New-York tribune., 1908-02-23
corERyoR HUGHES AT CHICAGO.

Governor Huchess speech at Chicago. in so
far as if deals with the issues of the day in
national politics. follows the general lines OF
his recent address TO the New York Republican
Club Me Huchess policies are in fact, clearly
in harmony with and ie1ucible from his acfiVl-
ties as Governor He simply carries INTO the
field of national politics the ideas which he mas
apnlied with marked success in his lahors for
the creation Of IN administrative body to stanu
between the public service corporations ana the
rubir and 10 see that those corporations not
only obtain their rights buts fulfill their ohllsa-
tions to the community. 1t is we'll understood
that Governor Hughes and his advisers took
the Hepburn law and the Interstate Commerce
Commission law rs enlarged and amended. Tor
their working model and greatly developed IT,
3nd in the present Public SerVice COMMISSIONS
created bodies with local powers similar 10
hut much mere extensive than those conferred
uron the federal commission in relation TO the
commerce Of the whole country. The Governor
is therefore in complete sympathy with the
r,,rnoses of the federal legislation which Sen
ator Knox recently extoed the Republican
nartv's greatest gift to the people since the
death of President Lincoln, and has appie"
the principles of that legislation TO state com
rnerce more effectively than has ever been done
before.
The Chicago speech is full nf expressions Of
LOYALTY 10 and belief in the policy of corporation
regulation in the public interest Whlch Il en-
bodied in the federal legislation OF the last three
Congresses Mr.. Hughes reiterated yesterday
his conviction that term ~f imprisonment II
more desirable rs penalty for violation OF lhH
laws against rebates and determinations 'hah
more fine As he Justly says. fines can be
collected later out Of the shipping ana traFei-
ling ruhlic imprisonment is more effective
shrink from g0i1lS
10 iail in disgrace when they would ne lhdl
feren+ 10 moderate fine paid FIRST by the
Stockholders and then charged up against future
cost of onera ton. It must he remembered. now
ever that the guilt Of Il corporation Is one"
apparent when individual reSpohSlDiIt! io'
tha guilty action is hard 10 lN. Moreover hidnH
corporations have been prosecuted by the let-
eral authorities under the Eiklns act WHICH
served as a Stopgap between the original Inter
state Commerce law and the new Hepburn rdte
,ou In that interval Imprisonment was dis
Densed with as Il penalty on the theory lhat
fines would be sufficient deterrent 10 corpora
+io7s seeking or granting rebates. The Hepburn
1o7- restored the imprisonment penalty, ana III
cases prosecuted hereafter under its provisions
II will he roesihle 10 bring the unpleasant con
sanrencos OF lawbresking more directly nome
+o the individuals who inspire or counlehahce
Illegal practices. o.
With each speech which Governor Husnes
makes il becomes more apparent that the eHor'
m s17raad the impression that his candidacy IN
7nlvad break with the policies of the fooSe
veit administration was wholly ulSiea"ihs anu
r,a1;c3ous There is no antagonlsm "n queS-
+io7s of national policy between inc poNerioi
and tho President or between Mr. Hughes and
c..-o+orr Taft As The Tribune has said be
fore there Is no possible ground for attempting
n cultivate such an antagonism III TINS state'
and those who seek 10 stir il mp convict mem
selves of usin- the Governors candidacy lot
Interior purposes. The great mass or hepuo-
rfcans here cordially support Mr. Hughes be
carso they believe that he is as earnest an
advocate of the essentials Of the Rooseveh po"-
cies as Mr. Taft is or Senator knox is ana i
fully qualified hy temper ana c"IN'tion9 "
7+;. - -ofor-,,atorv work which the Roosc-
ii. administration has SO effectively done.