Los Angeles herald., 1908-01-19
CLEAR, CRISP AND CLEAN
HERALD ACCEPTS BLAME

IN ISPATCHES from San Francisco
indicate that there is daily a
- stronger and stronger public de-
mand for prosecution of railroad OFF,
cials who have been guilty of paying
unlawful rebates to favored shippers.
Attorney Gushing of the Traffic associa-
ton is quoted as saying:
Whatever fault may be found with
the railroad commissioners in their past
conduct, we should praise them for the
course they hare NOW taken. There is
talk of their stealing our thunder, but
even if that were the case it would be
of no consequence to the vital issue.
All the better will it be if the proper
officials see to it that the law is
enforced. 1t is, as a matter of fact,
cause for self-congratulation on the
part of the state of California that the
railroad commission is setting out to do
its duty.
There has been a strong public de-
mand that the commission and Attorney
General Webb should act, and now that
they have done so we should give them
their share of the credit"
When the Los Angeles Herald first
called the attention of the railway COM
rnissioners to the fact that the organic
law of the state contained a clause so
cogent and so adequate that the pro-
cedure against the rebaters could be
begun without an hours delay, there
came from the north chilling silence,
Slowly, but with insistence which won
for us the distinction of the displeas-
ure of the disgraced and ousted Wilson,
The Herald pressed the point home.
When our representative went to Sac
ramento and invaded the sanctum of
the governor, bearing the assurances
of this papers profoundest considera-
ton, the distinguished statesman did
The Herald the honor to credit it with
the entire uproar concerning the pro-
posed prosecution. At that time we
modestly acknowledged our guilt. The
Herald admitted the impeachment when
accused of causing Boodler Wilson to
be ousted, and does not sidestep now
when the imputation comes from the
north that the "meddler" caused it all.
If the commissioners hoped to "pass
the buck'' to Attorney General Webb
they must be sorry of the attempt.
The attorney general robbed them of
their strongest excuse when he pointed
the way to finance the proposed inves-
tigation.
1--WE can surely look for some good
results now that the law is set in
motion" said Attorney Cushing. 1.-THE
law is SO clear and so strong, in my
opinion, that there can be no hating
of our efforts to put a stop to discrim-
ination. The commission has the
authority to go into the offices Of the
railroads and examine their records and
prescribe how the accounts shall be
kept in order that there shall be no
concealment.
THAT is something that we repre-
sentatives of the association could not
do, and it is therefore important to our
cause that the commissioners are stirred
up. If they do not succeed in this work
we will have the advantage of the
interstate commissions assistance, for
il will be conducting Investigations
along the same line at the same time.
II the state commissioners should go
into the offices of the companies and
return with the report that they could
not find anything, the national commis-
sioners might help us out"
Messrs. Summerland, Wilson and
Loveland find themselves in a position
where there is no retreat. They are
driven into the open. The people of
California are insistent in their demand
for action. The day of reckoning
approaches.
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