Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1908-02-13

act is invalid in the case OF
the Pennsylvania Railroad, be-
cause it is not fairly remunerativ",
the New York sup State" Public
Utilities Commission, after full in.
vestigation, found that such Il rate
will not be uure,nunerative.
This illustrates the difference in
dealing with such questions, says
the Pittsburgh Dispatch. Governor
Hughes vetoed the New York 2cent-
fare bill because he believed that
such Il question should he determined
by an inquiry into the facts bearing
on each case. The Pennsylvania
.egi stature passed the late act on the
abstract view that such Il rate is
needed by the people. The Pennsyl-
vania courts inquired into the mat
ter by one method and found the rate
unremunerative, and by the law,
therefore, invalid. The New York
Public Utilities Commission inquir-
ed into it by another method and up
held the rate. As Il result the rate
stands in New York, with IA prima
lacie endorsement 10y the authority
constituted to investigate such que>-
tion~; while in Pennsylvania it 10
invaidated by the only authority
which our legislation left to pass up
on it. 1t is true that the New York
commission arrived at its conclusion
on different grounds than the Penn
~ylvania courts took into consider
alton. One of It's main reasons Is
that which underlay the popular
j .dgment and the legislative action,
namely, that by the sale of milage
tickets at the 2.cent rate the railroad
showed that rate to be remunerative.
There will be the usual conflict of
opinion between the opposing ele
ments as To which conclusion is right.
But the question being one of fact
rather than law large proportion Of
the people of Pennsylvania may use
the liberty of placing some faith in
the correctness of the New York
decision.
Following up its declar alton that
William Jennings Bryan's per
enua| candidacy for nomination
for the presidency on the demo
cratic ticket has practically ruined
the "arty'S chances for victory
in three campaigns and threatens to
do so IA fourth time, the New York
"world' prints an interestin gtable
which shows that in the 1896
race the silver mining interests con-
tributed S2Ss 900 to the party's fund,
the total of which was 1921, 900
Commenting on these figures, the
"world' says On another page
0f jan. 10Th. issue Of the "Worll' ,
the names of the pr incipal con
tributors to the Democratic nationaI
campaign fund in 1896.
Nearly 80 per cent. of the money
came from silver mine owners.
Marcus Daily raised Sl59, 900 and
Senator William \. Clark. of Mon
tana, than whom there has been no
more audacious corruptionist in poll
tics, made personal contribution of
$40.
The contributions made to the Dem
ocratic National Committe repre-.
Sented half of the fund raised by the
silver mine owners to elect Mr.. Bry-
an. The rest was contributed direct
~ to state committees and to Popu-
lists and Silver Republican commit
ees. Thus Mr.. Bryan's campaign
Of 1886 was financed almost wholly
by mine owners who wanted the
United States Governor to double
the market value of their silver.
This was one of the few instances
in American history in which a
great party voluntarily made itself
the special agent of a single preda,
tory interest.
The table shows that Marcus Daily
w. A. Clark, ID. II. Moffat' w. s.
Stratton ID. Nj. Hyman and Dennis
Sheedy were the principal cOntrI.
butors, while Charles ID. Lane, the
Utah silver fund, and several others
made small contributions.
The Bristol Gazette says that {
national convention is a good dea
like horse race. All the candi.
dates are first paraded on their way