The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1908-02-12
KNOX YIELDS
THE BIG STICK
Defends Administration sRai|.
road Policy
TELLS CORPORATE ABUSES
SENATOR DECLARES THAT STRICT
FEDERAL CONTROL is ONLY
SOLUTION.

KALAMAZOO, Mich, Feb. 12-"The
People, the Railroads and the National
Authority" was the subject of an ad-
dress made by United States Senator
iP. c. Knox at the annual banquet Of
the Kalamazoo Lincoln club, held in
the Academy of Music last night. The
big music academy was filled to over
flowing and hundreds were turned
away, so great was the crush.
Senator Knox was the principal
)speaker of the evening and his address
on the present conflict between the
Roosevelt administration and the rail-
roads was in the nature of a resume Of
the fight being waged by the admins
tration to correct corporate abuses.
Senator Knox said:
What the great interstate railroads
have demanded of the people through
what the people through the same au-
thority are now demanding Of them.
|constitute two distinct phases of Amer
lean economic and legal policy which cit
is interesting at this time to contem-
plate; and from this contemplation We
may get our bearings upon some situa-
tions not difficult to understand. but
which have been much misunderstood.
With the imagination of the Ameri-
can people captivated by the marvel
lous utility and potentiality of the rail-
road as a means of inter- -communica-
ton and a factor in development, the
first fifty years of railroad history cona
stitute a period of generous and pre-
tecting governmental care.
Created by the states and originally
designed and operated almost wholly
as local highways it was long after the
American railways were we'll estab-
lished in the eastern states before the
conflict began between the national and
state authorities incident to the ex-
pansion of the railroads into interstate
systems.
In the meanwhile local governmental
policies in respect to railroad proper
ties and operations had been adopted
and embodied in state constitutions
laws and judicial decisions. The ad-
justment of these to the paramount
federal authority as it began to be in
voked to protect the interstats COM
merce of the country from the exercise
of conflicting local laws and regula-
tions constitutes the first epoch of our
national policy, and it was marked by
progressive liberality and even zeal in
extending federal protection and en-
couragement.
The states claimed and insisted upon
a control over business of railroads
transacted within their borders unaf-
fected by the fact that such business
may have originated in or been des-
tined for points in other states.
In the earlier days the higher courts
of the states sustained mOnopolies
granted by the states to engage in
between the states and
there was general acquiescence In the
belief that the commercial power OF
the general government amounted to
little as a limitation upon state author
ity. So dominant and sacred was the
idea of the rights of the states that
the second congress even disclaimed its
authority to authorize stage coaches to
carry mails between the states upon
the ground of it's being an unauthor-
lied interference with the func-
tions of the states.
These local claims went for long
/fContinue6 On Page TWO.)