The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-06-10
SOUTHERN SENTIMENT
CHANGING ONRAILwAY
RATE REGULATION
LOBBY ACTIVE
Maintain Well Equipped
Literary Burean"

Special to Daily Leader.
Washington, D. c.. June lO.--As 4 stat
ed I'm my last letter, one reason for /
delay in the Senate interstate Commerce |
Committee not coming TO some deter I
mination on the railroad rate making |
problem. has been o. considerable change 1
In southern sentiment especially among I
influential leaders Of opinion. AS before /
stated the South started squarcly DO be- /
hind President Roosevelts movement for |
qua,ihed government rate regulation. /
Mr. Bryan early came out I'm advocacy |
OF Mr Roosevelts efforts and the south- /
en democrats voted solidiy for the Esch /
Townsend bill, after advocating some |
thing more radical. Il accordingly look |
ed as II the presidents campaign on rate |
regulation would be aided by the mi |
nority party in congress which would |
make il necessary that an the opposition !
should come from his own ranks
But the railroad arguments have made
so deep an impression upon so many
southern public men that they privately
acknowledge that, while they may vote
for a step toward rate regulation. be-
cause Of political necessities they hope
that the situation may be so controlled
by internal strategy that they viii not
have to do this, and any aid that can
be given to such strategy in the senate
several southern democrats stand ready
TO furnish This feeling need not show
itself in the house. because on this ques,
ton the senate will draft the bin The
argument that seems 20 be catching the
southern leaders is the danger to their
section from any approximation Of rates
10 a mileage basis. and particularly in
the movement Of cotton They realize
that a few years may see a bitter strug-
gle in the export cotton trade. due to
competition with the new sources OF sup
ply that the British colonies are devel-
oping over which British opinion is now
So optimistic America is more depend
ent upon the export Of cotton than OF
any other crop and II anything should
brea-- its supremacy abroad, the South
land would be severely injured one
great advantage which the South has
over the possible cotton areas Of East
Africa and India is the cheap transpor-
tation from the interior TO the coast,
The American railroads. controlling their
own rates, in such struggle for suprem-
acy would haul cotton from the up
lands at rates which would keep the
cotton growing area intact. i'm the face
OF serious competition. Added TO this
argument. there is hardly a prominent
Southern city that has not been partly
convinced that il owes its Importance
In some indusry 10 a cheap long haul.
and these Instances have been empha-
sized by the railroad agents in such a
way as 20 make sentiment
Moreover, railroad interests are so
strong in the South that few asplrants
fot nolitoal advancement would dare
to disregard them. These considerations
in part account for the absence Of all
but three Democratic members from the
committee hearings and the known de-
sire Of several OF these minority men,
II it can be done quietly, to break with
the railroad rate regulation wing Of the
party.
I speak advisodly when / say that the
dominant Republican leaoer Of the
Senate committee which has just con-
cluded it's hearings feel that their great
est accomplishment since the Presidents
the seeds Of this distrust toward rate
regulation In the minds OF Southern men,
II the Democratic party meant what
IL said in lis platform last summer which
declared for greater power to the Inter
state Commerce Commission to the end
that shippers may have prompt and
adequate rilief from the abuses 10 which
they are subjected In the matter OF trans
portation," then they ought TO have
, heard some Of the testimony Of these
same shippers before the Senate com
= mittee on Interstate commerce, not long
ago, when IL was trying TO get something
20 hinge bin on that will put the re-
, frigerator car line people under the
, jurisdiction Of the Interstate Commerce
, commission. II II IS the shippers and
not the commission merchants that the
; saviors OF the people want TO protect,
and there Is no reason to doubt IL. then
} our people ought 10 get al tie truth be-
! fore ;hey commence 20 legislate. When
ever they do they viii discover that
5 they are playing right into the hands
, o 1.-THE commission merchants trust and
? against the right interests OF the far
mer the grower Of fruit and vegetables.
when they endeaYor 70 place the re-
frigerator car line people in the hands
Of the Interstate Commerce commission.
According TO the testimony Of many men
before that committee II the Interstate
/, Commerce commission be given the right
under the law 20 regulate the charges
Of the refrigerator ear line people. and
sue ha rate ripples the service those
people now are giving 10 the shipper.
They win put the shipper. the farmer,
the fruit grower out OF business and de-
H,roy the growing fruit industry OF the
United States. That is pretty strong
talk, but no man can come 10 any other
conclusion after hearing the men en-
gagged ln the business tel an about n
and what the refrigerator car service
means 20 them and TO the business.
tor instance a fruit grower named j.
A Davis. OF Ooldsboro. Caroline coun-
a. Md. testified that he had learned