The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-06-24

there. for that matter, although out o
date now and generally useless. In It
time It "cut figure"
The primary purpose of the weltzel law
as 1t was enacted under skillful manage
ment from the third house, was to enabl
the XII gour Company IN C ncinnati to fore
all smaller and competing lines into IL
own clutches at its own terms.
Some of these smaller lines were "feed
ers" which sought entrance to the heart O
the city. Others had entrance to Fountain
Square, but not enough street facilitie.
downtown. to accommodate outlying traf
hc.
The KIgour Company had the heart o.
the city well ''b-anketed" These othe1
lines were seeking the right to use track
age Of the Kllgour Compony to complete
their systems, and offering 4 pay an ap
praised rental for the use and to make re,
pairs. The Weitzel law was so framed
! that It seemed to yield to this demand
but in effect It so restricted the amount Of
trackage which could be so acquired thai
it was OF no effect.
The Ford bTl was introduced to repea
the Weitzel law. Foraker was on deck
/
work there was thus outlined in a Cincin-
natl Tlmes-Star editorial Of March 1s 1893
THE lobbying ex-governor of this city
has brought to bear all his influence IN the
legislature to beat the Ford bill, which
repeaLs the Weftzel law Ex-Governor
Foraker IN this way intends to fasten
/ upon his fellow citizens in this city a street
railroad monopoly which is controlled sole
| ly by personal gain at public expense.
THE public-be-damned policy rules su-
preme and finds hearty supporter in the
person Of Ex-Governor Foraker.
The influence which he weiks in the
( legislature Is of a political character, and
the fees which the consolidated pays him
are paid TO secure that political influence. -
There was another street railway meas
.ure in that same legislature, and Il went
little bit farther than any previous at
Temps. 1t rejoiced in a siDguiaHy appro-
| pirate name. A special providence in
| nomenclature must have been at work
when its father was permitted to break
! into the legislature and name a bill. It
was called the Graft bill, and it was one
of the best of it's kind. Former Governor
Foraker was its attorney.
By the way, Senator Foraker never has
said whether the street railway company
allowed him expenses that winter in add
ton to his regular salary" Wonder If 4
did? If ne had to pay his way out of his
regular salary there could not have been
much profit in the job. He was at Column
bus a good deal of the time, the Neil
House charges first-class rates. ard tips
and things do count up on a poor lawyer
working for a regular salary.
The Tines-Star of Cincinnati had a little
editorial mention of Attorney" Foraker
and the Graft bill in its Issue of Feb. 10.
1893. 1t appears from this excerpt that tho
soon-to-be senator was the same boy he Is
now. When he got in corner he called
names.
There were only two advocates of the
bib present" said the Times-Star. "the
secretary OF the street railway company
and Ex-Governor Foraker. Ex-Governor
Foraker made a speech in which he did
not explain the Graft bill, but INDUCED in
series Of Trades against citizens who
were opposing Il.
"Ex-GoveT7Ior Foraker never opposes a
corporation which pays him for his eserv-
ices and never supports a corporation I'M
les he can extort melting from II treas
lrry. His chief employment at present
seems 10 he as king lobbyist in the state of
Ohio. whose services are secured chiefly
for the supposed political pull ne may
have with legislative and municipal
authorities"
While this same fight was raging at
ColumbuS-in fact, 1t was q few DAYS
earlier than the appearance OF the excerpt
Just printed-the Times-Star gave the
former governor a little more loving at
tention. He was quite favorfte of Con-
gressman-to-be Taft In those days, Fora
ker was. This utterance is interesting
now as it helps bear out the old adage.
1.-The leopard cannot change his spots"
Under the caption, "a Lobbying Ex-
Governor" the Times-Star OF Feb IA, 1893,
said:
Foraker has written q letter to James
NJ. Dalzell, from which the following ex-
tract is taken:
4 shall not be at the state convention
this year.. At least not unless something
should transpire to take me there that is
now unforeseen. I am getting out OF poll
ties as fast and as completely as / cam
''To the last remark we simply wish u
say, ooh. rats Foraker will never let go
OF politics 50 long as blood goes through
hts veins.
The intimation sought TO be conveyed Is
that he is practiclng law. When the Con-
solfdated Street Railroad Company has
any law business to attend to K4ttredge &
Wlby and Paxton & Warrington are the
lawyers; but when a scheme Is to be log
rolled through the generalassembly Fora
ker appears as the lobbyist on behalf of
the street railroad company. He is en-
ployed because of his alleged political in
fluence IN the general assembly.
Ex-Governor Forake holds on to poll
tics and VIII hold on to politics as long as
tle can in order to sell out his political in
fluence in behalf Of schemss OF any monop-
oily that has money to put up for his serv-
ices.
He "a willing 10 DO this, even though
the object may be 10 fasten upon the
people an ubiquitous and inflated tax In the
shape OF a 5-cent fare to be paid into the
Golfers Of the street railroad monopoly for
n period q twenty-five years.
Now. the Timss-Herald never said any
thing worse about Foraker than that. but
It does not appear that he threw fits every
time he read such an Endorsement OF his
powers. He had not then quite arisen TO
the dignity Of +ypewrttten interviews ready
for the printer Whenever anybody sug-
EeSted his connection with the lobby.
Nor did such talk sway him from his
purpose. He can be very tenacious. Fora