I was in public life a good many years and I am a firm believer in the sober second thought of the American people, for it represents the average judgment of every class of our people; but they get wrong, they get wrong about men, and they get wrong about policies and measures. They are subject, en masse, as men are individually, to moments of passion and excitement, and they know it. As Mr. Webster said, and as the Supreme Court of the United States has said, the fundamental object of a constitution adopted by the people is that they may protect themselves against themselves in moments of excitement and passion. And the American people will always give heed to the popular translation of the phrase, "Due process of law," that is, hear before you strike. Now the Commission, the Interstate Commerce Commission, was intended by the Congress which created it to be an absolutely independent body. It was to report to the Congress, it was not to be subject to the command of either House of Congress, or of the Executive of the United States. It was intended to be a quasi-judicial body. I know all of its members, and I do not depreciate to the slightest extent the services which it has rendered. The only criticism I would have of it, and that does not arise from its membership, but it is inherent in the system, is that it is never satisfied with the powers it has got. It is as insatiable as death for power. It has been proposed that they shall have the power to regulate the issue of stocks and bonds by railway corporations created by the states, that is, if the state which creates the railway company authorizes it, desiring it to utilize its privileges for the construction of a new railroad, to issue stock, or issue bonds, that it shall not be permitted to do that thing until the act of the legislature and the approval of the governor shall have been supplemented by the approval of the Interstate Commerce Commission. Now I am getting along in years, and I am a little old-fashioned, and I have not yet been able to satisfy myself that where one government creates a stock corporation, another government shall regulate the amount of its capital stock and its bonded indebtedness.