The advocate and Topeka tribune., 1893-05-10

maximum freight bill, and was recommended
for passage The vote will be taken at 10 o'clock
l this morning and there will be no opposition.
1 1t corresponds with the Iowa rates and makes
reduction Of from Is to IS per cent. 1t fur
/ ther provides that at the general election to
be held in 1893, there shall be elected three
commissioners, who, after the first Monday In
/ January, 1894, shall constitute the board OF
I railroad commissioners.
This shows that the Pcpulist represent
atives were in favor of railroad legisla-
tion. Now what did the senate doP
Topeka State Journal republican, Of
March 2, 1893, had the following:
The senate this morning passed the Populist
| railroad bill. 1t provides that the railroad
commissioners shall be elected by the people,
and not appointed by the governor, as IS at
| present; the commissioners are not elected by
the state at large, but the state is divided into
| three districts, each Of which will elect one
/ commissioner. 1t reduces the present freight
| rates from 25 to 1878 per cent. The advantage
now possessed by Missouri river towns In the
state is destroyed by this bill. 1t Is very
sweeping In its provisions, which apply to all
persons, firms and companies, and all associa-
I tions Of persons, whether Incorporated or
otherwise.
Here, by the republican testimony, it
is proven that the Populists were true to
their constituents. But when KING
Horton" and Scar johnson" rendered
their "private " opinions publicly ex-
pressed, the Lesvenworth Times gave
expression of gratitude in the following
language:
The railroads, especially, have cause for con-
gratulations; for Rby any chance the supreme
court had taken the other shoot authorized by
precedents laid down in the books and de-
clared the Dunsmore house to have been the
de tdCtO organization, u railroad law more
stringent than the Iowa statute would have
been put into full force and effect.
The above is an open confession tina
the Populists meant business, and the
reason the supreme court did not stake
the other shoot authorized by prece-
dents laid down in the books and declare
the Dunsmore house a de fGctO one" was
because the court knew that the Popu-
lists intended to throttle the high freight
rate robbers.
Let US see what republican senators
said about the maximum bill in their
protest filed in the senate.
Senator Sterne said: 81 am opposed
to this bill It reduces freight rates
over 40 per cent"
Senator Brown said: "This bill, if it
becomes q law, will throw our railway
system into bankruptcy"
Senator Metcalf said: 81 hardly feel
ready to give my sanction to a law pro-
posing to arbitrarily fix maximum rates
and undertaking to absolutely control
these organizations IN matters upon
which their very existence depend.
/ believe that the reduction con-
templated in this bill will 80 cripple
these institutions that they must nee
essarily carry on their business at an ab-
solute loss"
Senator Thacher said: "This bill pro
poses to reduce freight rates from Is tC
q per cent. The senate has no infor
nation of the ability Of the railroad cor
porstions to meet the reductions made
, by this bill. To reduce their revenues
25 per cent must produce bankruptcy
Now il all that the republican senators
have said be true, the Populist repre-
sentatives and senators stood by theil
constituents nobly, for they sized up the
ability of the farmers of Kansas to pa!
high freight rates, while the republican,
sized up the ability of the railroad cor
porations to stand the reduction. Thus
it is "the people be damned" SO sayetl