Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-09-23
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND
RAILROAD LEGISLATION

What legislation there has been in
this country to regulate railroad rates
has been enacted by Republicans, and
the wisdom OF having an Interstate
Commerce Commission is not doubt
ed"
To this the Exponent replies:
when the Telegram proposes to
draw on it's fertile imagination, it
should beware of those things which
are matters OF public record. What
are the records facts about railroad
legislation in this country?
Beginning in the 44th Congress,
OSLO, down to 1887, when the Inter
state Commerce Act became law.
the Democrats in Congress, led by
that great lawyer and statesman John
ii. Reagan, OF Texas, fought for
railroad legislation. Two or three
Democratic Houses passed the Rea-
gon bills. and sent them to a Republi
can Senate which killed them.
In 1887 the Democratic House again
passed to Interstate Commerce Act
1t went to the Senate and was passed
by vote OF AZ to 10, the fifteen vot
ing the negative all being Republi
cans, headed by one Aldrich, OF Rhode
Island. President Cleveland approved
the bill and II became a law This
was the great act establishing the In
terstate Commerce Commission, and
for the first time. asserting the right
of the government to regulate rail
roads; and all later legislation has
been simply to amend and perfect it
as time and experience have pointed
the way. 1t was passed by q Demo
cratic House, carried through q Re-
publican Senate by Democratic votes,
and approved by a Democratic Presi-
dent.
On March Both. 1896, the Supreme
for the first time. that Congress had
not clothed the Interstate Commerce
Commission with power TO fix and un-
fix rates although such powers had
Dtth NltltlOlOlt t1tItlStu ny ludl
body since the approval OF the law by
President Cleveland. In exactly three
months and eight days after that de-
cision the Democratic party framed
question declared:
The absorption OF wealth by the
few. the consolidation OF our railroad
systems. and formation OF trusts and
pools require stricter control by the
Federal Government of those arteries
of commerce. We demand the en-
largement of the powers of the Inter
state Commerce Commission. and
such restrictions and guarantees. in
the control OF railroads. as will pro-
tect the people from robbery and OPP
preston"
on the same subject the Republican
platform said nothing
The Republicans carried the next.
and succeeding Congresses and did
nothing
In 1906 the de- 0~d Tor further leg
A..'f.'AFAA W a. wv AktAN ~ w l'Hlb GU
and the so-called Hepburn Act was
passed abohshing free passes and
giving 20 the Commission the right
20 fix rates What happened on IT'S
passage Is too recent history 70 need
repeating All remember that. i'm the
Republican Senate. 30 was put iu
charge OF "a Democratic Senator. TIL.
man o. South Carolina. and could
not have passed without the unani-
nous action OF The Democrat. and
the vigorous use Of the Big stick"
which drove and kept enough Repub.
llcan Senators 10 line 20 pass &c.
ln the last session OF Congress we
bad uill further amendments ~ the
original act Senator La Toilette
analysed this last Railroad Bm on
tne floor Of the Senate and we can
describe the situation no better thar
t0 quote bis remarks Tie said
That Sir presents this BIN cxacuy
as it was recommended by the pres
idont and reported By the Committee
Do contained four provisions in OBJ,
public interest. it contained q dozci
provisions in the interest Of the rail-
roads
"Mr. President. for twelve lon.
weeks, the progressive Republican
and the progressive Democrats. o.,
This floor have made war upon thoa,
provisions which were hostile 10 tho
public interest Through their I.
orts. This bin has been reconstructed.