The advocate and Topeka tribune., 1893-04-26
A REPUBLICAN, IDEA OF RAILROAD
LEGISLATION,


publican of April II is from the pen
of one of the leading republica MS Of
Rice county. There are thousands of
republicans in Kansas to-day who en-
tertsin the same views, and while we
differ with the writer in some of his
statements, we give his article entire
as exhibiting the trend of public sem
timent at the present time. The re-
publican party will find that the
people are too intelligent and too
we'll informed to be longer held In
line by their hypocritical pretentions;
and all parties may as we'll under
stand that they have duties to per-
form In order to gain and hold the
confidence of the masses.
EDITOR REPUBLLOAN:-As there is a great
deal of rot being INDUCED in by many of the
papers regarding the calling of an extra ses-
ROORAO
gan to take hand in the discussion.
Each party, before the election last fall, de-
clared for q reduction in the freight rates in
Kansas. The belief of the people, whether
erroneous or not, that the republican party
could not be trusted to correct the freight dis
examinations against Kansas more than any
thing else Is the cause of republican defeat
for the past two years, and the end Is not yet
If that party does not come to the front and re-
deem Its pledges to the people; and they can
not be hoodwinked by the speclous plea that
they have done all that can be done when they
voted for the Greenlee bill, and would not con-
cede a single point for the sake of giving the
people some relief In this matter; and that
now we must stand 1t for two years longer be-
cause the POpulists would not agree to every
thing we wanted. l have nothing but
condemnation to offer for the waste of time Of
this session by the Populists in their effort to
organize the house. l am satisfied that the
status could not have been more pleasing to
the railroads If 1t had been made to their
order. But that having been finally adjusted
each party was pledged to measure of freight
reduction, and the people have become too
we'll posted ON this question 10 be deceived by
specious reasons or buncOmbe for effect.
There were two principal bills before the leg
lslature, namely, the Greenlee, the republican
measure, and the maximum, the Popullst bill.
Both were copied from the Iowa law, the max
lmum bill more nearly than the Greenlee bill,
which had some special provisions intended to
remove the discrimination against the interior
jObbing points. 1t Is my belief that the Green
lee bill would not have stood the test Of the
courts, If, when the rate had been made by the
commissioners, 1t had been sufficiently low to
cause the railroads to fight 1t. The maximum
bill being a copy Of the Iowa law, except that
the rate made was somewhat higher, about In
proportion to the difference in tonnage Of the
two states, was constitutional, and had already
stood the test of the courts. The Greenlee bill
left 1t to three commissioners to be elected to
name the rate. The maximum bill named the
rate and gave the commissioners authority to
make such changes as the operation of the law
deleVoped the necessity for. Both provided for
the election Of the commissioners by the peO-
pie, with this difference: The Greenlee bill
provided for immediate election, thus depriv-
ing the Popullsts Of that much of the fruits Of
their victory last fall. The maximum bill pro-
viding for appointment by the executive
council of the first board, and the election
thereafter of one each year.
The republican party having had the ap-
pointment of this board ever since the enact
ment of the law creating the board of railroad
commissioners, l can see no justification of
the republican position that they would
rather the people should continue to suffer un-
der the freight determinations charged in
Kansas than that the Populists should have
the emoluments Of the offices their victory last
fall entitled them to. Neither can / see any
justification for the PopuliSts In permitting
tho ,,oltr,, 90 that hoa,A 60 da-