The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-01-29


with a still greater energy. They met /
and overcame all obstacles, and as t
result the board of railroad commits
sioners are now to be elected by the |
people and they each become respon- !
sible to the voters of the state.
1T has been suggested that our con-
stitution be amended prohibiting this
federation from endorsing any candi
date for any state office until such can
didate has been nominated by some
political party or faction. This I be-
lieVe would be an unWiSe move at this
time. Tt would seem to me to be too
much like waiting till the mischief had
been done before indicating what would
be satisfactory. believe that this fed
GRAFTON cannot express too strongly the
fact that it is an absolutely non-polit-
zeal organization; that it is non-part-
isan to the extreme: that it has no de-
sire to dictate who shall be governor
Of Kansas, United States senator for
Kansas, or who shall fill any other po-
sitlon of honor in the state or for the
StatA.
81 believe this federation should with
equal energy and determination de-
clare itself in terms unequivocal and in
a manner to be fully understood and
appreciated by all parties and factions
of parties that the members of the
board of railroad commissioners must
be satisfactory to this federation or the
be used to help the party or faction
entire force of this organization will
which will name candidates orrailroad
commissioners who will be satisfactory
to the business interests of the state.
"a matter of the most vital impor-
lance to every citizen, to every bust
ness interest and to every industry of
whatever nature of the state of Kan
SaS, is the matter of free passes. This
federation should exert its entire force
if necessary and induce all political
parties to put an anti-pass plank in its
platform and then this organization
should see to it that the party in power
Ir.rv 0s.a1-
offense for any railroad officer to Of
fer free transportation to anyone who
is not a bona fide railway employe
upon the pay rolls of such railroad
company, and anyone not bona hde
employe of a railroad should be deemed
guilty of a misdemeanor for accepting
a pass or using same.
1.-THE definition of railroad employees
should be Incorporated into the bill and
read as follows:
ga railroad employee under this act
shall be understood to be a person who
is engaged in railroad service and who
has no other business occupation.
I'VE can well afford to let the poll
ticians have all the glory and all the
political emoIuments if they will let us
have the members of the board of rail-
road commissioners.
I'm conclusion let me say that if any
emergency arises While the next legis-
lature is in session calling for quick
and energetic action and should your
officers call for aid by wire or other
wise, then sacrifice for a few moments
! your personal time and do what is ask
ed of you by the officers of your organ
ization.
1.-THE soil of Kansas will not yield as
! politically as it has, without expensive
Fertilization. Every dollar taken out OF
| the state by excessive freight rates at
| this time is like the earnings of the
| young man in his prime If those earn
| ings are squandered in extravagant l1V-
| ing with no thought for the morrow,
| then in his old age with earning ca
pacitv impaired, he finds himself tenn
porarily out of employment and the
county poor house is his prospective
refuge.
fedora ton shall become political in
stitutfon in any sense of the word, L
would suggest that when our members
go to their several homes that they
/ each and all constitute themselves a
committee of one or more to interview
candidates or prospective candidates to
| the state senate and the state assembly
| Of Kansas and have them express
themselves before the election on the
matter of railroad law and anti-pass
! legislation.
ssThe great state of Texas is being
| covered with railroad lines perhaps
faster than any other state IN the
union. This notwithstanding the facI
that the railroad law of Texas IS sald
to be the most stringent law in the
union of states. The railroads at hrst
orYposed the law. but now [ am told
! that the railroads themselves like the
| opera ton of the Texas railroad law
! Our next legislature should amend the
Kansas railroad law. strengthening its
weak points, to the end that an honest
and able board of railroad commits
SiOnerS can, under the amended law,
| give the state relief.
! while dwelling upon this anti-pass
law, I want to call your attention to a
conversation which 1 overheard, IN
which a railroad official made the as
sertion that the citizens of the state
might elect a legislature for the pur-
pose of amending the law, and to that
extent the citizens might carry their
| point but the attorneys of the railroads
| could be sent out with a few annual
passes or free mileage books and gain
more votes by so doing than the citi--
zens could with the unlimited use OF
money. This is a straw which indicates
the way the wind blows.
ANY man who is a member of the
state legislature, any judge of any
court before whom a case against a
railroad company is apt to be brought,
| accepts a bride when he accepts a
| railroad pass just as much as if he had
! accepted enough money to pay for his
transportation to the point to which the
| pass will carry him free"