Devils Lake inter-ocean and Devils Lake free press. (Devils Lake, Ramsey County, N.D.) 1905-1909, 1908-09-25
Roosevelt @ Urges Election: ion.
Of Vim. II: Taft as Pres.

-. Sss ~ YVO1 AsVV9aVbs
of: VIM. II. Taft as Pres.
J CONTINUED from page one,
fused. Along certain lines all Of these
'roups have the same interests. It is
g the interest of shipper, farmer,
tvage-Worker, business man, honest
shareholder, and honest manager alike
hat there should be economy, honesty
lJlnd intelligence, and
~'~ Fair Treatment Of All.
To put an effective stop to stock wa
5ering would be benefit to every
s)ody except the swindlers who profit
by stock watering; it would. benefit
The honest shareholder because in
Festments would not be brought into
competition with mere paper; it
would benefit the wage-worlker be-
cause when the money earned does
not have to go to paying interest on
sWatered capital, more of it is left,
out of which: to pay wages; it would
benefit the shipper because when on
~ honest stockholders have to be paid
interest, rates need not be improper
ly raised; it would benefit the public
because there would be ample money
with which to give efficient service
Eimilarly, the prevention of favorit-
ism as among shippers does no dam
age to any one who Is honest and
confers great good upon the smaller
business man and the farmer, whom
1t relieves of oppression. Again, such
supervision of accounts and manage
ment as will prevent crookedness and
| oppression works good directly Or in
directly, to all honest people. There
fore everything that can be done
along all these lines should be done;
and no mans. legitimate interest would
| thereby be hurt But after this point
has. been reached great care must be
| exercised not to work injustice to one
| class in the effort to show favor to
another class, and each class natural
ly tends to remember only its own
needs. The stockholders must re-
ceive an ample return on their in
| yestments, or the railroads cannot be
built and successfully maintained; and
the rates to shippers and
l lhC "dSCS " IuHIOySS
| from the highest to the lowest, must
all be conditioned upon this fact. On
the other hand, in a public service cor
poration we have no right to allow
such excessive profits as will necessi-
tate rates being unduly high and the
wages unduly low. Again, while in
all proper ways rates must be kept
low, we must always remember that
we have no right and no justification
to reduce them when the result is the
reduction of the wages of the great
army of railroad men. A fair work
ing arrangement must be devised &C
|cording to the needs of the several
cases, so that profits, wages and rates
shall each be reasonable with refer
! zee to the other two-and in wages
I include the properly large amounts
which should always be paid to those
whose masterful ability is required for
the successful direction Of great enter
prises. Combinations which favor
such an equitable arrangement should
4 themselves be favored and not for
i hidden by law although they shoulc
be strictly supervised by the govern
ment through the interstate commerce
commission, which should have the
power Of passing summarily upon not
only the question of the reduction bu'
the raising of rates..
4: This railroad problem is itself ono
/ of the phases of one of the greates1
and most intricate problems OF ou1
civilization; for it's proper solution We
Ineed not merely honesty and courage
but judgment, good sense, and entire
fairmindedness. Demagogy in such
matter is as certain to work evil az
corruption ITSELF. :&#