The Taney County republican., 1908-09-24

words, IL has enabled the people 10 tra'ei
at a smaller cost
THE REGULATION OF FREIGHT
RATES.
The conclusion that have reached as
result OF this litigation over freight
rates Is that the fixing Of schedule, OF
such rates ought not to be undertaken
| by a legislature; such work cannot ne
successfully accomplished by such a body
/ In the haste. confusion and inaccuTacy
which usually attend the deliberations OF
a state legislature. Such work should
/ be undertaken and accomplished by an
/ Intelligent commission composed OF men
who by training and study are competent
TO deal with this question.
During the progress Of this litigation
chance was offered through the initiative
Of Judge o. NJ Spencer, one OF the at
torneys OF the Burlington Railroad, to ac-
cOmplsh what ! regarded as satistac-
tory compromise Of this litigation. lie
offered TO put into effect for his road
which would have necessitated that the
other roads do likewise. all OF the rates
fixed by the acts OF 1906, with the eXcep-
tion OF the live stock schedule, and In
that instance he offered to establish
rate as low as that existing in any con-
tiguous state. Mr.. Frank Wightman, one
Of the Railroad Commissioners. and CO.
this would be n satisfactory compromise.
and Governor Folk was also disposed to
favor II. But through the opposition OF
the democratic members OF the Board OF
Railroad and Warehouse Commissioners.
and particularly that OF John A Knott.
this compromise was rendered impossi-
bic, and the litigation still continues.
THE pIscoNTINUANcE OF PASSES.
Another instance in which I feel that
I have accomplished a result without llu-
CATION which Is Of value and Importance
to the people Of Missouri. Is by securing
IA discontinuance OF the issuance OF rail-
road passes. Since 1875 the laws OF this
State have made II a mlsdemeanor for a
railroad company 10 give or n public Of
fetal to receive railroad passes. There
has, however, been no law prohibiting a
railroad company from giving free passes
TO a person other than public official
Although the Constitution and laws OF
the State prohibit all Determinations in
railroad charges, the legislature has, for
some inexcusable reason, failed to pro-
. hiht the issuance Of free passes, though
an act OF Congress prohibits such dis.
, ordinations In interstate commerce. a
law prohibiting passes to public officials
s Of little consequence or value so long
az all the politicians who nominate and
help to elect those officials have their
; pockets filed with passes. At the last
! session of the Legislature I drew and had
, introduced a bill prohibiting the railroad
companies from Issuing passes TO any
person other than employees and those
engaged in works Of religion and charity.
This bill was opposed by the rarroad
. lobby. and by using the argument among
Democratic members Of the Legislature
! that it's passage would advance my po-
= litcal fortunes, Its defeat was accom-
: plished. The Legislature having failed to
! do Its plain duty In this regard, | under
T, took to see what ] could accomplish with
: out the assistance Of the Legislature.
called the attention Of the railroads ia
. the fact that they were, under the Con-
, stitution and laws Of this state, com
mon carriers and prohibited from making
. any Determinations in their charges for
9 transportation. I called upon them to dis
. continue the issuance of free passes tC
persons other than employees and those
: engaged In works Of religion and charity
: and advised them II such action was not
: taken | would institute suits to secure q
: judicial determination Of the question.
! did this because I knew that for every
!, politician who rode or a railroad tralr
u free OF charge that II was necessary for
y the railroad company to Impose an addl
y tiOnal burden upon those who paid fol
O their transportation. And | believe witt
: Theodore Roosevelt that the railroads o.
e the country should be highways Of com
n merce open TO all alike and upon fail
: and equal terms. After some delay anC
! some grumblng, every railroad compan!
n In the State informed me that II eithe
l. had or would discontinue the Issuance o
/ free transportation. And there has beel
y witnessed during the last year In tht
J. State. for the first time since railroad
u were constructed. four State Convention
e Of the two leading political parties 4
u which, according to newspaper reports
u no one came on a railroad pass who wa
I.n La g. EHI
has been produced the successful result o
reduced railroad transportation to all am
special fuvors In railroad tTansportati0
=. TO none. And the discontinuance Of tn
W issuance Of fee transportation has re
le suited in a saving to the railroad com
Z panes OF nearly 100000 a year H. Stat
passenger earnings alone. The discon
tinuance of the railroad pass has aIs
n tended to correction Of the evils c
>, bosSism and corruption In politics an
TO legislation. In bringing about this dis
?, continuance Of the issuance of free trans
~ portaton / wish to freely acknowledg
ut the credit that should he given men lili
e. Wells II. Blodgett, James L. Mlnni'
ne Gardiner Lathrop James and Frank Ifa
er german, Samuel W. Moore. Sam II. We:
e. and a number OF other attorneys OF III
er railroad companies Of the state who haV
actively co-operated with me in brlngin
Mt about correction Of this long estah
as llshed evil.
ey OTHER RAILROAD coNTRoVERsIE'
" There Is another condition in the raj
al road affairs Of this State which | hay
In believed to be In violation ot our Cor
stitution and laws. and which | hay
NJ undertaken to correct by suits which hal
n. been finally submitted for decision In u
-. Supreme Court OF the State. For yea
n. the Missouri Pacific Railway Company III
"a owned and conducted coal mines and ell
Ie' vators In this State as private busne
I'm enterprises. and In company with Il
10 Wabash Railroad Company. has owned al
ia or I'd the Pacific Express Compan
~. But recently, the Missouri Pacific, {
y. gether with the Iron Mountain. a subsid
~, Try company, acquired a controlling Int
NV ,st In the stock of the Wabash Compan
~, which IL parallel and competing III
10 NJ the Missouri Pacific. As the C0nstltl
w. tIon prohibits the consolidation Of parall
=. :. and competing lines. and as the laws pr
~ vide that railroad companies shall fu
"a nish the same facilities to all expire
~ companies and confine their busine
Wv solely to that Of transportation, ! b
ien lleved that these conditions were unla'
Wv, full and Instituted q suit to bring abo
~. their correction.
Of RAILROAD OPPOSITION TO MY Cal
Lne DiDAcY.
I'd am advised by men who pretend
ht know that on account Of these contr
yed versies that I have conducted on behi
nto NJ the people Of Missouri against
are railroad companies Of the State, that {
ny. ODuOeiUg n