The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1904-09-22

SEPTEMBER 20. 1904.
You know where you stand on this
transportation question. You have
good and to you sufficient reasons for
your position. Surely the people of
your district and the state of Iowa as
well are not unreasonable in asking you
to tell them plainly what that position
| is.
To bring out more fully our meaning,
we ask you for direct answer to the
following questions:
First-Do you believe that the making
or, as it is termed, the fixing of rates,
belongs exclusively to the railroads?
Second-H not, do you believe it in
the power of congress to SO amend the
Interstate commerce law as to enable it
to correct prevailing abuses?
The Cooper bill now before your COM
1 nittee. as you know, (a) gives congress
4 power to correct a rate which, after a
hearing of all parties, it finds to be un-
lawful, unjust, and discriminative, and
makes it's orders promptly operative.
i(b) Authorizes it to determine a division
of a joint rate when the carriers fail to
do so. (c) Subjects the orders of the
lcommission to a review of the courts,
which orders may be stayed or suspend
ed pending review. (d) Provides that
!, the orders of the commission may be
enforced by Injunction and offenders
fined.
/. Third-Do you,have any objections to
this bill; and if so, how would you
amend it to correct present abuses?
4 oC of rfi
ular time because of the similarity of
present conditions in your district and
in the state to those prevailing in 1886.
In that year and for years previous your
constituents were paying $3.50 per car
of cattle from Creston to Chicago, and a
4 similar rate at all stations in the west
ern portion of your district; while on
4 the same train cattle were carried from
Kansas City and Omaha at $40. Flour
was then shipped from Kansas City to
l9es Moines for 10 cents per hundred
pounds in car load lots, while towns in
your district had to pay 16 to 20 cents
for half the distance. Your constit-
uents pay 23al cents per hundredweight
on the cattle and hogs they ship to Chi
cago, while on the same train cattle are
carried from the west to the same point
at 16 cents.
4 The long established rate on packing
i house products between Chicago and
4 New York is 100 per cent of the rate on
live cattle, and $50 per cent of hogs and
4 sheep. Yet the beef trust gets it's pro-
ducts carried through your district from
Missouri river points to Chicago at 49,
cents per hundred pounds, while your
y constituents pay 23l cents on both cat
Z tie and hogs. II the live stock rate is
just, then the beef trust should pay 35 !
4 cents on the product. If the dressed
beef rate is just, your constituents
SHOULD pay 14s cents on cattle and 15
Tcents on hogs. Isl any wonder, there
fore, that they are inquiring by what
4 methods they can be put on an equality
with the combination of packing houses,
which by means of rebates heretofore
i granted by the railroads have become
an odious and oppressive monopoly?
i The people ofyour district are long
suffering and forgiving people. They
believed when they restored you to
power and place that chastisement,
however grievous it may have been to
you, would work out in your case in the
peaceful fruits of righteousness. Is it
any wonder that they, in connection
with the people of the state, desire to
know where you stand on this import
ant question? Do they not have right
to know?
Il Never was there more appropriate
time to give evidence of true statesman
ship than just now. Politicians are
common, statesmen are rare. In this
. presidential year the common people
are taking no special interest in the
election. Why should they? Both part
, les are in substantial accord on the
maintenance of the gold standard. The
"tariff rippers" are silent as the grave
. Scratch democrat and he bleeds pro-
lection to home Industries. Imperial
ism is ghost. The fat fried out OF
great corporations runs into two barrels
: this time. The struggle is simply be.
!, tween the ms and outs, interesting at
I present only to the candidates, local
and state and national present or pros
pective. Why not take upa subject il
which the people have vital interest
and tell the farmers of your district
, why they should pay $3.50 per car more
| on hogs and $40 more on cattle in order
} that the beef trust may pile up YET
: other millions with which to monopolize
| not only the live stock markets, but the
} poultry market, eventually the butter
+ and egg market, the grain market, anc
| even the grain and live stock feeding
, Industries?
Here is your opportunity, the oppor
t tunity of your life. This is no time fol
: flamboyant defamation, for academic
discussion of abstract theories, fol
i sophomoric oratory or appeals to the
: prejudices of the people in order tx
: make one-half Of the people believe tina
r the other half is SO intellectually infer
!, ior and morally corrupt that they ma,
: not safely be trusted with the govern
: ment of this nation. 1t is time fo
: real craftsmanship. Can you afford b,
: your silence to set the seal of truth OF
! the charge SO generally and UNIVERSAL,
: made that you are the foe Of any effor
; to amend the interstate commerce bill
! in any way that will make it effectiv,
!, and limit the now absolute power of the
) railroad combination to determine wha
' the people shall pay for transportation
i, The present situation, as you know, j.
!. entirely satisfactory to the railroads