The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-10-18
rHn RArr.RoAn RoARD.

THE RAILROAD BOARD.
OF course the State Journal does not
wish to put on any I-told-you-so air
but at the same time it would ask the
Topeka Capital and a considerable
number OF other papers that put their
o. X. on the Republican candidates for
railroad commissioners a year ago, to
bark back to the position Of the State
Journal at that time towards the gen
tlemen whom the Capital ct al. are
now severely censuring.
It was an open secret that the rail-
road interests that dominated the last
Republican state convention dictated
the nomination Of Mr. Walker ana Mr..
WheatIey against the wishes of the
business and shipping interests of the
state as represented by the State Fed
GRAFTON of Commercial Interests. The
bosses who ran the convention thought
it best however. to appear to give
some heed to the federation by naming
one of the three commissioned mi-
nority-from among the five or six
candidates approved by the federation.
Mr.. Robson was selected as likely to
be the least Objectionable to the rail-
road interests.
The State Journal, with its usual re-
gard for the truth, told the people Of
Kansas about these things during the
campaign, but the Capital and numer-
GUS other papers gave these candidates
their hearty support, the same as they
did T. T. Kelly and the bunch that was
mixed up in the Comanche county
bond deal.
Now the Capital ct al, are making a
fuss because the railroad commissions
ers did not follow the Stone resolution
and the directions of the legislature in
making comparison of rates with
other states, but Included Colorado, a
mountain state, in the comparison, so
as to make it as favorable to the rail-
roads as possible.
Has the Capital any real excuse for
fussing? Did it not know a year ago
that the candidates it was supporting
would give the railroads every advant-
age they could? If it did not, it could
have ascertained this fact byreading the
columns of the State Journal, where
the news is always published. Did it
really expect that Mr. Walker. for in
stance, would go against the interests
of the railroad company that first got
| him his job as railroad commissioner.
and in the offices of which his son is
employed as an attorney? Did it ex-
pect that Mr.. Wheatley would do any
thing against the interests of those who
helped him at Wichita when it was
possible for him to favor them? Did
it really expect that such a nice old
gentleman as Mr. Robson would stand
out against his two associates and not
accommodate the other estimable gen
tlemen who take the railroad commits
sioners riding in their private cars now
and then?
The State Journal has not especially
1 criticised the board of railroad com
missioners since their election because
the real test has not come. The State
Journal has hoped that Carr Taylor
would check up the rate question to
/ the board SO forcibly that the board
would be compelled to act in favor of
/ the people-and he may do it vet. But
1 the State Journal is not at all sur
prised that the board makes its com
PARSONS of rates as favorable as pos
sible to the railroads-even though it
] had to disobey its instructions from
the legislature to do so.
incidentally this paper cannot avoid
a feeling of pride over its attitude in
the last election. No paper in the state
OF Kansas supported Theodore Roose-
Welt more loyalty and energetically
than did the State Journal. and none
/ opposed T. T. Kelly and the perpetra-
tors of the Comanche county bond out-
rage more strenuOusly. And along
with them it opposed Messrs. Walker
and Wheat1ey because their nomination
was dictated by the railroads. There
was no candidate against Mr.. Robson.