The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-04-06
NOT ONLY STEAL, But LIE.

| To the Editor OF the Eagle.
Under the heading of ''The Kansas
Freight Middle there is an Associated
Press dispatch appearing in the Kansas
City and st. Louis papers, which con-
tains report sent by wire from Hot
Springs by Kansas City Freight Commits
sioner FanIandingham TO his Kansas
City constituents, the substance Of which
is that the injunction suit started in
this city, and referred to the United
States court at Hot Springs was dis
missed. and that now all the Kansas
City jobbers have to attendto is "to take
care Of the Atchison case"
AS one Of the parties interested, I de-
sire to brand this report misrepresenta-
ton of the facts. The Hot Springs court
did not dismiss our injunction case, but
on the contrary, upon the motion Of our
attorney, Judge Houck, continued the
case for forty days without prejudice to
either party to the suit, granting each
side twenty days in which to prepare
their argument. The railroads, through
their attorneys, protested vigorously
against the case beng continued, know
ing that if given sufficient time, our at
torneys could satisfy the court that he
had jurisdiction, and that if the case was
ever tried by Judge Caldwell on its
merits, the interior jobbers would be
sustained. The fact therefore, that the
point asked for by the interior
jobbers WAS granted by the court, is
a distinct victory for the interior job
bers; but the action of Vanlandingham
IS in line with the policy pursued
throughout this whole matter by his
employees on the Missouri river Through
the medium of their newspapers, the
Missouri river jobbers would make it
appear that they were having very
smooth sailing in forcing tine railroads
Of Kansas to ignore the rulings of the
highest authorities on freight matters
the state and interstate boards of rail- |
road commissioners. And yet it was
fact to be noticed that they sent large |
reinforcement to Hot Springs to assist |
the several railroad attorneys who were |
sent by their companies to fight the in
terror jobbers, who had present but one
representative to guard their interests. !
Among this collection of legal talent |
was noticed Judge Eaton, who is to pre-
side over the Atchison suit. Did they |
bring this gentleman with them to show |
him in advance how they proposed to an
initiate their interior competitors when !
their case came up in his own court? /
Or was the learned gentleman merely in
Hot Springs for his health? There |
are some very serious questions to |
be answered by our Kansas City
friends as well as by the officials of the |
Kansas lines. Acting under the dicta-
ton of these Kansas City monopolists,
the Kansas railroads have dared TO defy
the Kansas railroad commissioners, who
have ordered them to reduce their state
rates. They have ignored the restrain
ing order of federal Judge Riner who
forbade them advancing through rates.
They have ignored the express stipula-
tons, of the interstate commerce COM
who insist that the inter-
mediate point must receive a rate as low
as the terminal. The Kansas City job
bers can afford to waive all considera-
tons of whatever nature, in their
desperation against Kansas daring to
assert its own. commercial supremacy,
for they have everything to gain and
nothing to lose, but can the high officials
of the Kansas railroads afford it? Can
they be blind to the fact that they are
piling up wrath against the day of .
wrath! Is it not to be wondered at that
some of the eastern stockholders and
directors of these companies do not
grasp the situation and remedy matters !
before the value of their properties are
appreciated, as they certainly will I've if /
'elief be sought for before the people {
IF the state through itsdegislature? The :
Interstate commerce commissioners at {
" Washington have considered the Kansas {
reight troubles of sufficient importance I
o send their special agent TO the scene f
o investigate and act. Will the rail-
Dads dare defy him too:
1t is pet phrase OF the railroad Off
ial, in referring to the railroad laws
nacted By state legislature. TO call
hem ..:crank legislation" but are not ,
hey themselves responsible for ii: Are
hey not counting il: There is only one
and safe course for the Kan
as lines to pursue. Let them emanci-
ate themselves from the dictation of
he Kansas City grabbers, and dare to
hey the order OF our railroad commits v
toners, which order they have publicly /
to be Just. II they viii notdo a
his, they must take the consequences, c
nd will have themselves TO thank for it. p
WICHITA JoBBER n
Il
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