The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-02-12

Special stan Correspondence
OLYMPIA, Feb. 1.-THE effect Of tne
( hearing given the ailroad attorneys ny
the joint committee on ralIuoaas OF The
senate ard hotss Friday has not been
particularly beneficial 10 the railroads II
one can Judge from the expressions heard
ansnt The fVeSh. rate bih And vet on
The ore side. e was Sl1rewt sharp men.
tTsl!ne3 20 convince fur.es by argument art
device even where facts ara lacking, and
on the other sf3e mea from al walks Ok
lie. who heard technical railroad terms
used by the attorneys that were as words
from the Greek. 50 far as real understand
ing insight SO.
What Lobbyists DO Not know.
], IS a fact wei known that man can
be railroad attorney and stin know
nothing about fFesght rates or tie practical
operation of a railroad. The railroad al
torney looks after the legal matsars Tho
traffic manager looks after tire freighsA
The attorney IS trained 20 cops with bgl-
lgeTeat witnesses. - catoe furies %
blend argument with fact and sympathy,
an1. In stcr:. 20 win his case. whether
right or wrong. Ia this case the lexissa-
tuFe was the jury. Aside rrom one, there
was not representative OF Il railroad De-
fore the legislature who would pretend
10 anyone but Legislator tina, he knew
anything about frcssht rates. the methods
governing tie making of rates, or why
the freight nates ot Eastern Washington
should not be- reduced.
knowledge Is skin Deer.
That one exception was Mr. Cotton. ~
tire a. n a N and ne knows less about
me practical workings Of thu traffic depart
ulant than many other men at work for
f.Ye railroads n Portland. Tacoma and Sc-
attic. / 10 not say this % heittile Mr..
Cation. Tie Is big mana braiay mar:
| 81, he !s = iaeyer. fis knawa nothing
of tie traffic department. except as that
kaoSies}se has ooane 70 him in The trial
OF cases. or az rs has crammed his mind
| tn prepare for an argument. / greatly
doubt IL Mr Cotton would not Admit this
himself flis knowlclgs Of freight rates
is ekin deep II IS q surface knowledgrl
nothing more. nothing lass.
Regar9.ng Mr. Grosscur no dii not pre-
tend 70 know anything about the freight
question He kmow as Et;le about how
rates are made and why they are made
~. "a the veriost agEicmtur'at In thu
legislature. This was axs.aren, when he
appeared and read a WIEN statement
around the ssssb1ect s,u, 5ia not enter into
IT, THE fact - Mr Grosscup haa hsen
railroad attorney only !itse over two
years and he has set great deaf 20
learn about railroad law. let alone freight
rates witch he has never had either tha
time or inclination 70 study,
Mr. f'hornpsoa's Intelligent Advice.
Mr.. Thomgeon-weli. he al not talk
about rates IN an Intelligent manner at alt.
tie praised Jim Hill when Mr.. Hi dEf
ret uee3 praise he abused the newspapers
instead 81 euighl lenlbg the members ~ no
legislature. and claaed with cry for ths
members 20 gather up courage with which
50 - home ard tell their people That TIA
railroad attorneys know & al and she peo-
pc a. home knew nothing. that they rad
Iesu convinced by the attorneys and had
voted sgatrsst Their people Courage" -
sasd. ia noble. coxar r,ilee Is a crime Ard
he might also have said thar poetry Is
not prose. an1 that agures are not neces-
safFy gacts
Toek seven n"urs 90 Say Nothing.
Ard 20 tseae xrest railroad attorneys.
who qfescu5el te kuow and knew they 1ld
aot. siaea tp ana fer ever seyeH long hours
lsfed - convince tee rnafu.ers - the leg1@-
lsiure who were in TOE dark. ard knew II.
ttat the present fre3snt rates in force n
ths stare % Washington on grain wore al
ready eco iow.
u t5-ae ratlrasA uoen desired % eH3ighfen
tie legislature whg ai3 taey not aerf
;he.r practical fsilraa3 nsen. Instead e
tsa.v talented ora.1raT II the railroads as-
sired 30 CONVINCE ara Aa9 csse saat was
worthy. wny d.f thev nof send fhsir Esen
~se