Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-12-20
THE Passenger Pooling Bill. !"

1.-THE Passenger Pooling Bill"
When the bill was before the House
prohibiting competition among rail-
roads for passenger transportation
by making the sale Of cut rate tickets
illegal, Mr.. Updegraff spoke in oppo-
sition to the measure as follows:
Mr.. Speaker, I did not intend to
say anything upon this bill, but feel
myself unwarranted in remaining
silent in the presence of a PROPOSE
ton so monstrous as this bill contains.
1t ought to be entitled IA bill to pre-
vent the competition in traffic by
railroads" Every other business
under the sun, almost, save some
trusts that have not yet dissolved,
submits to competition, Why, re-
member in my boyhood there was a
saying that competition was the life
of trade. This bill was intended to
destroy competition entirely; not
only to destroy it, but to make it an
infamous crime.
Mr.. Speaker, l have loved the Re-
publican party and stood by its
councils and rejoiced in its victories.
1t has done SO much, oh, 80 much, to
elevate mankind and protect the
interests of the masses of the people.
We have been riding upon the high
tide of popularity because we have
been doing right, because we have re-
spected the rights of the great masses
of the people, But see in this bill
the first Indication OF substance of
tnat tide of popularity. 1t will impair
in the minds of the masses of the
people the confidence in the honesty
and integrity of the principles of the
Republican party. Let me say to my
friends from the Western States, at
least some of them--I know not how
it may be in the East, but I warn
you, my colleagues, that when the
purchasers who are favored, when
the commercial organizations who
are favored, when other manu-
featured sentiment that is brought
here mostly from favored sources
when that is quieted, you will hear
something from the wrath of the
people. and furthermore, you will
deserve it.
AS I started to say moment ago,
the lawyer, the merchant, the manu-
facturer, must endure competition
and face it. What divinity doth
hedge the railroad companies of the
United States that they are not only
forbidden the right to compete with
each other, but are to be marked
with tie brand of felons if they do
so?
Mr.. Speaker, this bill is nothing
under heaven but a pooling bill fol
passenger earnings--that and nothing
else. The plain people who have not
spoken npon these subjects will al
their homes and ty their iresides
look into this thing. They will see
what it in fact accomplishes. There
is now pending here pooling bill TO,
freight earnings also. A vote for ono
is logically vote for the other. And
when you have done the injury
when you have impaired the conf
dence Of the people in the Republi
can party and It's councils, you hav'
, inflicted upon this country an ipjur.
absolutely Unreasonable. There i
no excuse for it. There is no publi
demand for it from the people of tn,
United States, and there will be, il
my opinion, punishment for those
at least those from the West-wht
may vote for this bill.
1 desired to say only these few
words to warn my party colleagues o
the danger that they are in; for be
lieve L know something of tina
danger. believe know something
! of the sentiment of the common
people-the men who pillow and reap
the men who buy and sell, the mel
who labor. And tell you that the.
, are not for this bill, and they ough
> not to be for it. The Republican
, party should SET the stamp of it's dis
. approval upon this bill. 1t neve
, ought to have been here, in M
opinion, and 1t ought to go out will
! ignominy. [Applause.]
1