The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1912-04-19
THE WALL STREET CANDIDATE.
Iomaha World Horald.i

lOmaha World -Heraidi
The most formidable Wall street
conspiracy launched in many years
is the fight to kill the state railway
commissions and to wipe on the
statute books of the various states,
as unconstitutional, the 2-cent fare
laws and maximum freight rate laws.
The most important case to come
before the supreme court in the pres
ent generation is that in which it is
TO be decided whether the states
have the right TO regulate railroads
and other public utility corporations
engaged In interstate commerce, or
whether, within the confines Of each
state, these corporations are to be
left without any regulation whatever
except their own sweet will.
Who Is the central and most I'M
portant figure in the fight being
waged for the states and the people,
against Wall street controlled rail-
roads, In this great emergency?
Who but Governor Judson Harmon
of Ohio, whom few personal and
Sectional enemies are loudly de-
nouncing as "the Wall street candi.
date" for the presidency and pier
pont Morgan's fayorite."
The governors OF the states, In
their convention last summer, realized
how great was this crisis. They took
~ annnfnt- l.
ing a committee Of three governors
10 defend the rights Of the states be-
for the supreme court-Harmon Of
Ohio Hadley Of Missouri and Aldrich
OF Nebraska The last named mem
bers of the committee, recognizing
Governor Harmon's great experience
and ability as O business man, his
learning and power as a lawyer, in
trusted to him the preparation Of the
brief which Governor Harmon has
Just fled In the supreme court. How
amazing II must he to those who
have listened to the cruel ISLANDERS
Of Judson Harmon az the candidate
Of Wall street and the railroad
bosses, to see him fighting Id the
supreme court Of the United States
Against all the big railroads In the
Union, against a brilliant galaxy Of
railroad lawyers, In behalf Of the 2
cent passenger laws. In behalf Of
the maximum freight rate laws. To
save the existence OF the state rail-.
way commissions that the railroads
are seeking to crush to death.
II TO take this stand is to brand
oneself as n Wall street tool and rail
road favorite. then Governor Harmon
is doubly branded He applied the
brand the first time when he appoint
ed state commission in Ohio that
raised railroad taxes between $4,000.
900 and $3,O00000 year
" this kind Of a man Is a railroad
and Wall street faVorlte, what must
an American statesman do, In the
name OF everything fair and sensible
20 get out from under the yoke2
In his brief Governor Harmon
points out that the pending decision
Involves not alone the regulation OF
railroads and their rates, but of tele
phone and telegraph companies, nat
nral gas and oil companies. and many
other enterprises Furthermore, he
shows that II would apply also tC
state laws regulating the hours OF
labor and to workman's compensation
acts affecting all corporations en-
gagged In interstate commerce. It's
Importance, in short cannot be over
estimated, II means, to Wall street
many millions OF dollars year. And
Harmon, the Wan street fayorlte.
with all his prestige, strength and
ability, is fighting II,
His brief liz masterpiece OF plain
and simple reasoning. II railroad
enjoys reasonable return under
state rates. he argues, II enjoys every
Is whether the local rates fixed by
the state commission are fair and rea
sonable and not whether the effecl
OF fixing the local rates will be tt
lead the railroads to lower their inter
state rates, " II does have that re
suit II is a perfectly lawful condition
the advantage OF which the public Ii
entitled to enjoy.
The case Is not conflict between
state and federal authority, Governor
Harmon makes plaiu. but between th'
states and the railroads. He says
mo one contends that congress
could exercise any control over tn,
purely Internal commerce OF tn,
states. The effect 81 the decision 70
the lower eourt) is rot to take powe
from the 'tstes and leave Il with con
.gress, but to take power from In
states and leave the railroads free q
charge whatever rates they please Il
thulr traffic Within the states. Fol
!: the states cannot regulate thee
rates, nobody can"
Strange language TO fall from IN
Hips OF Wall streets man and Pie
Lf1nt's chosen candidate for the pres
rdency. There is nothing so unreasoi
able ar d unfair as the rancor OF a
American political campaign. Charge
reckless and cruel, false, outrageou
are flying broadcast against not onl
Harmon, hut Clark. Wilson and III
derwood-great Democrats who. unit