The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1913-07-22
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PEOPLES FORUM.
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The Railroad Amendment.

To The Ardmoreite:
Chairman Love of the corporation
commission opposes the substitution
of the amendment submitted by the
legislature, for Section 8 of Article
9. He does not think that the COM
mission should be substituted for the
constitution. In other words, he does
not think that the invaluable right
planted in the constitution for the
benefit OF the whole people should be
transferred to the corporation COM
mission or lodged elsewhere. Clearly
his meaning is, that if the provision
so fully stated by the trainers of
the constitution in Sections 8 and >
of Article were right when written
and adopted, then why are they net
right now? If this was a right and
power reserved to the people in their
sovereign capacity, why transfer Il
from their hands and confide it In
the discretion of the orporation
commission? Why not stand by the
principle that it is wrong for corpo-
rations to merge, consolidate, lease
or buy, etc. the property of any
other like corporation as is plainly
stated in Sections and 8? Col. Jack
Love says to Leave the law as 1t
is and Independent roads can build
wherever the conditions make 1t
necessary to build Change the law
as the promoters of the proposed
amendment ask, and the big roads
can both refuse to build and prevent
any one from Ulilding." 1t docs
seem reasonable to believe that his
position and experience peculiarly
qualify him to speak as to this mat
ter and when we add to the knowl
edge he has, the accepted fidelity to
public trusts shown by him in every
matter wherein the interests of Ok
lahomans are involved. should nor
his advice come as a warning signal
to the voter on August 5th next?
Heretofore his advice aided the defeat
at the polls of four successive ef'
forts to change Section 9. He is GER
tainly consistent and it was not
charged then that he was dema-
gogue with selfish interests to sub
serve. 1t would seem that if he had
a selfish interest, he would favor
the amendment, because it confides
the whole matter to the commission
of which he is the honored head and
leader. He wants the people to re-
tain the power and not delegate it.
From the record he has made he is
established as the watch dog" OF
duty and all the arrows aimed at his
motives and fidelity will surely fall
harmless.
1t is not to be seriously believed
that any citizen is sufficiently cred
ulous to believe that the building of
railroads depends upon the adoption
of the amendment, The propositions
to amend heretofore came in such
questionable shape as to cause de-
feat in each instance, so it might be
we'll to ask if the amendment, as
now proposed, furnishes the sop
for the voter to swallow and also
operates as "a shibboleth" of good
faith upon the part Of those to be
served by its adoption? Is it not clear
that "the niger in the woodpile'
urks in all of the propositions ~
amend?
The disastrous effects Of merger
md consolidation, etc, is shown in
he New Haven and Hartford with
he Boston and Maine and other
New England roads and trolley lines. /;
rhe interstate commerce commits
lion denounces such methods as de-
tructive of competition and should
lot be, tolerated. Let down the
,ars and the same results follow.
Competition is the life Of the pub
les good. Would it not be well 20
on August 5th next, the
truggle the people have had to not
My fix the rates for public service
but, as well, to main
ain the integrity and autonomy of
he state in it's contests for suprem-
cy against aggrandized power? And
ow that the dawn of success is be-
lg felt and now that the decision !
( the sulBeme court in the Mime s
Dta rate cases gives renewed hope. l
ca, virtually settles the contests in [
,vor of the people, would it not
e suicidal to surrender and trans '
II from the hands where the con- /
tuition has lodged it a right so l
with meaning and results. b
to any other hands, even though
be into the catchy bosom" of our