The Marshall republican., 1908-09-25

suited in a saving to the people Of Mis-
for passenger service. Or, in other
words, 1t has enabled the people to travel
a smaller cost.
THE REGULATION OF FREIGHT
RATES.
The CONCLUSION that I have reached as
a result OF this litigation over freight
rates Is that the fixing OF a schedule of
such rates ought not to be undertaken
by q legislature; such work cannot be
successfully accomplished by sue a body
In the haste, confusion and inaccuracy
which usually attend the deliberations OF
a state Legislature. Such work should
be undertaken and accomplished by an
intelligent commission composed Of men
who by training and study are competent
to deal with this question.
During the progress Of this litigation a
chance was offered through the Initiative
of Judge o. NJ. Spencer, one OF the at
torneys of the Burlington Railroad, TO ac-
complish what l regarded as n satisfac-
tory compromise OF this litigation. He
which would have necessitated that the
other roads do likewise. all of the rates
fixed by the acts Of 1906, with the excep-
ton OF the live stock schedule, and In
that instance he offered to establish a
rate as low as that existing In any con-
tiguous state. Mr.. Frank Wightman. one
of the Railroad Commissioners. and a CO.
defendant with nae, agreed with me hat
this would be a satisfactory compromise,
and Governor Folk was also disposed to
favor 1t. But through the opposition OF
the democratic members Of the Board OF
Railroad and Warehouse Commissioners,
and particularly that Of John A. Knott,
this compromise was rendered impossi-
BILE, and the litigation still continues.
THE DIscoNTINUANcE OF PASSES.
Another instance in which I feel that
! have accomplished a result without litI-
CATION which is of value and Importance
to the people OF Missouri, is by securing
a discontinpance of the issuance Of rail-
road passes. Since 1875 the laws Of his
state ave made IL a misdemeanor for a
railroad company to give or a public Of
iclal to receive railroad passes. There
has. however, been no law prohibiting a
railroad company from giving free passes
to n person other than a public official.
Although the Constitution and laws Of
the State prohibit all determinations in
railroad charges. the legislature has, for
some inexcusable reason, failed to pro-
hibit the Issuance OF free passes, though
an act OF Congress prohibits such dis
ordinations In Interstate commerce. A
law prohibiting passes to public officials
is OF little consequence or value so long
as all the politicians who nominate and
help to elect those officials have their
pockets filled with passes. At The last
f'aN W ~ A@NhA'AAAAA' 4 wv" "a W AAA1
introduced a bill prohibiting the railroad
companies from issuing passes TO any
person other than employees and those
engaged in works OF religion and charity.
This bill was opposed by the raiIroad
lobby, and by using the argument among
Democratic members of the Legislature
that its passage would advance my po-
litical fortunes, its defeat was accom-
plished. The Legislature having failed TO
do its plain duty in this regard. / under
took to see what l could accomplish with
out the assistance of the Legislature. ]
called the attention of the railroads To
the fact that they were. under the Con-
stitution and laws Of this State, COM
mon carriers and prohibited from making
any determinations In their charges for
Transportation. ! called upon them to dis
persons other than employees and those
engaged In works Of religion and charity
and advised them II such action was not
taken | would institute suits to secure 9
judicial determination OF The question.
did this because / knew that for every
politician who rode ca a railroad trair
free of charge that It was necessary 10,
'1the railroad company to impose an add
I%tional burden upon those who paid fol
their transportation. And | believe will
Theodore Roosevelt that the railroads o
the country should be highways OF com
merce open to all alike and upon fai
and equal terms. After some delay anC
some grumbling. every railroad compan,
in the State informed me that II either
had or would discontinue the issuance o
free transportation. And there has beer
witnessed during the last year in this
State, for the first tim since railroads
were constructed. four State Conventions
OF the two leading political parties &c
which, according to newspaper reports
no one came on a railroad pass who was
not entitled to ride on one. Thus. there
has been produced the successful result OF
reduced railroad transportation to all and
special favors in railroad transportation
to none. And the discontinuance OF tbs
issuance OF fee transportation has re,
suited in a saving to the railroad com
panies of nearly $500, 900 a year in State
passenger earnings alone. The discon'
tinuance OF the railroad pass has aisC
tended to n correction OF the evils OF
bossiSm and corruption in politics anC
legislation. In bringing about this dis
continuance of the issuance of free trans
portaton, ] wish to freely acknowledge
the credit that should be given men lik'
Wells II. Blodgett. James l.. MINIS
Gardiner Lathrop, James and Frank Ha'
: german. Samuel w. Moore. Sam II. Yves
and a number OF other attorneys OF thu
railroad companies of the State who have
actively co-operated with me In bringinG
about a correction Of this long estab'
lished evil.
OTHER RAILROAD CONTROVERSIES
There is another condition in the rail.
road affairs OF this state which l hav'
believed to be In violation or our Con
stitution and laws, and which / nav
undertaken to correct by suits which hav,
been finally submitted for decision In thu
Supreme Court OF the State. For year:
the Missouri Pacific Railway Company hai
owned and conducted coal mines and ele
vators in this State as private business
enterprises, and In company with tn,
Wabash Railroad Company, has owned anC
on"U cd the Pacific Express Company
But recently, the Missouri Pacific, to
gether with the Iron Mountain. a subsidi'
airy company, acquired a controlling inter
sst In the stock OF the Wabash Company
which is a parallel and competing lint
of the Missouri Pacific. As the Constitu'
tion prohibits the consolidation OF parable
and competing lines. and as the laws pro,
vide that railroad companies shall fur
nish the same facilities to all expires:
Companies and confne their bushes:
solely to that Of transportation, I be,
lieved that these conditions were unlaw'
full and I Instituted a suit to bring abou'
their correction.
RAILROAD OPPOSITION TO MY CAN.
DIDAcY.
I am advised by men who pretend I,
know hat on account OF these contro
| yersies that I have conducted on hehal