The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1910-05-13
PRESIDENT TAFT'S RAILROAD
BILL.

The Railroad Bill, which with four
Others, the President had Mir Wicker
sham prepare, and which he sent to
Congress at the commencement Of the
present session of that body, is a meas
ure Of vital Importance to the people
1t is also a measuse Of great Importance
to the railroads Of the country
Its importance to the railroads is
very different thing, compared to its i'm
portance to the people, however.
To the people it is a measure to again
subject them TO the unjust dscrimina-
ton, extortion and oppression by the
railroads, such as they suffered from be-
fore the passage OF the Railroad Rate
Bill, during the last term Of President
Roosevelt's administration.
The railroads have ever since been
anxious to get back 10 the old system
under which they could charge what
they pleased and do as they pleased,
without regard to the rights of the peo-
pie, and as consequence they Cypress
ed the people in every way, and there
was no restrictions that they were bound
to respect, and such was their power
that if there had been any restrictions,
they would not have respected them.
The tendency of the pending bill seems
to be to go back to the old conditions by
repeating parts ofthe Railroad Rate Bill,
and modifying parts Of the Sherman
Antitrust Bill. and especially the long
and short haul clause of that law. which
is a most valuable provision of the law.
and especially so to the City Of Bati-
more. This measure looks as if the rail
road magnates, who visited the PreSi-
dent by request before he sent this bill to
Congress, had made an impression upon
the mind Of the President
One thing is certain, however, and
that IS, that the people who pay
the freight were not invited by Pres
dent Taft to a conference, before
the law was transmitted to Con-
gress, nor was there anybody to repre-
sent the people called into conference by
the President. The people had no rep
resentative at all.
Have they any representatives in Con-
gress? If they have any representatives
in the Republican party in Congress, who
are they?
Certainly Aldrich and Hale and Can
non do not represent the people, and
even the President will not claim that
these men represent the people. The
people have men in Congress who do
represent them in both branches, but they
are not heard
They have Democrats inb both branches
of Congress, who do represent them,
but they have not enough to force a hear
ing for the rights OF the people.
Then they are also, in a certain meas
ure, represented by able men in both
branches who are Republicans, and they
are men Of honesty, and also of great
ability, but there are not enough Demo-
Gratis and insurgents to force a hearing
in the interest of the people. These are
facts foSihe people to consider, for they
elect the members Of Congress to repre-
sent them, and it is their own fault if
they elect men who do not represent
their interests.
There is another question involved in
this Railroad Bill, and il is a question, if
possible, still more important TO the
people. 1t is the question of the en-
OF the executive power upon
the legislative power of Congress.
Mr.. Taft has assumed in these bills
sent by him to Congress, 10 dictate to
Congress the laws which he thinks that
they ought 10 pass The Constitution
never contemplated giving such a power
to the President He was strictly linn
tied to executing the laws passed by Con-
gress.
If the President cap dictate the laws,
what is the use of Congress at all, and
It will be a great saving to abolish Con-
gress.
The President has been guilty Of
dangerous assumption Of power. The
duty of the President is simple and clear.
He can veto what he regards as a bad
bill passed by Congress, and there his
power ends. How can he exercise the
veto power in regard to his own bills IN
this case? The theory Of the Constitu-
lion is that the three departments Of the
government must be kept entirely sepa-
rate, and for the first time the attempt is
made to unite the executive and legisla-
tive departments in the hands of the
President