The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-10-28
DIDN'T LIKE mr..
BACON'S VIEWS
MINNEAPOLIS DELEGATES NEAR
LY ALL DEMURRED.

.N4AN IN GSA1 O4l40 D1ah1aSx1A AGo IS6<AAs-
LY ALL DEMURRED.
With the Exception Of Former Governor
s.R. Van SAINT, All the Men from Flour
City Attended Anti-Bacon Conven-
tion, Which, They Declare, Was Not
Instigated by Railroads
Minneapolis business interests were
more largely represented in the conven-
tion of the interstate commerce regula-5
tion committee than in the convention
of the Interstate Commerce Law league,
which was presided over and directed
by e. P. Bacon of Milwaukee. Many OF |
the Minnesota and Minneapolis dele !
the Chicago.N Northwestern football
game today, but several returned this
morning. These insist that the dissent
ing convention was by far the largest
and most representative.
.Here, I think, is sufficient reason
for the refusal of any sane business
man to sit in the Bacon convention,
especially for a delegate, without IN
structions and in search of information
thru free and open discussion" said
one delegate today, exhibiting the fol, I
lowing pledge which all who took part
jim the Bacon convention were forced
to sign before being allowed to enter
the hall:
ttEWe, the undersigned, subscribe
purposes Of the printed call OF tins
convention, and further, that we are
in accord with Mr.: Bacon 8 views, that
| the Interstate commerce commission
| should receive increased powers to the
extent of making freight rates, and
that these freight rates., when thus
made by the commission, should be Ell
fective at once. =" ~
| Received White Badge. ae .arsse
| Every regularly accredited delegate
who applied for admission to the con-
vention was obliged to sign this obliga-
ton, after which he received a white
badge that entitled him to pass the
two policemen stationed as guards. The
allegiance to Mr.. Bacon s views was at
once objected to by many delegates,
first because they came an1nstructed,
| why "Mr. Bacon IS views'' should be
| injected into the affair, especially since
he and his opinions were not known to
many. .r@-. -...'..s -.
J. E. Rhoades, secretary Of the Mis-
sissippi Valley Lumberman s assocla-
ton, who attended the dissenting con-
vention but applied: first for entrance TO
the Bacon convention, speaking OF the
affair, said: :rS1 -+s
"The dissenting convention was
larger and more representative than the
! Bacon conventions. There were many
state delegations without instructions
that refused to subscribe to the obliga-
ton. The same was true Of delegates
from commercial clubs and other or
CARNATIONS which, like the Minneapolis
delegations. They wished free discus
sion of the subject before attempting
to take any action, let alone adopting
resolutions to congress-. .s.--.- ..r ~.
Not Railroad Convention. .,
EThe Bacon convention naturally en-
, deavored to make it appear that the
dissenting convention was instlgated
, by the railroads, which,, however, was
). not the, case. There were men in our
} convention who are fighting what they
believe to be railroad abuses, every
day Of their lives. They came from
/ Maine to California, and from Florida
: to Washington. The discussion was i'm
partial, some expressions being fully as
, radical as any that could have been Ut
tered in the Bacon convention. On
; L wv
t ton, when the extent, character and
| Importance Of the dissenting conven'
. tion came to be recognized, this rail
| raod charge was dropped. On the
: other hand the Bacon convention as
;. sumed decided political complexion: .
The resolutions adopted by the dis
;, sorting, convention were not at all pro
a business men representing, some of the
i biggest interests of the United States
V Briefly and to the point they asked fol
! regulation, but disapproved surrender
d Of the rate-making power to an ap
s pointive political body.
t Van SAINT Alone Signed.
With the exception Of former Gov
ernor Van SAINT, who was on the Mime
sofa state delegation, all delegates from
Minneapolis were in the anti Baco1
convention. Those who returned toda.
p assert that the Bacon convention triet
to drag politics into the affair to to-
d that President Roosevelt has never spe
IS officially Endorsed the Esch-Townsen'
to bill in anything like the languag
e claimed by Mr.. Bacon. It is said tina
) the extract quoted in the call was from
t. a speech bearing on another matter, re
lated of course, but not directly on tn
~ Esch-Townsend bill. It is said that tn
| promoter OF Cn6 commerce Law tledS u
is trying to borrow thunder from th
al popularity Of President Roosevelt an
is his views on railroad regulation.
~ Sat in Bacon Convention.
J. Esbjornsson and A. F.. Foster o
ag Litchfeld, who were delegates to til
ne Chicago rate convention, were in tn
r. twin cities today. Colonel Foste
t went at appointment of Governc
1t, johnson, and Mr.. Esbjornsson as a del,
gate from the Minnesota Municipal an
as Commercial league. II .-
ry eve had splendid convention,
. said Mr.; Esbjornssoan9, f'and there W.
49, great enthusiasm. There were $50 del
gates in our Steinway hall. meetin
representing forty -four states, and
was a thoroly representative conve,
d tion. We had no quarrel with the 9th,
crowd. We had our meeting and sal
our say, and the others did the, sam
But the press Of Chicago and the pc
pie generally considered that our co
vention was the one actually represen
ing the sentiment Of the country