The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-10-06
WARNS OF RAILROAD
WAR ON RATE LAW
William II. Chandler Asserts
Vast Power Is Used to
Defeat President.
CRY OF CORRUPTION
Former Senator Says Illegal Devices
Arc Relied on to Sway Leaders
of People-violating Law
M Constantly.

Washington, Oct. An open letters
TO the interstate commission
ex-senator William e. Chandler of New
Hampshire charges the railroads with
trying to seduce the president of the
United States from his sworn duty and
with buying Legislators. the press. min
listers lawyers, and, in fact. almost
everyone who can assist them in their
fight against government control of
rates.
After showing how the railroads
hung up the Esch-Townsend bill and
made the Elkins law devoid of terror
by eliminating the penitentiary clause,
Mr.. Chandler declares:
And so again next winter faithless
republicans and timid democrats will
combine to make any bill which may
pass congress give more to the rail-
roads than to h people. The simple
proposition of the president will be so
overlaid With qualifications as to be
with additions justly Objectionable or
of doubtful utility as to make its pas
sage through both houses impossible"
Ready for the Struggle.
The issues have been squarely joined,
Chandler insists, and now the time for
trial has come, With a president of the
United States for the first time on the
side of the people. In the president,
however. the people have their only
lie this. After telling of the glorious
achievements of the president in other
lines, he declares:
That the railroad managers believe
that they can seduce a president like
this from a duty to which he has con-
Cn1~nfnl lS~,-~1H M
but such Is the case. There are now no
more threats and denunications. Their
words are soft and tempting and might
mean much in the not very distant
future. No doubt the railroad MAN.
ayers wish to take this marvellous
president up into an exceeding high
mountain. where they can show him in
q moment of time all the kingdoms of
the world and the glory Of them. That
through their persuasion he might fall
ter in his efforts to perform with all the
characteristic force of his nature any
announced duty, even the least in his
high office, will not be believed by the
American people,"
Defiance by Railroads.
Samuel Spencer, president of the
Southern railway and spokesman for
the railroads, is said to nave declared
that he will not permit a commission
to have the power to substitute a rate
or price for one which in it's judgment
is unjust or unreasonable. or that a
rate once fixed by an authority shall.
remain In force until changed by a
commission or a competent court. MI.
Spencer prevailed in the last congress.
and, according to Mr.. Chandler. I'M
:doubtedly will prevail the next con
gress.
The principal reason for this" he
asserts, lis because the money power
of the country is on n side, thorough
ly awake and organized, while only the
consumers and users of transportation
are on the other side; without money
and u~norganized, with their only hope
In the president. Consider the enor-
nous amount of capital which has ar
rayed itself against the president
$4,000, 900 $1,000, representing 210, 900
miles OF railroads; $4,000, OOO, 900 of
earnings each year, 100000 stockhold-
ers, 100000 workmen with 40, 900, 900
inhabitants behind them.
Vast Power at Command.
Bear in mind that the railroads cam
not only use unlimited money to
achieve their ends, but they are the
only combination which can use di-
rectly their one product everywhere
and with everybody, that product be-
Ing transportation over 100000 miles
Of railroad, in order to corrupt legisla-
lures, congress and the whole state
and national governments.
The other trusts cannot buy men
nor officials directly with their oil. beef,
grain or coal. These commodities must
be converted into money, and that must
be expended with danger of detection.
But transportation is a universal COM
modify which everybody wants, and
free mileage books and passes are as
good as cash. and man times are bet
ter, and their corrupt use is easily con-
eealed."
After showing how the various
classes are corrupted by means of free
Transportation. Mr.. Chandler declares
that Of all the railroad people Paul
Morton is the one ardent advocate OF
the great work which the president has
undertaken.
"And it seems" he says, that he
is the original Apostle Paul who first
preached repentance to the railroad
sinners, having seen a great light him
self while On his railroad"
Violators of the Law.
The railroads., he insists, have been
gross violators of the laws against dis
examinations and have evaded their en-
forcement until at last they succeeded
in having the imprisonment penalty re-
pealed.
Speaking Of the methods which the
railroads will pursue in their efforts to
prevent legislation, Mr.. Chandler says:
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