The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-09-28
Urges Fight for Railway Rate
Legislation.
PROMISES ASSISTANCE
He Advises an Appeal to the People
Would Also Attack Trusts;
Says They Have Few
Friends.

Lincoln, Neb., Sept. William j.
Bryan, who departed from San Francisco
yesterday ON his world tour, has adj
dressed, in his paper, an open letter to
President Roosevelt. He commends him
for his expressed determination as to
railroad rate regulation and assures him
Of the support Of the people regardless
Of any party utilization. Mr.. Bryan says:
TO President Roosevelt--Permit a
parting word. You have the contest
of your life before you, and / desire
to render you all the assistance in my
power. You have asked Congress to
enact a law 50 enlarging the powers of
the Interstate Commerce Commission as
to permit it to fix and enforce rea-
sonable freight rate, and the railroad
lobby was strong enough to stop in
the Senate the bin passed by the House.
The railroad magnates expect to block
the passage of the bill again. The rail-
roads have been ut work all summer cir
culating literature against railroad reg
ulation, and the Senate contains a mum
Der Of members so intimately connected
with the railroad interests that they
cannot be expected to take the peoples
side. The railroads will try to per-
suade you; if they fail in this also
they will try to defeat your recon
mendation.
1t will embamass you to have strong
party leaders against you; you may
even be embarrassed by having SO many
Democrats operating with you, but
you must reconcile yourself to both.
In this fight your strength lies in the
fact that you have a large majority
Of the voters of all parties with YOU.
Pass over the railroad representatives
and appeal to the people Compel the
opponents of railroad legislation to meet
the issue in the open. There is no
logical or even plausible argument
against the legislation which You recon-
mend. A railroad corporation is a Great
ure Of law; il has no rights except those
conferred upon it by the people. IT
is inconeeivable that the people should
create corporation without even re-
serving the right to 50 control il as
TO make it subserve the public interest.
II in your fight you deem it wise to
attack the trusts you will find that
they have few friends-none worth cul-
tiyating. If you are willing to help re-
duce the tariff where it shelters trust
you will find the Democrats ready to
aid You, and with them an increasing
number OF Republicans. If, encouraged
by the success OF your efforts in the
anthracite strike, you decide to urge
the establishment Of permanent board
for the arbitration Of differences between
labor and capital, you will find grow
ing force behind You.
Stand by your guns. You have de-
yeloped reform element in the Re-
publican partyi you must lead it or
suffer the humiliation of seeing the
leadership pass to someone else.
Your words have excited great ex-
pectations which must be met, for YOU
viii be measured by your own words.
The Commoner commended your mes
sage of last December and will lend
you any influence it may have 50 long
as you advocate reforms. Go forward;
you owe it to yourself, you owe it to
your party, and more than all, You owe
it to your country.