The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-11-08
How Railroad HireIings
Tried to Capture the
Convention.
A FRAUD THAT FAILED
An Editor Who Was Delegate Tells
the Story Of the Attempt to SIAM
pede the Interstate Commerce
Law Convention and How it
Failed.
Failed.

The editor of the Lima (OhiO) Re-
publican Gazette. was sent by the
business Mems Association as dele
gate to the Interstate Commerce
Law Convention which met in Chicago
last week. Upon his return home he
told i'm the columns of his paper the
story of how the railroads tried to
capture the meeting-"I was he. says,
IAN unwilling witness to one of the
boldest and most high at
tempts on the part of the, corpora
lions 10 raid aud capture a public
meeting ever seen in this country"
He YES the story in such straight.
forward manner as to illustrate the
desperate methods that will be used 10
defeat or emasculate the Government
railroad act regulation bill. He
says:
For ten days ii was known the
railroads were organizing shippers and
jobberS. railway attorneys and others
holding passes or enjoying rebates
and special favors. to raid the conven-
ton called by f. p. Bacon. chairman
OF the national interstate meeting.
The day prior TO the meeting a rail-
road meeting was called in Chicago:
ten carloads of railway SympathiZerS
were run in on free transportation.
the 18th. ready to pounce down. on the
Bacon convention and capture it and
turn its guns on the President and
against the friends of rate regulations.
The day prior To the meeting the
executive committee-Gov. Larabee. of
Iowa, Judge Call. of California. Judge
Cowan. of Texas. and Col. Hughes,
of Colorado-met in Chicago. and.
discovering the alarming situation.
a. form In a
feat the objects of the convention,
took precautionary measures to pro-
tect the delegates properly accredited
from being disturbed in their delib-
crations. and required every delegate
Ia sign pledge to stand by the call
az issued, and in favor of the indorse-
ment of the President as specified.
This was more than the railway man
ayers had contemplated, and they
were stunned by this action AID par
alyzed when they found the require
nents and refused to sign them
Threatening to force their way into
convention. two po1fcemen were
stationed at Stenway Hall at the OPP
ching of the convention. THURSDAY.
only those wearing the yellow badge
of the regulars were admitted.
''The railroad sympathiZers finding
themselves shut out, refused TO in
dorse the call. organized a trump"
convention in another hall. ana pro-
cceded 10 denounce the action of the
regulars as a suppression of free
speech and civil rights. They march
ed in a body to Steinway Hall. the
pledge was presented to them in the
ante-room. but they wrathfully refus-
ed 10 sign. and then, like
The King of France. with 10000
men,
They marched up the HILL
And then marched down again.
Returning to their hall to illuminate
their thunder against the regular con-
vent!on. which had organized with
some 40 delegates from all parts OF
the union and was proceeding with
it's business i'm q busineSslike way.
1.-THE action of the railroads in this
matter was high-handed and impu-
dent. and will open the eyes of the
country TO the desperate measures the
corporation will resort TO to defeat
the will Of the people in seeking To
control them, and even in rejecting
the mild measures of supervision pro-
Counselor J. w. Blythe, of the c.. b
e. o.. Assistant Supt. d. w: Baidln.
of the So and multitude of his
trailers, "enjoying" rebates, special
favors and passes, were present-ten
Pullman sleeping cars were occuped
by them on a sidetrack, where, with a
dinner. they slept and dined and WIN
cd, and received their credentials
and orders from railway manipulators.
who came there for no other purpose