The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-09-28


Personally. ! believe the rail-
roads eouid have bamIea wheat
since 1851 sraa sa~ grain fieias
Sf Eastern Washington for -
cent. per susHeI ssd made mon
~y, while q rate Of ss-sso per ton
would have been ONE ander
which no railroad would have
ANY Just cause for complaint
This had IL been pat into the
Gaaast bill - IL passed the fu-
ssos Legislature, wouEd have
aAs~d the farmers of EaateTR
Washington ON their wheat crop
/; Of xo,osso, 900 bssheis s25o,oo0 per
year, ar a5O9, 900 in the two years
following the ~ssetn~nt af the
95.xS rate by the fusion Iegisia-
tgre and the meeting Of the leg
Asisture Of -sssp. fast~ad the Ca
mutt bill NJ passed saved the far
ners Ct the inland empire less
than 100000 per year. Owfsx tn
she eIaase @xemptinx short isae
railroads.
Filled with Visions OF liz promise 20 the
people to Teiifse -tne farmers s3f sxcesSs :.
freight rs;ss oss grain. the fussoB legisia-
ture Hsaa4 i Ef.af Sn0% OF virtue by pre-
seaGng bills demanding lower ratsS Mil
ief, 81 aa.ta NaliA saIbniFted 4 bill in
1Ios senate Tor d 5~cen1 passenger rate and
~ 70 !ens RAUL grain rate. Canutt OF
whitman. INTRODUCED Us the acuse a hill for
q $50 long 44aai grain rate Smith. Of
Do8glaf, offered ssi reducing freight
rates, bat II died IL the hands Of the ral-
roads cosnsn.itee. M0huGdTo offered a bl
reducing freight and passenger rates
which was killed IN the holIse Mr.. stat
lord offered similar measure which new
or came to light again. Mr.. Hooper intro
= fs5s- srgp FtgH - tssaf
allowed 10 die Of hamilton In the senate
after being rushed through TIE h9slse Be
sides. there were AT least Two BILLS for a
railroad comm isslou. all Of which were
smothered by the railroad influence.
Ti1os@e at ali conyeTsanf with TIE work of
sDe last legislature know that the railroads
nad no real tutestion Of appearing In the
role OF r1De-givers and for long time
kept their lobbyists asas from Use Iegisis-
tiira. hut the fusion nae mbers were not 10
Do 80 severely left alone. Several bills mad
been introduced to acare the railroads. and
one day MEASURE easily passed ths ssn-
ate aboi!sbing the fellow servan; act and
making the railroads responsible for all in
jurtes 10 employees. Had such A measure
become saw. IL would have coss the rail-
roads untold s3rss Of money. and iEnnsdl-
ately aeieEsse fund was secuted, ard half
a dozen railroad lobbyists appeared al
Olympia To show how Suddenly the fn-
sion senate was converted 10 the size Of
conservative legislation. II is 0ss!y :secess-
sary TO mention the fact that The vote by
which the anii-feiIow act was
parsed. vas reConsidered on the second
day after ifs pdssags, and Il Mas never
again placed before The senate 10 be voted
upon.
The railroads saw that the club
of the CRATER was being used by
the fusiontSts. and from that day
until the session closed strong
lobby was kept at the capital.
The principal work dona in the legisla-
ture by tne railroads was IN The senate.
The house was ignored except IA few lead
srs. whom the railroad lobby found necers-
safy TO their protection. The senate wasi
won over. one by one until not over half
dozen of dls fusion members we're FREQ
from railroad Influence" Of some. sort
The house first took up the question %
regulation Of railroad rates. The Canutt
bill providing fog rate OF $50 per ton
for a long haul on wheat. passed the house,
and was sent 10 the senate Il was
considered in the senate March g. only
a few days before ne close OF the session
and the night before IL was 10 come up an
Interesting meeting was held In 4 room in
the Olympia hotel. occupied by railroad
lobbyist.
At that meeting were several
Popuii.t members of the senate.
besides ether members of the su-
- sion party. They were present
primarily 10 advise with the
afnferessed people on what amend
meats were necessary Ia make
she Ianutt hin "a iegnt measure;
they were there Tn fact. however,
to receive instructions from the
railroad lobbyists a. to what
endaeats should and what
sboaid net he made to the Cuuutt
biii
Tie committee an cer0eFattors. other thai,
fs4R
weeks. ard had recommended that ths Ga
nutt rate De Increased from s ~ u 50 Tls y
was Sill unsatisfactory - the railroads.
bar n as rate wae satisfactory
ben the h3il 0as called up 81 the senate
March s there was ma svi-sian crow and
Runner weFc tne ou}y FapDiiF1s vs. no OPENLY
csilec'ea 10 the t@rrlbie sisusaier q the
bin
: MoRoasy 4 Democrats fus,ou.s,. wno
hinAss haSf ces ceDtec;'i with a lobt,y
MoFiins aga ',et "a hsl = proh7sl ilsh traps
81 ws'-sis Ard = ht~l ieishy had apparently
Su'nrd hands with the raiiN1aa bobby otrerc1
TIE am rt8eng increasing she long haul
rafc fo t4-z5 pr eah.
During "a" dstAtg crow. F9pni.st. l,lead.
g fer tsa s. rstT iIe sAis there vas a
pFo1t - s. + ard al interests ought 10 "a
ga sa:ie<i wsth she 81 -ate
- i}.}T. Htf'siattcaH. asked ShY t'Ta fa.lrN3l
haal ~'s lrs@ fte''i = !'aui 10 Seattle thar
Ggasfi = Sane ~ Seattle.
MAter. tAt f1tfs-oa county ParuI - qen
ator. saia he railroads ~oilI4 lsass, So e.s
Hs fae 81 rats 5ir - aUEhI tAAs wss Toe
sa8ea ansi * fayere3 tae MrRsa,., afs.,,.t
mfnt IL vaS morh concerned a3..,ss1 ias,.
r,}sA lesrea
Hal Republican,, ~ Whitman. rsti.-I a..
toutioo ga she fast that the Hp,ri IN
drawn ~ }0tisSo Turner. s.. SpakAn. -.
previous SESSION. cs}lef - a rsts af (, ;
leT ton. liecasfse that h3if MS nos Fel~ssr
thg r. publican parts "a 40 -ieneNnfs-s ~ "a,
iop04is!s Afl* fac oTf.Sfs. the r~ve,,nt III
makes ire rate q p~r s1rt sass Srraf1l
Hal with sss.sSsYt. "ar.t w, ~ ssfR ,yse.-,
hefs or ihe reform parts ofpos nl a.
The dcHra~s amendment Wa.
ndopsesi-s IN, NAYS 10. Thrs
fn~ion fosrcs. il should be reta.ns-
hrred. numbered IL in the senate
TIE senate t1vn proceeded ~ destroy rl,.
efficiency - tha >4il ~ sScttaN ers}u>f.g
III Tats cgs lave stock wsS stricken 5sf
euts~Vfv, ~ Vas thg $s--tt0c refusing rats.
or coat. both hetth aud DAVIS B'o3Hst!stx {
saskA0s 80 fave: az This ;atteT ssctia1 e~.fu i
eiiw n8re3 3f}aT ii CLAUSE Vas stt..N-4