Our railroad legislation contains no principle that is not found in the common law. Its maxims are our birthright and will be the birthright of our children and children's children, and while railroad companies may be able in the future, as they have been in the past, to violate the law temporarily with impunity, they will never be able to prevail upon the American people to abandon the policy of railroad reform which the passage of the Interstate Commerce Law inaugurated. The Interstate Commerce Commissioners say in their sixth annual report: "Whoever will read the report of the special committee of the United States Senate, commonly called the 'Cullom Committee,' will be astounded at the magnitude and extent of railroad abuses brought to light by their investigation. Those unfamiliar with the facts made public at that time can hardly believe the outrages which were proven to exist and the manifold devices by which the most flagrant injustice was perpetrated. A single illustration will furnish a better reminder than extended comment. "It appears from that report that the Standard Oil Company, in one instance at least, boldly demanded from a certain railroad that its shipments should be carried for 10 cents a barrel; that all other shippers should be charged 35 cents a barrel on the same article, and that 25 cents of the 35 paid by such other shippers should be handed over by the railroad to the Standard Oil Company, and the penalty threatened for non-compliance with this impudent extortion was a withdrawal of its entire business.