The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1904-09-29
1A@A Letter For Hepburn to Answers
Wy The Following Letter Hepburn and Comments Regard oII
" Position Regarding


Wallace's Farmer, edited by Henry
Wallace, who is recognized as leader
by the farmers and stockmen of Iowa,
has addressed the following open letter
to Congressman w. P. Hepburn:
Dear Sir: The farmers and stockmen
of Iowa are learning with surprise and
not little humiliation that by reason
of the attitude of some of their repre-
sentatives in the national congress on
the transportation question, they are
regarded by the farmers of other states
as standing in the way of sorely needed
reforms. These reforms have been de-
handed by the president, the industrial
commission of the house and senate APP
pointed by congress to ascertain what
legislation is needed, by the interstate
commerce commission, and by about
three hundred of the leading industrial
and commercial organizations of the
United States. 1t is the more surpris-
ing and humiliating because Iowa is
generally regarded as the leading agri-
cultural state of the union, peopled by
men of very high intelligence, and with
more political influence than any other
state, at least in the west, having two
members of the cabinet land one of them
of unusual ability and far-reaching in
fluence among the agricultural people,,
the director of the mint and the chair
manship of many of the most important
committees, one of them being that of
interstate commerce, which it is your
distinguished honor to hold. Neither
the farmers or the stockmen of the
states west, nor the cotton growers of
the south, nor the great commercial
organizations of the east, are able to
understand why state occupying such
a remarkable. vantage ground should,
through it's representative in congress,
bar the way to needed reforms which
the country so generally demands and
so urgently needs. Particularly they
are not able to understand why the rep
resentative of the Eighth district of
Iowa, the home of So many of the most
sensible, most successful, and most pat
riotic people, should throw the weight
of his influence against any attempt to
amend the interstate commerce law.
1t is said that almost more than any
other congressman you are the most
pcrsistently hostile to legislation calcu-
lated to place in the hands of the Inter-
state Commerce Commission power suf
ficient to enable it to prevent discrimin-
alton in railroad rates and to enforce
rates which will be equitable. 1t is
said that you are not only passively OPP
posed to remedial legislation, but act
lively endeavor to prevent it, and that
but for this activity on your part it
would have been secured long ago.
Possibly the farmers and stockmcn of
other states do not have correct
understanding Of your attitude on the
transportation question. If so, it would
give the farmers of this state great
pleasure to be able to tell them so. 1t
is in the hope of ascertaining just where
you stand that we address you now and
in this public manner.
Although since that time your lines
have fallen in pleasant places, you can
not have forgotten the year 1886. At
that time you were candidate for re-
election to congress and your defeat
was not only an event in your life but
an event in the history of the state and
the politics of the nation as we'll. Then
as now, the people were suffering from
inequitable freight rates and unjust dis
ordinations and the subject of inter
national commerce was thoroughly and
eXhaustively discussed in your district.
The day after election it was found that
the farmers, who loved you and were
just as proud of your evident ability,
had deliberately chosen much weaker
man with no congressional experience,
because they We're suffering from dis
ordinations in railroad traffic, from
which you would promise them no re-
Lief The interstate commerce law was
enacted in 1887 as political necessity
because of your defeat in 1886.
The interstate commerce law enacted
in 1887, worked reasonably we'll until
1897, when the supreme court decided
that while the commission had the
power to declare rate unlawful and
unjust or unreasonable, the authority to
say what lower rate would be reason
able or just was not clearly expressed
in the language of the law itself. The
power of congress to delegate this power
was not questioned, but it was decided
that it was not duly expressed in the
enactment; and ever since then the peo-
pie have been demanding an amendment
of the law which would restore it's orig
inal intent.
No man is more fully aware than you
are of this popular demand. AS chair
man of the interstate commerce commit
tee you have had an opportunity to hear
representatives of the various interests,
you have heard the whole subject dis
cussed in all its bearings by the repre-
sentatives of great commercial organi-
cations, by eminent jurists, by the inter-
state commerce commissioners them
selves, and by the most eminent rail-
road attorneys. If there is man living
in this state, or in any other state, in
this country, or in any other country,
who has had an opportunity to go to the
very bottom of the subject and know
the rights and wrongs of the people,
you, Colonel Hepburn, are that man.
Men who do business with the railroads
land all do either directly or Indirectly
in your district, in your state, and in
every state, have the right to know
where you stand on a question of such
vital Importance.
No man ever becomes SO great that
he can afford to refuse plain answer to
fair question. You have attained a
position of great prominence and power.
You have been honored by the people of
your district by your conferees in con-