Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1910-03-18

SUGSldI dOUolhSy "AAS y
familiar with the case. For example
the custom of the commission has
been to employ the successful attorney
who tried the case. If it followed
this custom it would employ Mr..
Thorne, who has been the attorney
for the stockmen, and who knows the
case from beginning to end. lie
would appear before the court In
defense of the decision Of the com
mission. and would be able to present
that side of the case much better
than any other attorney possibly could
who had had no connection with it.
Under the bill which it is now pro-
posed to pass, however, the commits
sion would have nc right to do this.
Itwould have no right to appear be-
fore the court at all. If the railroads
would appeal to the court it would
remain with the Department of
Justice to defend the decision of
the comm ion. Neither the attor-
ney.gene. il nor any of his associates
know anything whatever of this case,
nor could they hope to become fully
informed concerning it within a
short time. The result would be
that the peoples side of the case
would be presented in a most per-
%functory manner by some assistant
to the encouragement with the
chances all against a favorable deci-
sion. Indeed, if the encouragement
should feel that the commission had
made a mistake, he need not defend
at all. He could let the whole matter
60 by default, thus a%nnulling the
decision of the commission, reached
after the most exhaustive hearings
and arguments extending over a
period Of three years. 1t is aStOund-
ing that anyone who really pretendS
to be in favor of strengthening the
interstate commerce law should
think of taking away from the
Interstate Commerce Commission the
right to enforce it's orders and de-
ciSions in the courts.
Another portion OF the bill is osten-
sibly to prevent the consolidation of
railroads which compete with each
other. A close examination of this
section discloses the fact that it not
only does not prevent their cOnsolida-
tion, but takes away the restrictions
we now have against it,. q 1t gives to
this Court Of Commerce which it is
proposed to establish the right to
pass in advance upon questions of
consolidation and gives the proposed
consolidators a clean bill of health,
thus rendering them immune from
attacks.
There are many other Objectionable
features to the bill, but either Of the
three which we have discussed in the
foregoing is sufficient to condemn it
utterly. 1t seems hard to believe
that anyone who makes even a pre-
tense of standing for the Roosevelt
policies or for square dealing as be-
tween the corporations and the peo-
pie should seriously suggest the
enactment Of such a measure. But
we are told by reliable gentlemen in
Washington that not only does the
president expect congress to give
this measure careful consideration,
but that he has made his plans to
force it through, whether or no. On
Tuesday of last week a conference was
held at the White House between the
president and Senator Aldrich, Speak
er Cannon and Senator Crane, all of
whom have persistently opposed
railroad regulation, at which it was
agreed that The bill would be pushed
through the senate first without
amendment of any kind, and would
then be pushed through the house by
an appeal to the party caucus and the
use of those coercive measures which
are we'll known.
AS we have already stated, Senators
Cummins and Clapp of the Committee
on Interstate Commerce, have SUBJ
mitted a minority report and have
indicated that they propose to fight
the bill to the very best of their ability
when it comes CD the floor Of the SEN
ate. They will Of course be joined by
Senators Dolliver, Bristow, La Fol-
lette. Beveridge, and others who have
records for standing for a square deal
as we'll as talking Of standing for it.
Wallaces' Farmer urges its readers
without regard to party, to at once
write personal letters to their respec-
tive senators and congressman, and
insist that they shall not only vote
against this bill but shall do their
utmost to prevent its passage. Do it
now. You a not possibly spend two
cents to better advantage. Nothing
SO encourages a congressman as the
approval of his course by his constitu-
ents when he is fighting for their in
terests against tremendous odds.
And nothing is more potent in
Strengthening out a congressman who
is wrong than some straightforward
letters from his constituents.
The open alliance of the president
with leaders who have always opposed
policies for which he avowedly stands
with all their might and with all
their tremendous power Is a matter
of great grief to the people of the
Hpifad States They NAV woll wish