El Nuevo mexicano., 1918-02-21
Mr.. UNDERWOOD
WARNS AGAINST
REVERSION FROM
HOME DEMOCRACY
Senator Would Avoid
Danger Of Despotic
Government.
FINANCE, CAUSE
OF RAIL CONTROL
(Hy Leased Wire to New Mexicanl

-
Washington, Feb. 20.-The financia
situation and not war needs of freight
congestion, Senator Underwood of Ala
bama, told the senate today was the
real cause for the government taking
over the railroads. The senate was
debating the administration bill pro
viding for federal control OF the trans
~rortation lines during the war.
The real cause was a question of
finance" he declared. when the
; president issued his proclamation last
December, Senator Underwood said
the railroads faced 1882, 606,6S2 in ma
turing obligations on securities for
1918 while for the four years which
would end in 1921 these obligations
would total 1898, 900, 900. Under normal
conditions the railroads would have
found no trouble in renewing them,
but because Of the war and the float
ing Of bond issues by the government.
it would have been an impossibility,
he said.
There were then TWO conditions
facing the president" Senator Under
wood continued, .'either the United
States government must take over the
railroads and finance these securities
during the war or congress had to de-
clare a moratorium and provide that
no suit be brought on these railroad
bonds and foreclose them during the
war and for a reasonable time after
ward id we wanted to continue to OPP.
crate great railroad systems Of the
country. Il don't think there was a
bnciness man in the United States who
did not realize that something must
be done and the president in his wis
CON decided on this course"
For that reason he urged it was now
necessary for congress to recognize
the wisdom of the presidents action
and provide for it accordingly. Sena-
tor Underwood opposed giving the
president power to fix rates, declaring
there is no war power Or war neces-
sity investigated in rate making"
Senator Underwood was followed by
Senator Sherman Of Illinois, who sup
ported the bill. He said he did not
approve of all it's provisions but as
it is emergency legislation he would
vote for it.
while we fight to make the world
safe for democracy on the European
ba~ttlefields, should we neglect democ-
racy in the United States or fail to see
that the great principles are carried
out so as to make democracy safe for
our own peoples?" asked Senator I'm
derwood.
Il think the time has come when
we should pause and consider whether
we have not made some mistake
through the generosity of congress to
resrth I'D to the nations needs
5enator Underwood thought the bill
conveyed too broad powers but said
he would vote for it unless it was
amended to make government control
indefinite.
when you step one foot beyond the
period OF war and turn our transpor-
tation systems over to one-man pow
er," he said, you are establishing ma
chinery for oppression, building up an
organization for destruction of bust
ness and endangering fundamental
of the people.
1--WE have seen the autocratic gov
eminent of Russia fall irto the hands
of an uncontrolled pob-swung from
the power of an autocrat to the despot-
ism of a mob without checks or bal
Our own government pos
sesses today the constitutions checks
ard balances that protect us from the
despotism Of the ~autocrat and the
spirit Of the mob, provided congress
will uphold them. When congress- is
ready to surrender these constitutional
checks and establish a government of
men instead of law. then there is dan
ger ahead for the American people,
Senator Underwood declared that
the bill was only a war emergen-
the powers vested in individuals
could be performed without danger.
He supported the provisions fixing
compensation to the railroads.
Il don't think for a moment" he
said, that the president is going to
pay all that the railroads demand or
A railroad bill to prevent interior
snce with powers now exercised by
railroad commissions in regulat-
ing Interstate commerce, was intro
iuced today by Senator Sterling Of
South Dakota.