Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1908-06-04
FROM THE
.COMMONER
THE PRESIDENT URGES CENTRAL.
iZATiON.
MIR. BRYAN'S PAPER

recommended democratic reform, II is
the more free to criticise him when he
recommends things undemocratic One
Of the undcmocratic things which he
has recommended is the surrender OF
the right Of the state to control com
merce within its borders. He says
that state commerce forms but a
small fraction OF the commerce carried
by the railroads through each state
and that actual experience has shown
that the effort at state control Is sure
TO be nullified In one way or another
sooner or later" He then proceeds 10
argue that the nation alone can act
with effectiveness and wisdom: II
should have control OF both. OF the
business aud OF the agent by which
tho business Is done. for any attemp,
TO separate this control must result in
grotesque absurdity" Explaining this
proposition he says: This means that
We must rely upon national legislation
TO prevent the commercial abuses thas
now exist and the others that are sure
10 arise unless some efficient govern
ment body has adequate power OF con
troll over them" In another part OF
the message he says that he believes
that ultimately we shall have to adopt
a national incorporation law" but he
recognizes that this may be impos-
sible at present"
We are thus brought face TO face
with a most serious proposition. name
fr NJ ~. ~
government shall be preserved as Il is
defined by the constitution. or oblit-
Grated as is proposed by the president
What is the situationg Congress
now has power which It has not exer-
cised; 1t has all the power Il needs
For ten years a railroad lobby at Wash
ington prevented the adoption OF the
recommendations Of the interstate
commerce commission. and while new
legislation Was prevented. the rail-
roads continued to grant rebates and
TO make Determinations. The work OF
the lobby was open and notorious It
Is less than three years since repre-
sentatives OF two OF the leading rail
roads OF the east used the Hobbies OF
congress TO bride members into the
support OF appropriations desired by
the railroads. These representatives
did not disguise the fact that they
kept a record OF the votes cast by
members and rewarded with passes.
or punished them by Withholding
passes. according 10 their votes. The
pass evil has at last been corrected.
but 1t required a tremendous convul-
sion and all the influence that the
president could exert through an
aroused public opinion.
II the railroad influence has been
so great when congress exercised con-
troll over interstate commerce only.
what will be the influence when all
regulation Is conferred at Washington
and the railroads enter politics for the
purpose OF controlling the senate. the
house. the interstate commerce com
mission. the president and the courts,
Already there are indications that the
railroads are planning for the coming
campaign. One railroad attorney an
nounces that the railroad employees
must stand with the railroad managers
against any party which attempts to
antagonize railroads-and to antagon-
lie the railroads means to antagonlze
the views Of a few railroad magnates
who aspire TO control the railroad sys-
tens Of the country. Another organi-
ration has been recently formed which
announces that railroad batting
must stop-and railroad batting" can
only mean the attempt OF the legisla-
lures to regulate the railroads. The
railroad managers are studiously cir
eulating the idea that business has
been impaired and industry generally
paralyzed by criticism OF railroad man.
agement and by proposed remedies.
1t is impossible to exaggerate the ex-
tent TO which the railroads will enter
politics IL the presidents plan is car
ried out and Washington is made the
arena in which the people must fight
all their battles for railroad regulation.
At present the people of a large num-
Der OF the states are enjoying a two
cent passenger rate; this reform did
not come from Washington. Il came
from the state legislatures and Secre-
tary Taft has gone to the trouble OF
telling an eastern audience that the
president Is not responsible for the
rate reductions. Il vas state IegisIa-
ton that led the railroads to demand
national incorporation and the removal
Of legislation from state capitals 10
Washington Can this be in the inter.
est Of the people7 II is a serious Is.
sue that the president presents and
one that the people must be prepared
10 meet, FOR while be has fought for
reforms on some other subjects. he il
on this subject fighting hand in hand
with the very men who attempted to
prevent the passage Of the PRESIDENT
rate bill The conspiracy formed
among the leading Republicans of the
senate had for its object the preyen
ton Of any rate legislation. and only
BY focusing public attention upon the
subject could the president defeat the
conspiracy.
The fight for the preservation of the
rights Of the states is not a revival O,
the doctrine Of secession The railroad
maznates attempt to make IL appear
such because they are not prepared &c
meet the real issue The question 4,
not whether a state has a right IL
withdraw from the union, but whether
IL shall have the right to protect IT.
citizens while II remains a part OF tbs
union The state legislatures ar.
nearer TO the people than congress is
A congressman represents some 200.
600 people and is personally known e
but a few Of them. A member of tn.
state legislature represents a smaller
constituency and is nearer to tn,
voters The influence which the rail
roads can bring to bear upon a con
gresham or senator is much create
than the influence which they cal
bring to bear upon members Of I'll,
legislature. while the influence OF tn,
people over their representative de
ereases in proportion to the population
of his district