The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-02-05
HOUSE ON RECORD AS FAvoRINn
THE ELECTION OF RAILROAD
COMMISSIONERS.
FIGHT MADE ON THE BILL,
BUT THE MEASURE HAD FRIENns
ENOUGH TO CARRY 1T THROUGH
EASILY.
SOME OF THE ARGUMENTS MADE.
Claim That 1t Was Given an I'm
necessary Rush in It's Consider
alton by Representatives..

Representative Torson's bill H. r.
~, providing that the state railroad
ana warehouse commission be hereafter
electlVe and not an appointive body.
came up yesterday in the lower branch
OF the legislature, and was passed by a.
vote OF 81 to 27. The passing of the
Dill mas provoked no small amount of
discussion, not to say criticism. 1t is
lntlmated In some quarters that the
DIN was sent through so rapidly as to
prevent some Of the members from
possessing themselves Of sufficient in
Iormatlon, as to it's provisions and
possible effects upon which to base in
telligent action.
Ine measure was taken up the first
tnlng on the calendar. 1t is called II.
+. Il, and provides that the railroad
ana warehouse commission shall be
elected by the people, instead Of, as
now, appointed by the governor Mr..
Fe1g, almost before the bill was called.
moved call of the house, and
three members Ill, and four 9TH
ers who were not accounted for, were
all the absentees.. The house did not
walt for the absentees, but settled down
to business without them Mr.. Lain
started the ball rolling by rising to a
question Of personal privilege, In re-
| gard to the published statement Of his
remarks, made on the floor Wednesday.
He said he may have created the i'm
preston that he was in favor of the
TOrson bill, he did not wish to be so
| understood; he only meant that if he
was in favor Of the measure he would
object
by Mr.. Jacobson, that if he voted in
favor OF postponement, he must be put
down as opposed to the measure. Mr..
Littleton was recognized by the speak,
er, and opened in a thoroughly capable
manner the case Of the opposition. His
presentation was quite complete. and
legal IN its character, going into the his
tory and literature of the subject. He
maze the contention and used argu-
ment IN support Of it, that If the men,
oers OF the commission were elected in
stead OF appointed, the railroads would
come into politics more than ever and
that every railroad corporation In the
state today wanted the bill to pass.
Judge Littleton began at the begin
ming, when the first act creating a. rail-
road commissioners in the state was
approved, March 4, 1871, under which
Gov. Austin named Judge A. J. Edger-
ton; followed on down with the various
amendments until 1875, when the law
was repealed and the office was made
an elective one This office was held
by ex-Gov Marshall, and later by Cen
j. H. Baker, who served until January.
1887. 1t was then, he said. that the
present commission was created. and
shortly after the administration of the
grain and warehouse law swere added
to the duties Of the commission. and
in 1898 the supervision Of the coun-
try elevators was also added The
judge cited the names of the gentlemen
who have served on the present COM
mission since the time mentioned. and
then proceeded to quote from Prof. H,
+. DiXon'S work on "State Railroad
Control" with special reference to the
Iowa laws. After stating that from
1878 to 1888, the Iowa railroad COM
missioners were appointed by the gov
ernor, and that since then they had
been elected by the people, the speaker
quoted to the effect that one chapter Of
the law providing for the elective in
stead Of the appointive board was
those that the election of commission
ers by the people would give the rail-
roads the opportunity long sought for,
Of entering directly and effectively into
politics. Later developments have
proved that these fears were not un-
founded.
Quoting a little further down, Judge
Littleton finds that more changes
in g,
board since the new plan went into
effect, by which the tenure Of office
was made dependent upon the muta-
ton of politics" The speaker made
the point that a commissioner who
seemed by his acts to favor the gram
ger element as opposed to the rail-
roads, would be obliged, If a candidate
for reelection, to face the combined
forces of the corporations, ably direct
ed from railroad headquarters, and
further that the election Of a commits
sioner by the vote Of the people is
dangerous in furnishing inducement for
these powerful corporations to make
themselves felt politically.
The interstate commerce commission
Is, he pointed out, appointed by the
president with the advice and consent
Of the senate. In conclusion, Judge
Littleton gave the following statement
as to which states had commissioners
appointed and which elected.
Appointed Elected
Connecticut Alabama, go
Georgia, California,
Illinois, Iowa, g.
Kansas, Kentucky, /;
Massachusetts, Missouri,
Maine North Dakota, 1!
Minnesota, South Dakota,
Michigan, Wisconsin.
Mississippi,
New Hampshire.
New York,
Ohio,
Pennsylvania,
South Carolina.
Texas,
Virginia,
Vermont.