The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923, March 22, 1907, Page 3, Image 3
;tjrn ft-J ' MARCH 22, 1907' The Commoner. 5 V. h fr V": A. to i ', IV ?' ( ri"- L CiAfl-" re 4 . t If : V T K Ion, however, of the ablest railroad lawyers here and. also of the railroad men themselves that such a federal statute woujd not 'he constitutional. Such a measure, it Is said, -would correspond closely to the bill introduced in the senate some time ago providing for the federal control of life insurance companies. At the time of the insurance bill's introduction President Roosevelt was ad vised by eminent jurists that even if it passed , the two houses of congress its constitutionality would probably be called in (fueation by the United States supreme court. " The railroads .of the United States said an attorney of one of the largest of the transconti nental lines today, "would much prefer, if it were possible, to have fre'ght and passenger rates fixed by federal enactment; but I am convinced that be fore such a consummation could be brought about the constitution would first have to bo amended and greater powers accorded to the government at Washington , than now adhere to it. As tilings stand now, the railroads are con tinually harrassedby having to conform to a dif ferent set of rates in every state through, which they pass. As carriers running between two points in any ghen state they arc subject to the . local laws, and as carriers of interstate commerce . they are also subject to the interstate commerce commission. In other words, they are between the devil and the deep sea.' " ' oooo AS CLEAR AS MUD The press dispatches bring us the news that, speaking before the Indiana legislature, 'Vice President Fairbanks delivered the following ora cular utterance: "In recent years there has been a tendency to combinations of capital to carry forward the work of our industrial developments. We have enacted, and will continue to enact, such laws as will safeguard HONEST industry and - WHOLESOME enterprise. Wo will keep open the avenues to free and JUST competition, but we will restrain within appropriate limits " those agencies or combinations which may seek to disregard FAIR laws of trade and competition and to override the interests of the body of the people. Capital which' is '' PROPERLY employed will be properly pro- """'fected, iiifd that which is not so engaged must 11 ' fall under tne SHARP condemnation of tho1 la'w.'r The vice-president is more specific than usual, yet it will be noticed that in this brief statement he uses six words that can be construed to mean anything or nothing. Tho genial vice-president is a close imitator of the man of whom it was said "he just didn't exactly say what he did talk about." OOOO "LIFE TERM" . C. W. Post of Battle Creek, Mich., in an article printed in the Chicago Record-Herald, concerning a third term for Mr. Roosevelt, says: "I am a Strong advocate of continuing a capable execu tive in the presidential ottice as long as he may live or can be induced to serve. In a successful commercial corporation we do not shelve first class executives because we think it would be pleasant for the friend of some of our friends to see how it would feel to occupy that chair and attempt to control affairs for a term. It will oe better for this country when the people decide to conduct its aCfairs in line with well-accepted com mercial practice rather than in the manner it is now conducted." This advocacy of a "life term" is probably a little too 'bold to please the third term boomers. OOOO ' INTHEOPEN The Wall Street Journal makes an. Interesting Suggestion: when, it says: "These are days of pub-, licity. To wh.it better purpose could the prin-. ciple of. publicity be. .applied than to the forthcom ing conference between Roosevelt and the railroad presidents. Why not hold it in public so that the whole country might judge?" Why not hold this proposed conference in the open? OOOO POWER OF THE STATE 'The New York Herald says: "The railroads have been forced to accept government regulation of their business. They now realize that public sentiment is too strong to fight against. Since the power of regulation Is to be put over them they prefer that it "should be lodged in one federal gov ernment than in, - forty-six states. President Roosevelt also believes that it should be lddged in one federal government.". ' Careful observers will not overlook the fact tha"' the railroad monopolists did not ask for quarter until the state governments got into ac tion through effective legislation. Mr. Roosevelt has been a great help in educating the people to a realization of some of the present day evils; but it was not until Hie state governments moved against railroad oppression that it became evideut the blows were felt. No wonder tho speculators who control our railroads prefer that tho power be lodged in the federal government. But the people prefer that tho dnal form of our government be maintained and that tho federal government exercise over the railroads the power lying within .the federal do main Avhile tho state governments do their part for tho protection of public interests in that quarter. OOOO CENTRALIZATION President Stickney of the Chicago Groat West ern Raihoad company recently visited the While House and discussed with both the president and the interstate commerce commission the railroad situation. Mr. Stickney chims that as a matter of law tho federal courts must hold that the states cannot interfere with or attempt to regulate rail road trallic, even when it is wholly within a state, because to do o would be to interfere also with Interstate trallic, which is specifically under the exclusive jurisdiction of congress. He claims, in short, that the power over interstate commerce necessarily includes sole power .over state com merce. "The Washington correspondent for the Omaha World-Herald says: "Mr. Stickney declared