Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-08-10

PHMLTsBURG, KAN.
Dear Sir:-I want TO thank YOU for the kind in
tTest You manifest in your favor of the 1st inst.
! should have answered sooner but have had
large pressing correspondence that demanded at
tentOn, ana this Is, seemingly the first OppOr-
tunty that has presented itself in proper shape 70
write you
/ have appreciated. most thoroughly, the
course that you have pursued in your paper IN
opposition to mOnOpOhes, trusts, etc, and with
all I am in perfect accord and no man can point
to q single act or Gtterauce OF mine not III mar
mOny with such views. III my canvass two years
ago l stated my position fully and amy one who
attempts to misrepresent me does II WllfuIy.
While with the Board Of Railroad Commissioners
/ learned much of railroad manipulatiOns and the
Injustice that they were constantly doing the
people, and in every speech made, 1 urged three
changes in the present laws of our state and com
meHded them to members Of the legislature
First. in order to make the Board of Railroad
Commissioners emcient servants OF the people
they should be given Dienary power to establish
freight rates; second. repeal the law granting
m7AlclpaI corporations Inc power 10 euDscriD5
for stock; third, pass a law limiting the bonded
liability Of railroad $4,000 per mile. The pres
ent average Indebtedness, per mile, OF the roads
of state is S54 9O5 80, when every mile can be
built and equipped for $4,000 per mile and those
which were built during the war could not have
cost over 100000 per mile: the difference between
these amounts and S54, 9Oa.39 represents the wat
cred stock and bonds of these roads, and the
people for all time TO come are obliged to pay a
tariff sufficiently high to pay the operating eX-
penses taxes and interest on this Indebtedness of
So, 9O5. 80 instead Of $4,000 per mile. They
plead that the laws of our state have allowed
them to create the Indebtedness by not limiting
their liability. ana you cannot le8lHiaCG 10 IN
terfere with vested rights, our people must con-
tnue to pay for all time to come this unnecessar-
lily and viciOusly high tariff, but had such lmita-
ton been made by the last legislature nearly one
half of the mileage Of the roads IN the state would
be subject to its provisions and lower tariffs upon
these roads would have forced the same reduC-
tiOns upon all. Notwithstanding the full dis
cussiOn / gave this question not single bill was
introduced to accomplish either purpose except
the second and that reduced the amount from
$4,000 to $4,000 per mile. advocated aEfree coin
age of silver and constant expansion OF Ine
currency at least commensurate with the deveL
! oDement of our commercial interests. / have
fought the bill now before congress to grant an
ey-tSnsiOn of 80 wears to the u p. r. ". Co. upon
its bonds to the government IL has been uE
twice and have speech prepared in opposition
TO il when IL comes up Tor consideration. nave
advocated the forfeiture of all lands granted tC
I railroads not earned and though was the only
/ new member upon the Public Lands Committee
was appointed with PaysOn, of H., (as the two
republicans upon d subcommittee or hYe, WITH
/ Chairman Holman as chairman to consider the
whole question of railroad grant fOrfeitures anC
I prepare bills which was done. OI course TINS
/ was the most important sub committee appoint
/ ed in fact I was named upon three others anC
never had meeting except one. In the genera
| land bill secured concessions which have never
before been allowed by the committee. One
/ allowing entry man to be absent from his
/ homestead for period Of not more than one
/ wear at time; another reducing the price or al
/ Government land to S1.25 per acre; another al
| lowing a party who has used both homestead anC
premptiOn rights, if he is not the owner of 1G
| acres to take an additional homestead.
The work / have done before the departments
! so far as / know, has been satisfactory to thOs
! interested. have 1859 pension claims upon M
! books every one of which l have looked afte
/ from one 10 half u dozen times, and many hav
been allowed by my personal efforts, know, bu
/ this is but simply doing my duty and Is no
/ views upon the controlling questions referred to
/ VIII send you copies of some Of the bills intro
Yours Truly
/ -. j. i tIiNEIt.