People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1898-10-27
C0STIGAN IS A LIAR
HE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH
THE RAILROAD BILL.

Grant Harrington, who was Clerk Of the
Senate Committee on Railroads, Tells
In His Paper, the History Of the Rail.
road Bill Vet ped by Gov. Leedy.
II we owed the devil a quota OF
forty liars and he wouldn't take
Walt Costigan and cancel the debt
we would repudiate it. Costigan
used to figure in Populist politics In
Kansas. He was a breeder OF strife
and dissension and was constantly
in a row with some OF his associates.
When Governor Leedy WAS elected
Costigan demanded the appointment
as Insurance Commissioners. He was
told the job was promised but was
given the choice OF several other
places. None OF these suited him and
he went home with the sulks. After
the places had been filled COstigan
came 10 his milk and announced that
he would be willing To take place
on the state board of charities. He
was told that he was too late as the
places had all been filled. Then he
put on his blanket and left the reser-
walton. The Republicans recognizing
his qualities as breeder OF strife put
him on the pay roll and gave him a
shirt tail full OF type with which to
start an alleged Populist newspaper
at Ottowa. Once a week he rehashes
the campaign lies manufactured at
the Republican fake factory in To-
peka. Occasionally he garnishes
them with few trimmings To gauzy
an indecent even for a Republican to
publish. Gov. Leedy Is his pet aver
sion and there is no crime from rape
to arson that Costigan does not
stand ready to charge him with.
Costigan's latest break il to claim
the authorship of the railroad bill
that the Governor vetoed during the
last legislature. His story in brief Is
that he induced Judge Sankey to
write a bill and Senator Ryan to in
troduce it for him and that when the
Harris bill was rejected by the CON-
mittee this bill was taken up and re-
ported with some notifications as
the committee bill. We are in po-
sition to know that Costigan is
liar. We were clerk Of the Senate
committee on railroads and have the
minutes of the committee meeting in
our possession. Under date OF Feb
ruary II, 1897 the minutes recite:
"A motion was made that the
committee (refering to a sub COM
mittee already appointed) he d.
rected to prepare bill taking the
Iowa law as a basis and inserting n
maximum rate which would give a
20 per cent reduction on coal, a IL
per cent reduction on stock and a 10
per cent reduction on all other classes
of freight from the present distance
tariffs now in force, subject to revis-
on by the commissioners when COM
lplaint wds duly made"
Acting under this motion which
prevailed in the committee we took
4 copy of the Iowa law and copy
Df the distance tariff then in force
and with the aid OF a stenographer
prepared the bill which without
:hange or amendment in the com.
mittee was reported back to the Sen
ate. There the maximum rate feat
IRE was stricken out and the bill IA
amended subsequently passed the
senate and the House and was We
toed by Gov. Leedy. COstigan did
not have the remOtest connection
with it and we do not propose that
he shall secure a little cheap nOtorie-
~ now by posing as its author
Kansas Democrat