The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1904-09-22
A LETTER TO HEPBURN.

~ IL I1lN ~ I'LL DOnv
The Following Letter is Addressed
to Him Concerning Freight Rates
for Farmers and Meat Trust.
Wallace's Farmer, edited by Henry
Wallace, who is recognized as leader
by the farmerssand 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 a 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-
manded by the president, the industrial
commission of the house and senate ap-
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, peopledF by
men of very high intelligence, and with
more political influence than any other
state, at least in the west, having 70
members of the cabinet land one of tt N
[of unusual ability and far-reaching =
t1uence among the agricultural peol .e,,
the director of the mint, and the eli sir
manship of many of the most important
committees, one of them being that of
interstate commerce, which it is y r
distinguished honor to hold. Nei r
the farmers or the stockmen Of ,.e
states west, nor the cotton groYv,radIf
the south, nor the great c.s, singll
organizations of the east, al.a~ MetP
understand why state occupying SIS !
remarkable vantage ground shou, !,
through it's representatives. in congrea \,
bar the way to needed reforms whS
so urgently needs. Particularly th
resentative of the Eighth district c.
Iowa, the home Of SO many of the mos
sensible, most successful, and most pa
riotic people, should throw the weig!
of his influence against any attempt Il
1 ud1SlAo oAAO AilOOloObGC COuilOICO Id
1t is said that almost more than an
persistently hostile to legislation calcis
istate Commerce Commission power sufs
alton in railroad rates and to enforce
rates which will be equitable. 1t s.,
said that you are not only passively o..
! posed to remedial legislation, but act
4 lively endeayorsto prevent it, and that
fbut for this activity on your part it
would have been secured long ago.
Possibly the farmers and stockmen 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 1885. At
election to congress and your defeat
an event in the history of the state and
| OAO poliOASS VI lLC lldOlOu do WO1ls IL HCll
as now, the people were suffering from
inequitable freight rates and unjust dis
ordinations and the subject Of inter-
exhaustively discussed in your district
The day after election it was found that
the farmers, who loved you and were
had deliberately chosen much weaker
| lrro with
because they were 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 1885.
/ The Interstate commerce law enacted
in 1887, worked reasonably we'll nntil
1897, when the supreme court decided
that while the commission had the
power to declare rate unlawful and
unjust or unreasonable, the authority te
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 amendmen,
of the law which would restore it's orig
inal intent.
No man is more fully aware than yo,
are of this popular demand. AS chair
man of the interstate commerce commit
tee you have had an opportunity to heal
Representatives of the various interests
you have heard the whole subject dis
cussed in all it's 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, ii
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 railroad.
(and all do either directly or Indirectly
in your district, in your state, and il
every state, have the right to know
where you stand on question of sucf