political System.
Many voters throughout the state
will no doubt remember that I have
called frequent attention to what has
always appeared to me to be weak
spot in our system of government. l
have always pleaded for an enlarge
ment of the elective as contradistin-
guished from the appointive principle.
! My faith In the ability Of the people
4 to elect their public functionaries is
stronger than 1t is in the appolntive
] power. To enlarge the elective and
restrict the appointive principle is
4 certainly In harmony with the basic
principle Of popular government. To
strengthen the primary power of the
/ people to take care of themselves and
!, their own public business, and in a
corresponding degree, diminish the
| power Of the government to appoint
agents over them for this purpose
| would, in my Judgment, be reforma-
tory measure SO far reaching and so
entirely beneficial as to be entitled to
the earnert support Of every good
citizen. While evidently 1t would be
| impracticable to elect every govern
ment clerk and many other subordi-
nate officers, yet, l would like to know
| why the people should be denied the
right and opportunity to elect their
own postmasters? Are not the people
of each locality better qualified to
know who should handle their mail
than the appointive power at Wash
ington, acting solely upon the advise
Of an individual congressman who
utilizes the postmaster as a cog in a
wheel In machine that is operated
to promote the reelection Of said con-
gresham? The competency of the
| people of the states to elect the state
Judiciary being conceded, has any
| good reason ever been advanced why
they should be constitutionally depriv-
ed Of a like power to elect United
States Judges? Do not all these
Judges, whether state or federal per-
form similar functions? The misuse
of the power to appoint United States
Judges is SO notorious that public con-
adence in the integrity of the federal
bench Is being rapidly destroyed Cor
poratfons have been so active and so
successful in getting SO many Of their
| own lawyers upon the bench that the
| whole business is becoming scandal
lied. When corporation lawyer gets
on the bench through corporation in
fuence, he is apt to become a corpor-
alton judge. His devotion to his
former clients and benefactors does
not cease when he takes the oath
OF Office. The public interest seems to
become secondary consideration, the
| promotion Of corporate interests be-
ing the controlling factor in the hand
Ing down Of judicial decisions.
The Danger Of Federal Usurpaton.
While democrats rejoice in Presi-
dent Roosevelt's activity in the cause
of reform, while we have cheered him
on in his crusade against the law
breakers and have supported him in
his noble work with the same degree
of devotion and loyalty that we would
have given democratic president,
yet 1t pains us deeply that under his
administration, the federal judiciary
has been encouraged to invade and
| nullify the power of State Govern
| menfS tn thar Doop1o