The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1914-01-06

this matter is that this attitude Of
the railroads meets the approval of
the State Railroad and Warehouse
commission, if you state the position
of the said commission correctly.
1t would be interesting to know If
this commission considers itself the
servant of the people of the State OF
Minnesota, whose employee it is sup
posed to be, or whether it considers
itself the servant of the railroads.
The position of the commission in re-
gard to both the 2-cent rate law and
the eastman distance tariff law has
indeed been strange.
If the commissioners have been cor
rectly quoted in newspaper interviews
and otherwise they have constantly
and persistently encouraged the rail-
roads to ignore the provisions and IN
tentions of these laws.
The intention of the Legislature
was to reduce and equalize railroad
rates, and certainly not to increase
them. Compare the attitude OF this
commission with that of Michigan,
where the same 2-cent rate law is In
effect and enforced. When the Legis-
lature of that state enacted that law
the commission simply informed the
railroads that they had to comply with
it's provisions, and they did so with
one exception, and in that one case
the commission took the matter into
the courts for adjudication.
Fortunately, we have an attorney
general who is sensible to his duties
as servant of the people, and l am
confident that he will not allow the
railroads to override the plain inten-
ton of the Legislature"
C. M. BENDIXEN.
Morgan, Mimi, Dec. 26.
The Reply
In view of the effect of the law
which he has fastened upon the State
of Minnesota, it is not at all surprls-
ing that Representative Bendixen dis
plays a tendency to sensitiveness IN
the critical letter which is printed in
full in the Mail Bag. Without with
holding from Mr.. Bendixen credit for
good intention we cannot refrain from
sermonizing little on the danger OF
hasty legislation into which spirit
of retaliation may be injected. His
law and that other bit Of ill-advised
Legislation which beals the name OF
Senator eastman were the outgrowth
of the legislative fear, unfounded as
it developed, that the Supreme Court
would hand out defeat to the state
in the rate cases. 1t is indisputable
that neither bill would have passed
had the rate decision been promul-
gated in the interim. Equally indls-
putable is it that both laws breathe
the spirit of that dangerous lex tai
ionis from which sound and deliber-
ate judgment steer sedulously away.
Mr.. Bendixen again exhibits lack
of poise in attacking the railway
commission. 1t is the duty Of that
commission to administer the law
fairly and fearlessly. 1t is most
erroneous conception that the commits
sion is organized in spirit of hosti-
litv to the railways of the state; on
the contrary it is the duty OF the COM
mission intelligently and judically to
hold the scales between the shipping
interests and the common carriers, to
be just and fair to both and to enforce
the law honestly and vigorously. The
intent of the law must be manifest In
it's language, and if Mr.. Bendixen has
written into his little statute words
which prove ambiguous he must not
find fault with the result which comes
from a careful and intelligent inter-
probation.
Undoubtedly the courts will be cal
led upon to construe this law and un-
til that time discretion might point
the way for the author to take. The
people will be the judges, in the last
analysis and their decision is the point
with which Mr.. Bendixen must con-,
Germ himself. And we commend the
same thought to the sober reflection
of Senator Cashman.-St. Paul Dis
patch.