Interstate Commerce Commission Created

The Cortland News, Friday, January 21, 1887.

Washington Letter.

(From our Regular Correspondent) Washington, Jan. 19, 1887.

   Congress and the social world of the Capital have both been busy during the week. Society has attended the President's levee in honor of the Diplomatic Corps, and another given by the Chief Justice of the United States; has eaten Mrs. Cleveland's elaborate luncheon; gone to her semi-weekly noonday receptions, and made and received calls by the thousands. Congress has talked even more than usual, but it has voted as well. Some of its most important work was aimed at the Mormons of Utah, and much was done in behalf of the farmers and shippers of the county.

   I might as well say much was done for the people of the country generally, for the passage of the Interstate Commerce bill is a triumph of the people over corporations, pool-makers and stock gamblers. This measure came safely through the Senate by the decisive vote of forty-three to fifteen. The Senators sat with it on Friday until past midnight, and a vote was not reached until after nearly twelve consecutive hours of debate.

   It is not claimed that the bill is perfect or adequate in all its details, but it is an experimental step in the right direction. The important thing was to assert the power of the people over the corporations that they have created for their service, but which have proved in too many in stances instruments of oppression and extortion. The bill simply proclaims that the master has not yet abdicated to the servant.

   The legislation is the result of long years of struggle in Congress. The Interstate Commerce bill has been introduced and re-introduced in every Congress for more than a decade. It has been made and unmade and remade, changed, added to and taken from, nursed, encouraged, repulsed and thwarted in both ends of the Capitol until sometimes it seemed almost hopeless effort.

   In the discussion which preceded the Senate's final judgment upon this matter, several prominent Senators took part, and among them were Messrs. Edmunds and Ingalls. The former mentioned that when the Legislature of Iowa passed the first granger act some years ago, the direst calamities were predicted of it, but none of them had come to pass. On the contrary the railroads of that State had prospered more than ever before; and he believed that when the great railroad system of the United States found itself compelled to submit to this legislation, it would turn out to be for its benefit as well as for the benefit of the whole people.

   The Senator from Kansas, who rarely speaks without giving his remarks a sarcastic, ironical, or witty turn, said, among other things, that he was sorry he had to vote for this bill, and he thought a great many other Senators were in the same condition. It was a bill which practically nobody wanted, but which everybody intended to vote for. It was a bill as to the meaning of which nobody agreed, but which everybody said ought to pass.

   Mr. Matthews, the colored Recorder of Deeds from Albany, is not the only nominee of President Cleveland who is having trouble about his confirmation, now. Public Printer Benedict is having opposition from different sources. Beside the 30,000 members of the typographical unions who are opposed to him on the ground that he is not a practical printer, there is no end to the criticism that comes from Congressmen of work being done daily at the Government Printing Office. The Congressional Record is full of mistakes, and sometimes the speech and language of Members are made to appear ridiculous and senseless. This sort of thing makes the Congressmen indignant, for no matter what their errors may be, they have been accustomed to be put in good shape, and come out all right in the Record. It is quite probable the House will take some action condemning the work now turned out of the Government Printing Office.

   It is inopportune for Mr. Coleman to be assailed just now by the Live Stock Commissioners of Illinois. He is the head of the Agricultural Department in Washington, and Congress has just voted to elevate his Department to Executive importance, and give its chief a seat in the Cabinet with the impressive title of Secretary of Agriculture. This Western Commission says the discovery of Pleuro-pneumonia in Illinois was due to them, and not one case was ever discovered by the Government Bureau of Agriculture, as is pretended by Mr. Coleman. They charge him with ignorance of the laws of Illinois on this subject, and the Department of Agriculture with incapacity to handle such questions.

   Whatever most farmers may say about the proposed Secretary of Agriculture it is quite certain that the above mentioned farmers think, inasmuch as they have gotten along so far without any help from a Government Bureau, they can continue to get along without a figure-head to supervise their interests.

REX

Interstate Commerce: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_Commerce_Commission