People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1897-03-18
Harris Defends His Bill:
p cial to the Kansas City Times.

heat Of discussion Of the Harris rail-
road bill there was some complaint
against Senator Harris on account Of
the measure. The complaint came
from those who favored a maximum
freight rate bill. Today Senator Har-
riS made a statement to the press
about the bill. He sad
II shall consider it great miSfOr-
tame if the senate railroad bill, with
house amendments, is hot properly
cOnCuTed in by the senate, signed by
the governor and allowed to 60 into
effect, that We may accomplish what
other legislatures have not succeeded
in dOing-to confer upon the State
Railroad Commission power to enforce
its decisions; the abolition Of discrim-
ination, and provision for appeal to
the interstate commerce commission.
These three points are far in advance
of the existing laws, and will, in my
Judgment, be accepted by the people
as real and substantial fulfllment
of party pledges,
81 deprecate all this temper and the
assertions of bad faith in any direc-
ton. Every one has tried to be just
and right. have faith 10 the judg-
ment of the great masses of the
common people. The use of the term
TRAITOR" which has been INDUCED
in, is unfair, unjust, uncalled for, and
unworthy of honest, sincere men,
whether in the press of the country
or among representatives and senators
of the legislature. | assert that when
| came here it was with the idea that
nothing should be attempted which
would not stand in the face of we'll
known decisions Of the courts; that
any policy which would be rendered
illegal and void by any court of
competent Jurisdiction would be
demoralizing and disastrous to the par.
ty and in no way productive Of good
to the people.
1.-THE railroad bill which l intro
duced in the senate, and which was
finally reported adversely by the
committee on the railroads, was, in
effect, the Iowa law as it stands to-
day. This, with other bills, was
reported adversely, as l have said,
and a compromise bill, embOdying a
maximum rate feature, finally decided
upon by the committee. Individually
| had no faith in the maximum rate
feature. No legislative maximum
rate ever has, anywhere, been of any
benefit. State after state has tried it,
and it has resulted every time in
failure. l desired that the state
railroad commission be authorized to
investigate and determine what were
reasonable and just rates, and that it
should be done carefully, and with a
full consideration of all the facts,
and that their decision be made abso-
lutely effective, unless finally set
aside by the courts. In that case,
the commission can Immediately
make the change so as to keep the
rate within the findings Of the court.
THE senate bill provides for this
without any expense or trouble to
the aggrieved party excepting the
filing of complaint and the production
of facts, to which the commission
shall have the authority to add all
the evidence it can secure as to rates
In this or any other state, or any line
of railroad. The decision OF the
commission will not be confined to
the special case, but will Of course, at
once, and by the express provisions Of
the law, apply to all similar cases,
and as a consequence, to all rates for
shorter distances. In this way, in a
very short time, there will grow up
schedules of rates which will rest on
solid foundation Of asserted facts.
Thus in tie course Of six months, it
seems to me, We will arrive, in a
practical and wise way, at perma-
nent schedule of rates which will be
fair alike to corporations and to the
people, and which will endure, with
such varirtions for the better as time
may indicate.
81 do not feel the slightest fear but
the people viii! realize they have
gotten upon solid ground, and have
foundation upon which they can
build something permanent. While
it is true that much has been said in
platform aud upon the stump about
what is called d maximum rate bill,
very few people have clear and distinct
idea Of what that phrase literally
means, or how it Is arrived at. The
feelings Of sentiment expressed, and
which was the intent Of the people,
was that just rates and the abolition
of unjust discrimination should be
arrived at. That tits reached by some
what different methods will not lie
opposed or rejected by the people.
Their intelligence and business sense
may be relied upon TO discriminate