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The Commoner.,
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
Vol. 5. No. 18
Lincoln, Nebraska, May 19, 1905
Whole Number 226
CONTENTS
Railroad Regulation
A Remedy For Tub Trusts
Roosevelt and Morton
"GREaTER Love Hath No Man"
Tue Garfield Report
The Place to do tile ' Most Effective
Work
Hoodwinking Farmers t
The People Have a Remedy
Comment on Current Topics
The Primary Pledge
News of tiie Week
WILL YOU HELP?
Tho trustees of Illinois college (located at
Jacksonville, 111.) have authorized me to present
the following proposition: For the purpose of
helping poor and deserving students to secure an
education the trustees-desire to establish a num
bers scholarships. The annualtuitionIsAfiftys
dollars the interest on $1,000 at 5 per cent. For
each $1,000 contributed for this purpose they will
establish a scholarship, to bear the name of the
donor unless he objects, the student to return the
money when he is settled in business and can af
ford to do so. The fund will thus grow indefinitely
and do an increasing amount of good.
I have decided to establish one scholarship
from the Bennett fund and will establish another
myself. I am anxious to be able to report several
moro before commencement (June 7). Will 3'ou
help? If you can not spare $1,000 send $500 and
the income will establish a half scholarship. Or,
if you can not afford to give $500, give $250, $100,
$50 or $10, and the smaller sums will be put to
gethev and a joint scholarship established. If
you can not give cash send a note drawing five
per cent interest. Anyone establishing a scholar
ship or half scholarship can designate, if he likes,
the student who is to receive the benefit.
I finished my college course at Illinois college
in 1881 and received my master's degree there
three years later. As I am now chairman of the
board of trustees, I am not only deeply interested
in the college but am in position to assure don
ors that the money which they give will be well
used. It is the aim of the trustees and the faculty
to develop the students in body, head and heart,
in order that they may go forth from the college
prepared to fully discharge the duties of citizen
ship. Are you interested? Will you make this
contribution to the cause of education and at the
same time give yourself the pleasure that comes
from a generous act? Checks or notes can 'be
sent either to J. A. Ayres, treasurer Illinois col
lege., Jacksonville, 111., or to me.
W. J. BRYAN.
JJJ
NOT A DEADHEAD
It -is reported that Mr. Roosevelt is paying
the expenses of his hunting trip out of his own
pocket, and not receiving free transportation from
the railroads. Two years ago it was understood
that his trip was made at the expense of the
railroads and it excited much just criticism. The
'Commoner takes pleasure in commending the
president for the change In the method of trav
eling. As the president is dealing with the
railroad question it is especially important that
he shall not be under obligations to the railroad3
for valuable favors.
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SPIKING THE GUNS
RAILROAD REGULATION
The senate committee on interstate commerce
is now engaged in hearings preliminary to the
special session which, it is expected, will be called
in October to consider the question of railroad
regulation. The Commoner is in favor of the
regulation of railroad rates. It believes that every
corporation created by law should remain during
its entire, existence under the control of the law.
Created for a public purpose, the corporation
should never be permitted to do injury to the
public.
The powers exercised by the state should
be employed, first, to prevent the creation of cor
porations except upon conditions which will, as
far as human wisdom can devise, protect the pub
lic from injury.
Second, the powers exercised by the state
should be employed for the regulation of corpora
tions created by it and for the regulation of corpo
rations which, organized elsewhere, do business in
the state. There is a distinction between the nat
ural person of flesh and blood and the corporate
person created by law. No state should permit a
foreign corporation to do business within its bor
ders upon more liberal terms than It prescribes for
corporations organized under its authority.
Third, the federal government should exercise
to the full its power over corporations engaged in
Interstate commerce. The federal government
ought not to charter corporations, but it is neces
sary that congress should exercise authority over
corporations created in the various states when
ever the corporations extend their business beyond
the borders of the states in which they were
created.
It is especially necessary that the govern
ments, state and national, should keep under
strict supervision -and regulation the quasi-public
corporations known as railroads, and engaged In
the business of transportation. The right of the
state to fix rates for commerce within the state
is well settled, although tho federal courts have
interpreted very liberally their power to suspend
state rates when, in the judgment of the courts,
the rates were not high enough to allow a reason
able profit. The power of the federal government
to fix interstate rates is as clear and' as certain as
the power of the state government to fix state
rates. The federal courts have denied to the stale
legislatures the power to fix interstate rates, and
unless congress has the power to act in such mat
ters, we are in the absurd position of having great
corporations engaged In a most important business
and yet superior to the states and not subject to
congressional regulation. If the railroads could
by any possibility establish the proposition that
congress has no right to fix rates, they would sim
ply arouse a sentiment that would not be satisfied
until regulating power was vested somewhere in
such a manner as to be beyond dispute.
Granting that congress has the power to regu
late rates, tho next question is whether it should
exercise this power and if so, how? The investi
gation now in progress is intended to throw light
upon this subject, but it seems hardly necessary
that there should be an investigation to establish
the necessity for regulation. One need but know
human nature and its proneness to profit by tho
exercise of arbitrary power to know that railroad
officials need to act under the eye of officials
sworn to protect the public, and not personally in
terested in railroad dividends or salaries. But to
the information that one derives from the knowl
edge of human, nature is added the Information
that comes from the notorious conduct of rail-
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