The Washington herald., 1908-02-12
Declares the Administration
Works for the Public.
GREETED BY LARGE AUDIENCE
Several Thousand Crowd the AcRd-
emy of Music in Kalamazoo, Mich,
60 Hear speech of the senator from
PennsyIVania-One of Features Is
Presence of Federal OfficehoIders.

upon Railways ana Federal toHlioi.
Hundreds who sought admission to the
hall were turned away hours before the
! time set for the beginning of the banquet
Of The Kalamazoo Lincoln Club. re-
/ ceptlon extending over two hours pre-
ceded the banquet Senator J. c. Bur-
rows, Of this city. ives toastmaster. Be
| side the address Of Senator Knox, Rep
resentative J. Adam Bede of Minnesota.
and Charles c. Sim0ns, of Detroit, were
speakers.
Representative Bede delivered a humor-
Gus talk upon Happiness and Mr. ST.
mons made a plea for the adoption OF
| the revised State constitution.
/ One of the noticeable features of the
affair was the presence Of Federal Of
I iceholder5 from all over Michigan.
knox Goes ia Pittsburg.
Senator Knox left Kalamazoo tonight
i on a special train for Pittsburg, where
he speaks tomorrow night,
What the great interstate railroads
! have demanded of the people through the
/ national authority in the past, and what
/ the people through the same authority are
1 now demanding of them, constitute two
/ distinct phases Of American economic and
/ legal policy which it is interesting al
/ this time 70 contemplate and from this
| contemplation we may get our bearings
! upon some situations not difficult 10 un-
/ derstand. but which have been much mis-
| understood
! Created by the State and originally de-
| signed and operated almost wholly as
/ local highways il was long after the
| American railways were well established
In the Eastern States before the con-
/ ntct began between the national and State
/ authorities incident 10 the expansion Of
the railroads into interstate systems.
/ so dominant and sacred was the idea
/ OF the rights Of the states that the second
/ Congress even disclaimad its authority 10
authorize stage coaches % carry mails
! between the States upon the ground Of
| its being ar unauthorized interference
| with the functions Of the S,Rtes.
| ''The privilege Of going into, Out OF. or
through States was taxed and the right
! to do so was held not 10 conflict with the
power of Congress over Interstate COM
merce.
IT railroad managers had fully appre-
ciated and respected their relations TO
their trust and the true relations Of the
highways of commerce 60 the people
and no necessity for the regulstive legis-
lation which began in 1851 and will end
only when justice and equality are fully
esta blished.
AS the railroads sought the Federal
power for their protection, so the people
resorted 10 the same power for their
own relief, The agitation for railway
legislation preceding the passage OF the
act Of 1887 which created the Interstate
| Commerce Commission was caused by the
I fragrant disregard by the general officers
Of railroad companies Of their obligations
to the public and their duties 10 their
security holders.
Violations Were Fragrant.
IN the year 1892, and for some time
previous. railroad and other corporate
abuses were fragrant and widespread and
much confusion existed as to the state
of the law concerning them. Grave
doubts had been expressed by committees
Of Congress and other high authorities
as TO the power Of Congress, under the
Constitution 10 defeat new and subtle
plans for bringing under a single control
the great producing and transportation
corporations of the country. and TO reach
the cunning devices employed to prefer
/ one shipper over another The organjza-
ton Of the Northern Securities Company
| to throttle railroad competition in the
! Northwest and the fact that the large
beef packers and grain dealers in the
Middle West had entered into Illegal ar
rangements. developed d situation in the
early days Of the Roosevelt administra-
tion which required prompt action along
new and untried lines. The first inn
pOrtant act Of the administration affect
ing this subject WAS its declaration that
the plenary power of Congress over all
| kinds Of transportat ton, and its instru-
mentalities had not been exhausted by
the sherman antitrust law, nor by the
Interstate Commerce act
Were Attacked by Suits.
Pursuing this policy the monopolies
, created by secret and preferential rates
for railroad transportation were success
fully attacked in suits in equity 10 en-
join the violation of the law against re-
bates and Determinations, thereby estab,
fishing for the first time the right Of tho
Attorney General 20 appear in court OF
equity in behalf of large numbers OF
people and sections Of the country af.
feCtad 10y a violation OF law. In these
4 cases the great remedy &C injunction was
employed 10 enforce popular rights.
IN the suggestions made by the ad-
D ministUati0n 20 Congress al its request
- respecting new legislation it expressly
s dsavowed the purpose of announcing
complete scheme Of governmental rcgu
latiOn of railroads and combinations. bu
made certain specific suggestions which
it thought would greatly improve tht
situation.
"The specific recommendations were
these: practical and effective law L
, punish the persons receiving rebates a!
r wei. as those paying them; a law to EN-
mower the Federal courts to issue In
functions at the suit Of the Attorney Gen
4 eral Of the United States TO prevent re
bates: law making it unlawful Il
transport traffic by carriers subject Il
the act to regulate commerce at an!
rate less than such carriers published
ra e; a law to enable the government [,
T ger at all the facts bearing upon the or
70 ganiZation and practices of concerns en-
- gagged in interstate and foreign com
= merce, and law 10 secure speedy de
e cisIons of cases under the antitrust an,
= interstate commerce laws.
Every one of these suggestions be
came law within sixty days after
was proposed
y Tive Features Remain.
h Although the sum of the achievement
l. OF the Fifty-seventh Congress was grea
J. in securing for the people rights so bold,
denied. there yet remained two importan
matters 70 be dealt with, namely, sucI
regulation Of railroad rates as would Civ
T, practical effect to the provisions OF tn
u law requiring them TO be reasonable. and
finally, such regulation Of commerce rela
: tive to the employees engaged therein al
would secure 10 them more reasonable
LcnndiLinns Of lahnr and minimize To thnr