Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-10-21

they said that there was great deal of
dl1ference between the atmosphere at
washington and at Des Moines. And
there is, too, and hope to God that
{ the fascination and the sentiment that
seems to permeate the air in the ma
tional capital will never reach all the
way to Des Moines. But the railroad
men told me, when I asked them,
! You know, it makes great deal Of
difference, in estimating the value of a
property, whether you are estimating
1t for taxation or for the amount of
money it ought to pay as returns upon
an investment
A Confidence.
Nov I tell you this in strict conf
dencs and l hope that you will not
spread it any further than you can
and that you will announce it no louder
than you can possibly make yourself
heard from your housetops. made
that statement in behalf of the inter-
state comm cree commission and it last
ed something like three quarters of an
hour. At the end of that time was
cross examined for nearly six hours,
mainly by the chairman of that senate
interstate commerce committee. Every
question he propounded to me was for
the purpose of overthrowing my posi-
ton. His questions came from exactly
the same point of view that would
have been employed by some cruel, re-
lentless attorney. And those questions
were asked of me by the chairman of
that committee. that body which was
set up supposedly as weapon against
the attack of the strong and avaricious,
bulwark for you and me against the
grasping policies of the railroads.
tell YOU was nearly ashamed of being
an American citizen when l saw that
man cross examine me for the pur-
pose of sending one weak and made
quate representative of the people
home in disgrace and disparagem ent
II am not criticising the railroad
managers as men. They are just as
good as we are and we would prob
ably do the same thing they do if we
were in their places. But | tell you
this to know whether you intend to
let them manage the republic or
whether you intend to direct affairs
yourself.
Denounces Railroad Interests.
But want to tell you that beside
that chairman, sitting so closely that
as / watched them, l often thought
their arms were entwined in loving
embrace, sat the general counsel of
all the railroad companies in the
United States, a man employed to over
throw this measure for which / was
arguing. That man was in constant
consultation with the chairman Of the
committee, prompting him during the
entire six hours that sat there, and
saw him write score of questions
that he thought 1 could not answer
and hand them to the chairman. It
made little difference to me. had
just as lief be cross examined by the
general counsel for the railroads as by
the chairman of their senate interstate
inflated, as an American citizen, to see
those two men in companionship, CO.
operation and loving affection. said
later that so long as God gives me
strength will denounce that infamy
from border to border of this country.
will never be content until an awak-
ened indignation in the hearts of an
outraged people will sweep these fakirs
from Washington as did Christ sweep
the money changers from the temple
in Jerusalem. What Is the use to ask
the adoption of those measures until
you have at the capital really repre-
sentative body to whom you can ap-
peal?
"But this man, this chairman, I
want to tell you about him, on the
same terms of confidence that l Inn
posed a while ago. The initials OF
this man, who sat in such loving
and affectionate pose with the rail-
roads genial counsel. are Stephen B.
Elkins, of West Virginia They say
he is republican. l am a republi-
can and tell you he isn't repub-
lican. He is not one of us. He rep
resents the railroads of West Virginia
and doubtless owns some of them,
and these West Virginia railroads
task of representing in Washington
the railroads of all the country. He
is faithful to the interests that elect
ed him to the senate. He is doing the
best work he ever did for the men to
whom he is indebted for the senator
ship.
Get Hold Of the Government.
81 want you to get hold of your gov
eminent again and to see that men
you who work for your in
terests and the interests Of the com.
mon people Mr.. Elkins' case reminds
me of a story that used to be told Of
Jay Gould. One time he was asked
he was a republican or a
democrat. He said: When am in
a republican district I am republi-
can; when am in democratic dis
trict am democrat; when I am in
a doubtful district I am doubtful, but
l am always for the Erie I think 1t
is the same with Elkins. He is always
for the railroads regardless Of poll
tics.
81 tell you this to fasten upon your
understanding, to impress upon your
intellects, that the railroad companies,
with their vast interests in the laws of