Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-02-25

shall decide they should be reversed
Don't be too severe on your con
gresham. You are up against thu
hardest proposition you have eve
faced. He does not know whether vol
whether you will support him in hi
efforts to secure railroad legislation
You must stay awake, now that 70,
have been awakened. You must re
main serious in your efforts to secure
the reforms you need so much"
| The address was closed with trib
ute to Col. Hepburn, Mr.. Wallace say
ing that Mr. Hepburn, like the othel
Iowa congressman and the senators
is comparatively poor man, that he
! is credit to his district and his con
stituents because he has withstoot
the temptations that beset a congress
man. He lauded him as an honest mar
and an able legislator.
Hepburn Replies.
Col. Hepburn was introduced to the
audience and as he stepped to the
front of the stage he was greeted with
resounding cheers. In the course Of
his remarks he said: Il owe SO much
to the people of this county and this
district that their good opinion is the
richest and proudest possession have
My ambition is to serve them honestly
and to the best of my ability. knew
that this was to be a meeting of farm
ers called for the purpose Of studying
and promoting their interests as farm.
ers. / thought knew that some PEG.
pie sought to pervert it from its true
purpose. not farmers, but certain men
who are seeking to farm the farmers
for their own uses and to the detriment
of the members of the Iowa congress
sional delegation, including myself. !
knew that prominent among these
people was the gentleman who has
just spoken. l heard that he was to
be here and wanted to come here
myself, hear him speak, learn if he in,
tended to repeat some of the asper,
sions against my good name which he
had previously made. Because man
who charges congressman with de.
sorting his constituents, betraying, his
trust and violating his oath cannot
make a more grave charge against the
honor and honesty of another man.
wanted to know if he would repeat the
charges which, in other times and in
places probably Of greater safety, he
had made against me.
Il have no other aspiration higher
than the discharge Of the full measure
of my duty. I have been charged with
deserving you, with going over to the
enemy, as they may be called, with
pursuing the interests Of others rather
than the interests of the people who
have intrusted me with their conf
dence. am charged with being op-
posed to policy in favor of which ev.
cry act Of mine has proven me. Every
word of law that is now on the stat.
utes looking to the control of railroad
rates. voted for, worked for, and in
some measure had to do with it's intro
duction in congress except in 1885,
when / was not a member of congress
was defeated in 1885 by the same
men and the same charges which now
assail my reputation as a man and my
faithfulness as a congressman. Nine
teen years ago Mr.. Wallace was max.
ing the same charges that he is now
making. Is 1t wonderful that when !
received the letter he has read you, /
remembered his treatment of me
eighteen years ago? Is it wonderful
that I regarded his kind expressions
of regard as another case of Greeks
bearing gifts? But I explained to him
that the committee of which l was
chairman had decided to take up at
the first meeting in December the
question Of railroad rates. l believe
it would have been unwise for me be-
fore hearing the arguments for and
against to state my position with
regard to the measure. What would
you think of judge, charged with
the duty of deciding a case in law ac-
cording to the evidence introduced,
who would, before single witness
had been heard, announce that he in.
tended to render verdict for the
plaintiff or for the defendant as he
might see fit before the trial? 1 was
in the same position as judge and it
would have been wrong for me to
hearing from its defenders and oppon-
ents. Thereupon my friend Mr.. Wal
lace Immediately began to be my op-
ponent
mo man can more readily believe
that the shippers are the victims of
injustice than can myself. That the
railroads who are infiicting the wrongs
upon the shippers should be curbed
and that the United States govern
.ment should curb them is my belief"
Here some one in the audience in.
terrupted the speaker, saying: 'Why
don't you do it, them"
"Why don't do it." answered the
congressman quickly. "My friend, there
are laws that absolutely prohibit the
crime of murder, but murders are
committed
But we try to prevent murders"
persisted the questioner.
Eyes," answered Col. Hepburn.
Some one who has knowledge which
he believes will be instrumental in
bringing the murderer to justice goes
before the grand jury, tells his story,
the Indictment is drawn in the legal
way and in due course of time the cul-
prit is arrested and tried. No law
ever enforced itself. Some citizen
who knows of a violation must diyulge
the facts to the proper authorities and
a man who does not reason this obvi.
GUS fact out for himself is entitled to
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