The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-02-23

90 Is TO Try 10 De Ialr 10 the IAAlIoHdS-
know that the cheapest demagogsry
is to be forever crying against the rall-
roads. The house bill would constitute
a smelling committee or detectives &c
hunt out unjust rates and then give a
trial on what has been found. We in
sist that the judge of q court snaH
stay on the bench and hear the evil
dence and not act as detective, witness
prosecutor. court, jury and execut1onef.
DO you expect this board to cover
1900 miles of railroad 14500 stations,
hundreds Of tons of freight Which
| would you do-leaFe it to the board or
the people to make complaint and have
a trial before an impartial tribunal.
This is section Il.
I despise duplicity. This law in the
house bill has been paraded as the Il
linois law 1t IS not-it is the Texas
I law I read from a statement Of the II
linois Retail Dealers association which
says that the railroad rates in Illinois
are half higher than any adjoining
states. We have heard that the Iowa
1 law brought the millennium in freight
| rates. I read from a statement made
/ by the president of the Iowa Corn Belt
Producers association. The statement
was that discrimination was practiced.
4 The Iowa and Illinois laws are only dis
lance tariff laws We have those dis
| lance rates in this state but more than
| 5 per cent of the freight in this state is
transported by distance tariff but 95 per
cent is moved at jobbers' rates. The
jobbers' rates are Is per cent lower
Y
Illinois railroad boards have no power
to enforce or change jobbers' rates and
can only regulate distance tariff
Senator Smith read a part of the
Texas law and the Democratic party
platform for the enactment of law
like the Texas railroad law. Mr.
Dale made the campaign on this plat
form for the enactment of the Texas
law. and he was defeated on this by
a majority of s., 0O0.' continued SEN
ator Smith. He read from President
RoOsevelt's message that where given
rates are challenger they should be
investigated by the interstate COM
nnerce commission and made just.
ut has been said that we have left
out any power for the enforcement
of rates in the senate bill" said Sen
ator Smith, "and it has been limited
that there is some hidden power. of
this kind in the house bill Neither
the house nor senate bill does this,
but the section of the law of 1901 is
left and unamended. and is as forcible
for the senate as the house bill. This
law of 1901 was passed because a
preceding legislature had left US with
out a railroad law. At the session of
and myself insisted that in that bill
the board should be given the power |
to go into the courts and enforce their |
orders and mandates We dragged +
that bill from the committee and 1
forced these amendments in order that I
a Republican house would pass it. and /
sent the bill to the house to be passed. /
] say this now because I have been /
with being a railroad attorney.
7 stood in the legislature of 1901, as
l do now, to act on my judgment and |
my conscience I appeal to the fair
ness of this committee to stand by /
their committee report, and defy
anyone to show that the house bill is
as strong Is the senate bill when once
the wheels are set in motion" +
"If this legislature does not pass a f.
oil he ct Of MIL
Democratic in two years from now" J.
said Senator Hodges. a minority menu
Der. but I would rather see this legis-
lature pass the house bill than to see
a Democratic victory two years hence
Senator Stewart said: 1.-The shippers I;
have been investigating and compar-
ing these bills and the shippers know /;
what they want The men who came f
before the senate committee on rail-
roads to urge the passage of the SEN
ate bill were the railroad attorneys.
Those who urged the committee to /.
report faVOrably on the house bill were
the shippers" Senator Stewart said +
That when the senate committee held
1 meeting that the shippers asked
questions the railroad attorneys could
not answer and said such questions
Some of the traffic managers were
here in the senate chamber, but they
we're as still as mice" said Senator
Stewart. He gave a history of the )
meetings of the senate committee on .
-aflroads- He told of the delays and
Methods employed to secure them. He
old of the various means employed to
iecure delay. 1.-The last delay was on
account of the absence of the chair !
nan of the committee. Finally a
Meeting was held. The railroads have {
been represented here looking after
What theV want I voted for the mi
lorftv report because believe that is
what the people want. We might as
veil face the issue of these two bills ]
low. Shall we pass a bill prepared
or the railroads or the bill prepared
'or the people? I want to appeal to Z
he members here If the people of this
state are not entitled to laws as good I
Is those of Illinois. Iowa, or Missouri? !
For 40 years we have tried this on i
he railroad theory. Now let's try the /
peoples theory. The senators here
old the people in the campaign that '
hey would give the people relief in | t
he matter Of rates. t
THE people of this state are ask t
ng for a law that will protect them :
Ind the eyes of most all of Kansas are c
ocused on this legislature. 1t is up -.
o US We should vote down the sub {
ititute for section g. G
When Senator Fitzpatrick arose and a
isked what the difference was be- q
Ween the sections and Stewart re-
1lled that he would answer by asking c
Why the railroads wished the substi- q
utlon there were prolonged cheers t
md applause from the gallery. "This I n
> Itt 4iASl tAItle III my lie J1aC 1 have r
Known senator on this floor to be L
nsulted by a bowling mob in the {
gallery" =
The speech If the senator from t
(StewarO has been one of 5
PERSONAL abuse against the senator O
rom Edwards (Smith). The milIers. n
obbers and Federation of Commercial t
interests which are as strong trusts a
nd combines as there are in the state f
ONE here and fill the galleries and h
ry to stifie free speech by noise and a
pplause. Two years ago when I was S
me who urged amendments to the /
a Te1,x-