that both the presi dent and the commissioners believe that as a matter of good sense and business his proposi tion ought to be sustained. They are satisfied that coutlieting jurisdiction will ultimately greatly impede efforts to control carriers. Mr. Stickney presented to the president many Il lustrations of these conflicts, and lie arranged with the secretary of the commission that the latter shall provide him with as many il lustrations as possible of these conilicts which have fallen under the observation of thp com mission. Mr. Moselysaid today that the num ber of these is very great. Mr. Stickney will . prepare a brief of this matter for the use of ; his lawyers In the course ' of the nextfcw months, when they come to the supreme c6urt J with tho case, l appealed from Minnesota,' In which the Great Western ha raised the novel contention of President Stickney. The latter declares lie is confident his claim will be sus tained if in the meanwhile he can do some effective educational work." The Stickney view carried to its logical con clusion would take from the state all its power. In that view the state could not legislate with re spect to loan and trust companies, or insurance companies while eery merchant from the dealer in silks and calicoes, to the dealer in liquors would look to the federal government for his rules. It is an absurd proposition and the people will not overlook the fact that only a few months ago when the railroad magnates were oelng "annoyed" by the proceedings on itye part of the federal au thorities they md their spokesmen insisted that states rights should be preserved and that the fed eral power must not encroach upon the authority of the state. But recently the state power lias been exercised and in a very effective way. Where the action of the federal authorities merely "annoyed" the railroad magnates, legislation by the states brought them to their knees. It is plain now that in their desperation the speculators who are in charge of our railroads have adopted the centralized government plan; that they intend to move for a destruction of the state's power over the railroads and the deposit of that power ex clusively In the federal government; and that they intend, also, to make desperate effort to see that, the federal government Js placed in the hands -C, men who will not seriously interfere with the "business enterprise" of the Harrimans. OOOO DEMONSTATED The Wall Street Journal says: "The railroads at first defiant now acknowledge defeat and admit the advantages of federal regulation and open, equal rates." But they didn't acknowledge defeat until the power of the state government in the work of regulating corporations was demon strated. OOOO PROBABLE Referring to Mr. Harriman's proposed visit to the white house the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, republican, says: "It Is possible that this railway wizard may be able to say something which the president and the country would be benefited by hearing." But' it is probable that he will not say it. r v. For the Scrap Book J ,. MY MOTHER I wish to write of my mother, ' My mother, loving and kind, 1 Who to mo more than any other, ' Is the Idol or my mind. She care.l for me in my boyhood, i With a love that can never ho told, ; . And that love in the years of my manhood. ' Is worth more than her weight in pure gold I was often wayward and careless, But she loved mo Just the same, And when I was cruel and heartless, Her heart condoned the shame. No task was too great for her lingers. Now they're wrinkled, twisted mid bent, ' Ah, my memory fondly lingers ' ' On her inlnistrlo-i, heaven sent. i Her beautiful auburn tresses -.' Are fading to winter's gray, . But the wealth of her caresses Grows greater every day. - , Her face like an angel's, grows brighter With the passing of tho years. And her voice makes the dark places lighter As she smoother away my fears. , i My mother, ny lieautirul mother, T "' Thank God for your life so sublime, You have taught us two, sister and brother, ' The noblest lesson of time. That for others our lives should be given, That our actions should always he right, Your reward is secure up in heaven, A crown in the mansions of light. II. U. 1'., in Lincoln .Journal. AT A WESTERN WINDOW I gaze from the western window, ,,,-,,, ',jwv AUIWiUl II1U HU.1-1.1JWIJIJ5 ,UUJf, -imU ) f woWherc the. sunshine and. the shadows ? . in parting giory piay, li-Mi-vL'o-violet isles enchanted ': That smile at the open door '. As the argosies oi1 evening Sail through to a fairer shore. I The day is long behind me, The night Is coming on; But 1 hear a robin singing The song he sang at dawn; Now one is the morn with evening, And one are the earth and sky, The blossoms in the meadow With the stars that breathe on high. And youth is young forever, And love is never old, Though masks of age are breaking Back to the primal mold. So here, from my western window ' i I gaze, as the stars increase. - ' And the mortal and immortal - T Are one in this blessed peace. , ,'; Benjamin S. Parker in tho Reader. LIGIIT ON THE CLOUD ' There's never an always cloudless sky, There's never a vale so fair, But over It sometimes shadows lie In a chill and songless air. But never a cloud overhung the day, " And dung its shadows down, But on its hea.ven-slde gleamed some ray, , Forming a sunshine crown. It is dark on only the downward side; Though rage the tempest ioua, And scatter its terrors far and wide, There's light upon the cloud. And often when it traileth low, Shutting the landscape out, And only the chilly east winds blow From the foggy seas of doubt. There'll come a time, near the setting sun, When the joys of life seem few; A rift will break in the evening dun, And the golden light stream through. '. '. v And the soul a glorious bridge will make Out of the golden bars, And all its priceless treasures take Where shine the eternal stars. Miuot J. Savage. aJamamm