Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-06

state commerce should be run without
the dictation OF the railroads, but by
Representative government It is a vi.
tai question, this Interstate commerce
situation, and a matter Of dollars and
cents to the people of this country :.
The magnitude Of the business Of ship.
ping smothered up all other enter
prises. 1t takes more money to pur.
chase the shipping facilities in year
than 1t does to maintain the navy, or
the army, or the postofflce department.
1t Is of interest to every section man.
every farmer, clerk. banker, manu-
facturer, common laborer. The Ques-
ton of freight rates affects everybody.
Every one Is freight payer. The
coal and lumber and daily food helps
to pay the freight rates. It is the
consumer that pays the freight, and 1t
is, therefore, of Importance to every
one. In 1877 five men were appointed
by congress to regulate interstate
commerce. They were chosen to han
die the business of shipping all over
| these United States. They were to see
that things were done fairly. They
were not appointed to bleed the rail.
roads, for 1t would not be policy to in
jurei or cripple the transportation COM
panies Of this country. Against the
views Of this committee of five men
there came the lobbyists, a click of
men who were formed by the railroad
companies to defeat any measures
which might tend to destroy their in.
terest. They fought the wise legisla-
ture of the interstate commerce com
4 roiccfnn TAN OF 7 no
good fortune to be member of con-
gress. And when the interstate com
merce measure came up again, by a
vigorous campaign, the measure was
carried
Railroads Fight Measures.
Before 1t was written on the statute
books, the railroads fought every
measure Of 1t. They employed the
most learned attorneys and picked out
section after section and fought
against the measure with vigor
For ten long years, the railroads
banged it and hammered 1t, and even.
tually,the supreme court handed down
an act that broke the back of the inter.
state commerce commission. The
railroads Immediately began to ad.
vance the rates, and In 1901 the In
dustrial commerce reports showed an
increase Of Is per cent in the cost OF
shipping. Rates of shipping increased
something enormous during a year
You noticed that the cost of living was
rapidly increasing. The breaks were
off, the state was out and the railroads
again held the free hand. From 1897
to 1902, in Ave years, the volume OF
traffic increased So per cent. The
facilities for shipping had improved
AZ per cent. The rates should have
| fallen, but instead they advanced
Tell me, do you call that representa-
tive government that prevailed IN
Washington. Why hasn't interstate
commerce been amended? 1897 went
by and no amendment was enacted
In 1898 nothing was done. In 1895
the same condition remained, also In
1900. Each year large volume was
sent to each congressman, in which
was contained recommendations tc
amend the interstate commerce Jaw
but nothing was done. Where is repre-
sentative government at Washington
Where is the congressman who are
serving the people and not the corpo
ration? In 1902, 1903, 1904 recommen
dalton after Recommendation. resolu
tons from the National Live Stock
Growers convention, the Nationa
Grain Dealers association, and numer
GUS other institutions, were sent t.
the congressman, but with no avail
Where is the will Of the people in con
gress?
President Recommended Amendment
Inc interstate commerce commits
sion, which at the time had an Iowa
member OF congress for chair
man, used every means to have
an amendment to the bill passed
Using every available argument
topped off with the resolutions
OF the big institutions which were vi
tally affected by the rates of shipping
and by the message from the White
House, their efforts were fruitless. The
PRESIDENTS message, short and crisp
meant business. 1t said, The act
should be amended The railroad is
a public servant 1 don't know how
you feel about it, but l thank God thai
there is President today who will say
what is his true opinion. He was mis-
taken, however, about the railroads
being public servant. AS a matter
| " 1eaSC lllSy are lOl. 1HGy control LQE
public: That message went down tt
the congressman, but the hiss of the
lobbyists began to be heard shortly aft
-erward, and it had Its effect on top o.
everything, even the recommendation
OF the President. One of It's members
says in letter to me that congress is
a creature of the railroad. And now
felloW citizens, comes great struggle
as to whether the next congress shall
pass an amendment to the interstate
commerce act, or whether 1t will &C,
in the same manner as it's predeces
sors. Already the railroads have theii
representatives among the people in
tently to suppress the feeling against
railroad rates. They are after the
press, the politicians and those people
who are high in the laws of the state
! know Of one instance in Mitchell, S
D., where an agent Of the st. Paul
bought the newspapers of that, city ami
county, told the congressman of that
vicinity that it would be foolish to al
| low a few politicians tn handle fhe af