The interior journal., 1914-03-17

Their prime concern Is to earn the
largest possible dividends for the
stockholders, and the public is. there.
fore, practically defenseless without
proper and effective State and federal
regulation. The honest and prudent.
administration OF such laws is Just as
important as the character Of them,
and the demagogue who would seek
to blackmail a railroad company or
other corporation with the threat Of
hostile legislation, or with the unjust
application Of the law, Is a felon de-
serving of the severest punishment
On the other hand, we must not flatter
ourselves with the delusion that a rail
road company is a charitable organi
zation, and that without wise re-
striction IL would not take every pos.
sible legal advantage. Between these
two extremes will be found the fair
honest and equitable ground upon
which this grave and important ques-
tion should be settled. The law
passed by the General Assembly in
1900 on this subject gives to our Board
of Railroad Commissioners ample pow
er. so far as intrastate commerce is
concerned, to remedy any wrongs that
may exist, with due regard to the
rights of the people and of the rail.
roads. We have reason to hope that
the present board In the general inves-
tigation on the subject of rates II is
now making will reach a conclusion
that will be lust to all alike. The
power of a railroad company to levy
an extortionate rate, simply because
n| nf not nr hxy a
agreement with competing line,
should be restrained; and the author
| ity to do this now rests with our
board so far as rates within this State
are concerned.
suggest that you give the report of
this board serious consideration. It's
recommendation should be followed
as far as possible"
In the last three Democratic Ma.
tional Conventions, st. Louis in 1904,
Denver in 1908. and Baltimore in
1912, as the member for Kentucky on
the Resolutions Committee. | helped
to shape the party platforms on that
subject. At the time | served as such
at Denver and at Baltimore, was one
of the local attorneys for the Louis.
| Vile q Nashville Railroad Company
in Franklin County. How far that
employment affected nv views on the
subject may be seen by looking at the
railroad planks in those platforms. |
helped to write the Denver platform,
and its declaration of principles on
that subject was the most advanced
position ever taken by one of the great
political parties. If shall be elected
! to the United States Senate. | shall
be guided by the principles announced
in those platforms. and shall assist
wherever possible, the. President and
| his Administration, in dealing with
this great and important matter; and
In doing so, ! shall use the same fair
honest, and intelligent spirit, with
which have always tried to deal
with every public question.
| Now as TO my employment as an at
torney, of which Mr.. Stanley seeks to
make an issue. After my retirement
from office and my defeat for the Sen.
ate in 1908, had no means upon
which to live and support my family
except to depend upon the practice of
nv profession. In the spring of that
year | formed a law partnership with
Mr.. Lewis McQuown, for the genera
practice of law. and located in Frank.
fort. Our firm was offered the loca
attorneyship for the l.. & N. Railroad
in the courts of Franklin County. We
accepted it, and held it until the first
of last January. We were engaged in
the general practice of law, and We
accepted all legitimate and desirable
business offered to us. Owing to i'll
health, my partner had to retire from
the practice a few months ago; and
following that retirement, and OWNS
to my intention to devote most of m,
time to the campaign this year, gave
up that employment, and also our po
sition as local attorneys for the Hi
nois Central Railroad which had very
little local business in Frankfort.
Instead of drawing a very large sal
ary from the l.. & N. Railroad Com
pany, or anv other railroad company
as Mr.. Stanley charges, | have draw
no salary at all. but have been PAID
on a fee basis: and what | have re
ceiyed altogether from all railroad en-
ployments, has not averaged as much
as eight hundred dollars a year. Oul
employment had not the slightest DO
llitical connection or significance; and
the gentlemen in the railroad service
under whom we did our work. never