The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1886-08-19
AnnEnsnn an - 80 anAns.


VIII q Mr.. Anderson was first nom
mated In 1878, he defeated Mr. Phil
..ps, who had been making an earn
ct effort In congress 10 compel the
K. p. r. r. Co, % pay taxes on tts
lsnds in bis districts or forfeit them.
Mr.. Anderson was then nominated
through the manipulstiOns Of NJ
Purcell who Was then as now, q rail-
road man and Mr.. AnderBOn's pOliti-
cal backer. This aroused q suspicion
among the people that Mr.. Phillips
had been defeated by railroad infiu-
ence, and many calls we're made for
him to become . candidate, but he
firmly refused 10 listen 10 them. AT
the end Of Mr.. AndersOn's first term
ne seemed TO realize that he c0uld not
expect q reelection on his general
merits e. Q Republican and Congress
man, but that be must set himself up
as the champion OF some special
cause. He at last chose the anti
monopoly issue as the one to which
he would pin hrs hopes. He was
elected then and twice aftergar,is.
Since then he hRs made this question
his hobby and has assumed 10 be the
sworn fee Of all corporations, rail-
roads In particular, and 20 favor tx
treme legislation against them. But
somehow be has 90 far signally fails d
% get bis ideas crystalizrd into laws,
90 as 20 give them practical effect.
This, with the fact thai Mr.. Purcell,
the rich Santa Fe man, still remained
his close friend, caused many tO
doubt the sincerity Of his anti mOnOp-
Oly Dretensions, and 20 watch his
course. The result is that there II
= wide spread belief that he has been
only posing as the peoples champion,
while really being in league with the
railroads, aud careful not 60 hurt
them, although keeping up 6 loud
barking at them 10 deeelve,lhe people.
We believe this 10 be the bottom fact
Of the matter, and there are many
things going 20 show it. His plan
seems 60 be 90 always demand mea-
sures so extreme that he knows they
cannot become laws and to reftlse All
CONCESSIONS or compromise and insist
on ell he asks or nothing; thus de-
featlng such legislation entirely. II
appears that by such two faced mCana
he hoped 10 retain the confidence Of
the people and at the same time be
able TO serve the railrOsds a. well ~
he could by openly opposing all legls-
laliOn hostile 20 them. One Of his
latest moves OF this kind was made Ia
congress on the second day Of July,
I'm regard to the bill fOFfelting seven
hundred thousand acres Of land "a
seven southern railroads The bill
had passed the house, and the Senate
had also passed Il, but had excepted
from the forfeiture the lands of the
Gulf & Ship Island, one Of the seven
roads.
When the bill a. thus amended
came back to the house, Mr.. PaysOn
Of Illinois, an able and sincere anti
mOnOpOli1t, urges tie house to At once
agree 20 the amendment, as II IL did
| not he feared the whole bill might
fail, aud it was far better 10 take the
slx-seyenths Of the whole than 10 tai G
any chances Of losing the whole,
This was certainly the dictate OI
/ wisdom and practical states.
manship. But Mr.. Anderson violent
/ ly opposed doing this, and demanded
all or nothing 1T all, and abused and
insulted the senate, and then voted
against the whole bill and tried to de
/ feat It. But wiser councils than his
prevailed and the bill passed in spite
Of him by vote Of l57 for 10 q
against. The Congressional Record
shows all OF the above facts Thus
Il will be seen that because Mr. An
dsisOn could not forfeit the whole OF
these lands, he seized upon this rs an
excuse for voting against fOrfelting
six sevenths Of them, or any st all
u he had had his way, those roads
WO aid have he'd for a long time TO
come and perhaps for forever, over
half q million acres Of land they had
no right to and which will now be
taken from them. NOw,w ask every
candid man. was not this conduct OF
Mr.. Anderson either that Of q crank
and an 'lmprautleable," or else of n
demagOgue playing into the hands Of
the railroads 10 help them retain these
lands II he Is such a crank, then
he Is not only a useless but q most
dangerous man TO have IN congress.
And ~ ~ seems most probable, he II
In cOllusiOn with the railroads, of
course he is utterly unfit 20 remain
there. Yet that he IL the one or the
other seems certain. In either event
he ought to step down and out.