The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-03-05
GOVERNOR ROGERS ON
RAILWAY COMMISSION !


ton to prosecute their rights in the
courts OF law; but as they held that
they could only pass upon individual
charges, and did not have the power
to revise The companies tariffs, the
companies were virtually in position
to become guilty of more extortions in
one day than the commission could in
vestigate in a year
Governor Larrabee then traces the
steps taken by the people of Iowa in
remedying the defects of the law then
in force, ana further says:
The demand of the people for more
equitable rates and a more thorough
control Of the railroad business in
creased from year to year. Repeated
attempts were made in the general as
Sembly to secure the passage of an act
looking to that end, but, owing to
shrewd mrnipulations on the. part of
the railroad lobby, every attempt was
defeated. There are always, of course,
a large number of members who rep
resented districts not we'll supplied with
railroad facilities. They, as a rule,
honestly opposed restrictive legsla-
ton, believing that such legisla ton
would check building, and that, COM
petition could be relied upon to cor
rect abuses. OF those members who ha d
less positive convictions many were
retained as railroad attorneys, and
We're thus made servicable to the
companies. Other members with
political ambition We're battered or in
Inundated into subjectioE, and brides
in disguise, such as passes and special
rates were not infrequently resorted
to to strengthen the railroad following
in both houses of the general assem-
bly,.
Railroad corruption did not pause
here. 1t is a notorious fact that large
sums of money We're paid to venal pa
pers of both parties in considera ton
of an agreement on their part to de-
fend transportation abuses and exert
their influence against progressive
railroad legislation. The vilest means
We're often resOrted to by these sheets
to obtain their end. Public men who
had the courage to avOW their Oppo-
sition to existing railroad abuses or to
favor most perfect system of state
control of railways were misrepresent-
ed, ridiculed, traduced and denounced
as demagOEues and socialists by hypo-
critical editors, who prOstituted their
political influence as long as they en-
joyed railroad stipends, and who at in
terValS became converts to the cause
of the people for the purpose of ex-
tCrting from tie railroad companies q
new and increased subsidy. Bat truth
cannot long be suppressed. The masses
OF the people may be imposed upon
for a time, but even the shrewdest
rogue Will eventually be compelled to
surrender. In time even rather I'M
sophisticated voters learn to place a
true estimate upon the motives of the
editors. whose policy, as one of them
expressed It in the authors presence.
was controlled III the counting-room'
railroad politicians gradually lost
their influence. and the symptoms of
public discomfort greatly increased.
In the political campaign of 1887 state
control of railroads became one of the
main issues. Both of the great polit-
zeal parties in their platforms had de-
CARED themselves very emphatically
In favor Of sucn Legislation as would
bring railroad corporations under COM
plete state control. and with very few
exceptions the various legislative dis
tricts had nominated only such men as
candidates for legislative Offices as
NStt Ni!cN' 10 De IN thorough accord
with the masses CT the people upon the
railroad question.
The election resulted in an ever
more complete defeat of the railroad
forces than had been generally anti
cipated. Yet no hasty steps was taken
when the general assembly convened
a large number Of bills contem-
plating railroad reforms in various
ways were Introduced. but the material
presented vas carefully s;fted bv the
railroad committee and committee
OH was framed which Incorporated the
pest features of them all. The COM
mIttee listened patiently for weeks to
me arguments of the representatives
OF both the railroads and the shippers.
Never before had so formidable a
railroad lobby assembled at the state
capital. The danger signal had been
raised, and not only were the great
political manipulators of the state
called into requisition, but experts