Kansas City journal., 1897-06-08
VETOED HIS PARTY PLATFORM.

In the course of an interview publsned IN
a Topeka paper last Friday Governor
I.eedy admitted that he had given over
hope of converting enough members Of the
legislature to pass his maximum freight
rate bill and that therefore no special ses-
sion of that body would be called. In this
interview, as well as in others that have
gone before. Governor Leedy alludes to
those Populist members who failed to sup
port the Brown bill as traitors TO the Abb
lene platform. 1t has been matter OF
considerable surprise TO those who nave
watched this internal Populist quarrel that
these accused legislators did not use the
means so conveniently at hand to show, as
they are entirely able to do, that Governor
Leedy is the traitor instead of themselves.
There is but one railroad plank in the
Abilene platform, and it reads as follows:
I'VE are in favor of such legislation in
Kansas as will secure to the people of this
state such reductions in charges by the
transportation companies as will place
them on an equality with similar charges
paid by the people of Iowa, Illinois and
other producing states, and TO that end we
favor the enactment of maximum freight
rate law and the election of a board Of rail-
road commissioners by the people, with
power to revise such maximum rates from
time to time in case of any inequality
therein, so as to make such charges fair
and reasonable, and whose duty it shall be
to enforce such rates as the actual charg-
es by the transportation companies"
Upon the assembling of the legislature
the Populist members proceeded TO pass
freight rate bill that in every essential
was in harmony with this platform utter
ance, and yet it was vetoed by Governor
Leedy. The bill is too long for reproduc-
tion here, bIt the whole gist of it is cen
tanned in the following extract:
After such hearing and investigation,
the said commissioners shall fix and de-
termine the maximum charge to be there
after made by the railroad company or
common carrier complained of, subject to
the limitations and restrictions hereinafter
contained: and the said commissioners shall
render their decision in writing, and shall
spread the same at length on the record TO
be kept for that purpose; such decision
shall. specifically, set out the sums or rate
which the railroad company or common
carrier so complained of may thereafter
charge or receive Cor the service therein
named; and the said commissioners shall
not be limited in their said decision and
the schedule to be contained therein to the
specific case or cases complained of, but 1t
shall be extended to all rates between
points in this state; and any such decisions.
so made and entered on record of said COM
missioners, including any such schedules,
SHALL when duly authenticated, be received
and held. in all suits brought against any
such railroad corporation or common car
rier wherein is in any way involved the
charges of any such corporation or carrier
mentioned in said decisions, in any of the
courts of this state. as prima facie evidence
that the rates therein fixed are reasonable
maximum rates; and the rates so estlb-
lished after such hearing and investiga-
tion, shall, from time to time thereafter.
upon complaint duly made. be subjec. to
revision by said commissioners the same
as any other rates as hereinbefore pro-
vided."
1t will be observed that this vetoed law
is in absolute harmony with the demands
of the Abilene platform with the one ex-
ception that the platform demands the fix
ing of maximum rates by the legislature,
which rates, however, shall be movable up
or down at the will of the railroad COM
missioners. 1t is evident that maximum
rates under such conditions would not be
maximum rates at all, and this inconsist-
ency was rectified by the legislature which
bestowed the primary power upon the COM
missioners to fix the maximum schedule.
Thus we find that the only difference be-
tween the platform demands and the bill
vetoed rests in the fact that the platform
provided for maximum rates that might be
altered at the pleasure of the commission
ers, while the law struck out this redund-
ancy and said the commissioners might fix
the rates at the outset. The platform at
tempted the absurdity of establishing an
unalterable thing that might be altered,
while the law simplified matters by giving
the power direct into the hands of the COM
missioners to be exercised without a con-
fusion OF meaningless terms.
But one conclusion can be reached by
perusing the records of this interesting
case. and that is that Governor Leedy has
vetoed the Abilene platform.