The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-09-14
HUNG ON
A MONTANA MAN


Continued from Page l..
lest and most effective sympathy and
support. and the policies for which / stand
are his policies much as mine.
1t is not possible in the space of this
letter to discuss all the many and infinite
~ varied questions of moment with which
Mr.. TAFT as president would have to deal
let him be judged by what he has him.
self done. and by what the administra-
ton. in which he has played so conspicu-
Gus a part. has done. But to illustrate
just what his attitude is, let me touch on
two matters now prominent in the public
mind.
Justice FroE. Railroads.
Mr.. Taft can be trusted to exact JUS
tice from re railroads for the very rea-
son that &c can be trusted to do Justice
TO the railroads. The railroads are the
chief instruments of interstate commerce
IN the country, and they neither be
held to proper accountability on the
one hand nor given proper protection ON
the other, save by the affirmative action
of the federal government The law as
| laid down by the federal courts clearly
| shows that the states have not and can
/ not devise laws adequate to meet the
problems caused by the great growth of
the railroads doing an Interstate COM
merce business. for more than four-fifths
| or the business OF the railroads is inter-
state, and under the constitution of the
| United States only the federal govern
ment can exercise control thereover. 1t
IS absolutely necessary that this control
should be affirmative and thorough
gong All Interstate business carried
] ty the great corporations should. in the
interest OF the whole people, be far more
closely superyiS 81 than at present by the
national government, but this is especial
| ~ tue OF the railroads. which cannot ex-
list at all save by the exercise of powers
granted them on behalf of the people. and
which. therefore. should be held to Pc
culiar accountability to the people. 1t is
IN the interest OF the people that they
should not be permitted to do injustice,
and II is ne less 10 the inter est of the peo-
pie that they should not suffer Injustice
Their prime purpose is to carry the COM
modities of the farmers and the business
men: they could not be built save for the
money contributed 20 them by their share
holders; they could not be run at all save
Tor the money paid out in wages to the
railroad employees: and, finally, they could
not be run judiciouSly, or prOfitably to
anyone. We're il not for the employment
by them of some masterful guiding INTEL
hsence, whether of man or of a
group of men. There are therefore, sew
eral sets of interests, to be considered
Each must receive prpper consideration,
and when any one of them selfishly de-
mands exclusive consideration, the de-
mand must be refused. Along certain
lines all of these groups have the same
interests. 1t is to the interest of shipper,
farmer, wage-worker, business man, hon.
est shareholder. and honest manager
es;y. intelligence and fai- treatment
of ALL
What Should Be Done.
To put an effective stop to stock wa
tering would be a benefit to everybody
except the swindlers who profit by stoc6
watering; it would benefit the honest
shareholder, because honest investments
would not be brought into competition
with mere paper; ii would benefit the
Wage-wOrker because when the money
earned does not have to go to paying in
terest on watered capital. more of it is
left, out of which to pay wages; it would
benefit the shipper because when only
honest stockholders have to be paid in
terest, rates need not be improperly
raised; it would benefit the public because
there would be ample money with which
to give efficient service. Similarly, the
prevention of fdvoritism as among ship
pers does no damage TO anyone who is
honest. and confers great good upon the
smaller business man and the farmer,
whom il relieves of oppression. Again.
such supervision of accounts and manage
ment as will prevent crookedness and OPP
preston works good directly or indirect
ly, to all honest people Therefore, every
thing that can be done along all these
lines should be done; and no mans legiti-
mate interest would thereby be hurt. But
after this point has been reached great
care must be exercised not to work in
justice to one class in the effort to show
favor to another class. and each class |
naturally tends to remember only its own |
needs The stockholders must receive an |
ample return on their Investments or
the railroads cannot be built and sue
cessfulIy maintained; and the rates to |
shippers and the wages 10 employees, from |
the highest to the lowest must all be |
conditioned upon this fact. On the other |
hand, in public service corporation We |
have no right to allow such excessive |
profits as will neceSSitate rates being IN |
duly high and 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 reduc- |
ton of the wages of the great army of |
railroad men. A fair working arrange |
ment must be devised according to the |
needs of the several cases so that profits, |
wages and rates shall each be reasonable |
with reference TO the other two-and in |
wages 1 include the properly large |
amounts which should always be paid TO
those whose masterful ability is required /
for the successful direction of great en-
terprises. Combinations which favor such
an equitable arrangement should them
selves be favored and not forbidden by
law; although they should be strictly
the interstate commerce commission.
which should have the power of passing
upon not only the question of
the reduction but the raising of rates.
Railroad Problem.
This railroad problem is itself one of
the phases of one of the greatest and
most intricate problems of our civiIiZa-
ton; for it's proper solution we need not
merely honesty and courage, but judg-
ment, good sense and entire fairminded-
ness. Deniagogy in such a matter is as
The man who promises to raise the