Weekly Arizona journal-miner., 1908-02-19

way
There vct remained two important
matters to bc dealt with. namely. sNrn
regulation of railroad rates as w'A'"
give practical effect IL th" provisions
VI the law requiring them - b." Fra.
,onahie, and. finally. such regulation "'
commerce relative ~ Che employ e's ~
Gagged tMrr"!u ~ would secure 10 t"'"
moro reasonable conditions ~ !A'"
and miuifniz" 90 them aud . th' pun
H. III. danger. incident :" tfah'f1r,i-
lion. These feature. ser" covered ~
the railroad t3'e Law. "a" safety ap
rliaucr lnw, the law limiting a." num-
irr IT hours railroad employee can J."
ccu.. cu'i,olv employed. and 'h' en-
pl"y,r.' liability act. In" I''t mel
toned act ha. recently been Ir'ltr''
bv the supreme court - be- unr'n''ltn
'Ional q. u "a. written. hu' - ueh'.
hr,ut provisions are sure - D." r..
enacted upon valid AMI constitutional
lines
Tho record o.. achievement in the
public interest since - ht' been
very great aud ih, results accom-.
plI.hrd during thi. administration
form by far the most important paf'
) very complete. II not perfect sN-.
tom ~ commercial regulation has been
established Roaspnahlrue.. aud equal
ify in railroad rate. aud practices are
assured. railroad operation have been
brought under rigid governmental -u-
pcryisipn. aud 'hc safety NJ employees
and the public protected hy proper
laws.
This administration found q deficient
and di-crrditcd body OF law under
which az sorts Of commercial and 80.
cial tyrannic. boldly fourishcd. vitally
affecting and undermining our national
well being. when the record of its
achievements Is closed BE- will reveal q
compact body Of constructive. system
attic and effective legislation rcmedying
defects, supplying omissions and Gov
rring new phases in the field of ma
tional authority over interstate inter
course and IL, instrumcntalities.
The fundamental work has been
done. II has been wrought out by
those responsible for il. on broad lines,
in .piri, 81 moderation and with a
desire 90 do no injustice. II nas been
neither "sporadic' nor ",pectacu
lar" The work has been treated as a
whole and each part sustain- its proper
relation 10 each other part IL has
proceeded as "A structure should. dealt
with as unit. not here and there a
pillar with missing roof between. ~
the work progressed motives and meas
ures have been perverted and misun.
derstood by those who c,lld not OF
would not understand them. Onscru.
pulous men. upon the one hand, nave
Unexpectedly condemned every for
ward step, and. upon the other hand
men equally INSCRIPTIONS have en-
deayorcd 10 break down the credit and
efficiency Of the railroads, arrogating
leadership in an economic development
the scientific principles and practical
details Of which they altogether mis-
understood.
Unfricndly criticism has portrayed
their steps as bearing fruit only in
the disturbance Of business. To thi.
/ the facts furnish a complete refutation
TIE steady judicial assertion of exclu
Z siye national authority over the inter
/ state traffic Of the railroads, and tn,
| no less steady assertion Of the legisla
/ tive and executive branches that thu
/ authority shall be used To correct evils
arising from lack Of regulation, are moi
l sporadic but constant, nor have tbs
measures framed, matured and enacte,
I by Congress inflicted injury upon o.
given just cause of complaint 10 legiti
mate interests.
Hats and delays caused by iudicia
construction or legislative correction
~ details found defective may seen
sporadic 10 superficial and possibl,
prejudiced observation. so the river
bending and doubling in its course, IL
current halted by dams and bars, MAJ
seem interrupted and obstructcd in II
How. But the stream invariably flow
on; and II never flows backward.
No more can the progress accom-
plished be turned backward The prin
ciples established are permanent. Tn
policy Of legislation; the subordina
law OF impartiality in rates and nc
countability to federal authority 70
integrity and impartiality in the con
duet ~ the great transportation scry
ices Of the nation are now fixed an,
rooted In our Jurisprudence and legis
lation. Postulating only the ever
essential factor of fair, earnest. an
faithful enforcement, we may rely d
this body OF legislation for adequat
protection against the return of IN
evils which have evoked the reform,
without invoking acts Of vindictiy
and destructive nature.
Nor is IL true that the measure
which nave reached the maturel forr
Of national legislation include attacl
enmity or injury 90 sound business 10
terests, either corporate or private. T.,
tremc propositions may have bee
made; but they have not largely pr,
vailed in the completed enaetmonts b
Congress. On the contrary these law
rightly seen, mean sounder, strong,
and more widely diffused prosperity (,
the real corporate interests, namel
the owners Of the railroad shares an
T securities.
High railroad authority has declare
the necessity ~ spending FIVE and
q half billions during the next two yea
in extensions of tne railroad facilitie