OCR Text |
Show MADE MANY BLUNDERS. The Now York World has not a high opinion of our law makers. If we are to have a government of law, that paper pa-per declares, It Is obvious that the men who make law and attempt to enforco them should have some knowledge of law and precedent. The Hepburn act, designed to prevent railroad companies from owning and operating coal mines and monopolizing the fuel supply, is practically nullified by tho Supreme Court of the United States because it fails to state in proper language Its real intent. The slovenly character of the Hepburn Hep-burn legislation is shown by the fact that tho court has passed repeatedly upon the point involved, and yet no one in congress or in tho cabinet seems to have had knowledge of the situation situa-tion until the court Itself drew attention atten-tion to it. By the decision just rendered ren-dered it is hold that there Is nothing In the law prohibiting a railroad from owning and controlling another corporation cor-poration engaged in the production and sale of coal, 3nd yot that Is exactly what congress thought it was preventing prevent-ing when it enacted the Ilepubrn law This blunder is more remarkable for the reason that there are laws in various states which effectively cover the very evil here aimed at. In several commonwealths It is unlawful for one corporation to hold the stock of another. an-other. There lire states In which corporations cor-porations are forbidden to own land. Tbe constitution of Pennsylvania which preceded the on now in force specifically prohibited railroads from owning and operating coal mines, and it was for tho purpose of evading that provision that tho railroads organized the subsidiary companies which aro now legalized by the Supreme Court. In effect the judgment just handed down nullifies tho main feature of the Hepburn law, but it intimates very pointedly that congress may de exactly what it attempted to do whenever it shall be so disposed and shall be able to bummon to its assistance the legal talent necessary to draw a valid act. The court, which was practically unanimous, un-animous, has dono its part. If congress Las any sense of shame or of humor or of the fitness of things it will make haste to correct a blunder that reflects as severely upon its sincerity as it j does upon its intelligence. m a) m 1 |