The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1908-03-28
THE IDAHO SCIMITAR.


roads-Illinos inserted such provision in her con-
stitution of 1870.
The Granger cases. as they called, established
the right of the States to regulate the railroads SO
far local rates and local operation concerned
The movement in favor of railroad regulation did
not spend its force until in 1887 it secured the enact
ment of Federal statute establishing an interstate
commerce commission, and comforting upon it GER
tain powers Then followed nine years of litigation,
during which the railroads contesting each
point, they had contested each point in the States
and at the end of the time the interstate commerce
act weakened by judicial construction and
Interpretation to be of little practical value. The
next ten years spent in effort to amend
the act and enlarge the scope of the interstate COM
MERGE commission, but the railroad lobby at Wash
ington powerful that all attempts at legis-
lation were blocked. individuals and cities COM
planned of determinations and rates
planned of, but the railroads used their absolute
power to prevent legislative relief.
They even went so far as to secure the passage
of bill repeating the criminal provision of the in
terstate commerce act. This is known the FL
kins act. AS it necessary to have some plaus-
1ble excuse the bill introduced anti
rebate bill, but the repeating clause its most
important feature. Some of the railroads were be-
ing compelled by the trusts to give rebates, and it
was known at the time that several of the large
railway systems were back of the bill Secretary
Taft has recently referred to the Elkns act as
act which satisfactory to the railroads.
During the eighties and nnetes there were at
temps at rate reduction in several States but these
measures were all opposed by the railroads, and
WneI enacted were nearly all suspended by the Fed
eral courts. In Nebraska maximum rate law
was enacted in 1891; the vote was close in the
Legislature, and the railroads, in the hope of de-
teatng the measure, took one member out of the
State on special train and he has never returned
In spite OF this bold attempt to control the Legis-
lature the bill passed, and promptly held up
by the Federal court. The case reached the United
States Supreme Court in the course of few years.
and was argued in the spring of 1897 The decision
which rendered after considerable deliberations
sustained the injunction, but left the way open for
modification of the decree if conditions changed
Unfortunately the opinion laid down no rule for the
determination of a reasonable rate and State Leg
lslatures and State commissions still guessing
what the position of the court will he on each new
attempt at regulation.
From 1898 to 1898 the money question over
Swallowed other issues, and for several years after
1898 the questions of imperialism occupied the first
place, but during both periods there strong
demand among the people for railroad egislaton
although corporate influence at the National CAPT.
tai kept this demand from finding expression in
laws. The Democratic National platform of 1896
contained the following plank:
The absorption of wealth by the few the con-
3ohdation of our leading railway systems and the
formation OF trusts and pools require strcter con-
rol by the Federal Government of those arteries of
We demand the enlargement of the
powers OF the interstate commerce commission and
such restriction and guarantees in the control of
md oppression"
In 1900 the platform repeated its demand for the
management OF the interstate commerce law and
MS denand was again repeated in the Democratic
National platform of 1904. The Republican plat
orms were strangely silent upon the subject and
is now known that the railroads showed their
PPreclatIon OF that partys silence by liberal con-
rlbut1ons and by the furnishing of passes.
Notwithstanding the fact that the Republican Ma
onal platform OF 1904 Studiously avoided the rail-
Dad question, President Roosevelt embodied in his
nnual message, sent to Congress the following
december recommendation in favor of additional
equation The country was startled the Demo
rats were delighted, the Republican leaders were
revoked, and the railway magnates were highly
TENDED: The President called attention to the fact