OCR Text |
Show lAIIUIIi: OF TIM. IMIIt.STUl! CDJIIIIIUl I . Tin. Inter Slate Commerce law which waa passed by Cougrcr lome three or four year ago ha had Juilug HaLrlefcairer a rather chiqiurcd ex Istencc. At first II waa thought that Hill would irovethe panacea for all railroad evil, and that the ubllc, the lorporatlouandthecountry would all I o bencfllet. Henalor Cullom of Illinois acqtilted aome nolo aa a stateiniin became be-came of hlicounectlan with thu law. However, from the first inrta at applying It I radically, trouble attended attend-ed Ita enforcement. Amen liuetit alter amendment followed, until really the original waa no longtr rcc gnlzed. Hut thu crushing blow was given It by the Unlloil H tales Hureuie court a abort tlmo ago. On of Ihn provisions of the Interstate Inter-state Commerce act dealt directly with corporations or agenla who make rebates, aud epeclal ralta ou their own account. Thla feature of railroad Initio ha bieii more or less tlm cauie of pools, wara aud comietltlona of a sulclJal character In the past. Thu new law It waa thought would practically practi-cally settle this matter. To get evidence evi-dence Id a case of thl kind thu agent of the corporation must testify Against himself, n ml the Constitution of tho United Htatc aayi: "No person ahall bo compiled In any criminal caan to be a wltneea against himself." The Hureme CouR hat Just decided that thla nllca to oUcudcr against tho Inter Hlate Commerce liw. The result re-sult 1 that If the law, which wa never lot ular, doea not fafl Into "Jnnocuoua deauclude" It will be blotted ftomthe atatute booka altogether. |