The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1885-01-01
The Rergan BiIl.

80 1t0f ~ - 1V1Abs
Tie peculiar methods Of the re.
publican party In opposing legisIa-
zion for the relief Of the producers Of
tho country II shown IN their tactics
IN reference 70 tie Reagan Inter.
State Commerce Bill. Tho intention
OF the republicans In introducing an
amendment. TO prohibit the railroads
from making freight discrimination
on account 81 race or color il simply
al amendment designed to create
division among The friends of labor,
In the interest Of the corporations.
Rae, color and previous cegdition
Ct servitudc" are the bug bears
through which thieves, monopolists
and jcbbcrs Of every shade and
phase Of political rascality, seek to
obstrnct the passage OF proper legis-
lation designed to end railroad cx-
tortion. It Is rs unnecessary to
specify the negro III q railroad bill,
rs IN q bill approprinting money for
lighthouses, harbors. coast surveys,
or for providing the ordinary revc-
nues OF the government. The only
harm in the amendment Is that 1t is
designed TO cause the real question
before congress and the country to
be lost sigh. Of. There Is no sense
In legislating In the special interest
OF amy race, and all general laws like
the interstate commerce hill should
be free from all such side issues.
1t is instructive to note that while
the republicans in congress are en-
ploying every possible article to
prevent THIS legislation tho lepubli-
cans u Iowa IRE agitating the ques-
ton OF a special session Of the legis-
laturc to procure just such laws rs
that party repealed in Iow,, when it
felt omnipotentin having S0-thous-
and .najQrisy. The cxtorsion Of the
railroads IL not rs bad now a. then
inasmuch rs the freight and passen-
ger rates are less now on every road
in the state than they were then.
The Clarksons and their followers in
the state, down TO the most insight
ficLnt locnl republican newspaper
OF the state have echoed the nsser-
ton OF the State Register, that every
Greenbacker or Anti-monopolist
who had favored placing the corpor-
ations under control or law were
demagogucs, knavcs, communists,
scoundrels, trying to array the poor
against the rich. For the past ten
years the class Of men now clamor-
ing for railroad Legislation have been
teaching the people to dcspisc the
men who have favored such legisl.-
ton as these men now demand. The
railroads and the corporations own
the legislator Of Iowa rs fully as
though they had appointed its mem
bers instead Of their having been
selected by the farmers OF the state.
Manning. our presiding officer in
senate, and Wolfe in the House, are
their tools and representatives and
they have constituted the COM
mite. ID represent t,icir views and
not the people Or their interests.
While the representative OF our
county might be expected to favor
Legislative control Of the railr roads,
his slavery to party dictation Is Sc
complete that he voted to place the
control otlcgislation in the hands OF
committees appointed by Speaker
unfavorable to the people and in
the interest Of monopolics. A
special session might create a breach
in the parry between those who favor
the people and those who seek it as
o means Of retaining political as.
tendency in the state at the sacrifice
Of the people II need be. This dan
ger will go far to Offset any party
strength they hope for through its
influence and effect and is quite
likely to thwart the object.