Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-05-20
Iowans at Washington Feeling
Proud of Governors Tilt
With Senate Committee
sTANDPATTERs WERE RATIFIED
Met the Arguments of
the Railroad Senator'S at Every Turn
and Practically Forced From Them
An Acknowledgement Of business Of
His Position.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to I1lneS-R eDuDllCans
Des Moines, May 20--As letters from
Iowans at Washington begin to come
back to the state, 1t becomes more
and more apparent that not only did
Governor Cummins enjoy great
triumph in the hearing before the in
terstate commerce committee of the
United States senate last week, but
that the dry bones of standpattism re-
ceived q thorough rafting by reason
of the magnificent showing made by
the governor of Iowa in support of the
presidents Recommendation relative to
railroad rate legislation.
Plainly, a majority of the commits
tee was not only antagonistic TO the
presidents idea, but entertained a hope
of being able to embarrass the COVER
nor of this state on account of his
prominence In favor of progressive
policies at Washington. Chairman Ell
kins, of the committee. injected argu-
ment into his questions in favor or
doing nothing; Senator Cullom at
tempted argument in favor of the
present measure which bears his
name; Senator Kean seemed in the OK
animation merely to desire to demon
strate his loyalty to the railroads;
while Senator Foraker appeared to
have been the one selected to try to
riddle the argument of the governor.
He never tackled quite so unsatisfac-
tory a Job, for when the hearing end
ed, Judging from the printed record of
the days proceedings the governor of
Iowa had not only maintained his own
position which Is that of the presi-
dent and of the people, but he had de-
molished wholly the theory on which
Senator Foraker sought to meet his
argument.
For the first time during the twenty
days hearing. the side of the people
was presented fairly and squarely and
effectively. Washington is exercised
about it. Up to the time the COVER
nor of Iowa appeared at the national
capital on invitation Of the committee,
the committee had INDUCED more or
less in a hippodrome, in which all of
the big chariots were managed by
great railroad magnates. They had
ridden rough shod over everything,
and had produced car loads of testi-
mony and assertion to prove two un-
disputed propositions-that railroad
freight rates are lower than they used
to be and that the railroads in fixing
rates do it for the best interests of
themselves, first, and favored COM
munities, secondly .
When Governor Cummins was heard
| it was made conspicuous for the first
time and to the chagrin of the railroad
fellows, that the issue is not high or
low railroad rates, but it is equality Of
rates and the demand of the people is
not now for lower rates but it is for
the establishment of an impartial
tribunal, clothed with power from the
government Of the people, to adjudi-
cate disputes between the people and
the railroads, instead Of perpetuating
the present system under which the
railroads sit as judges in such dis
putes.
In view of the showing made before
the committee by Governor Cummins
on the side of the people and Presi-
dent Roosevelt and in view of the fact
that j. w. Blythe, who represents j. j.
Hill, in Iowa, is one of the railroad
lobby at Washington, seeking to defeat
the presidents Recommendation, the
state Of Iowa has a distinct and def
mite interest in the outcome. 1t is this
situation which lends special interest
to the legislative session of next win
ter, to the congregational primaries
which will come along in the spring
time and to the contest over the state
ticket to be nominated by the repub-
lican party next summer For it is
not likely that if congress fails to en-
act legislation embodying the views of
the president, the people of Iowa will
permit the fact to pass unnoticed.
Indeed, politicians expect to see this
ed in Iowa, and next winter, next
spring and next summer republicans
will have to stand up and be counted
either for or against the policies Of
the president, and with reference to
whether or not they are aligned with
the influences which not only oppose
the president, but stand against the
interests Of the people. If this state
is for railroad rate. legislation it can
not convince the nation of it by main
tanning in supreme power men who
not only represent but are a part of
the influences which Will prevent rate
legislation in congress in the coming
session, as well as having been part
of those influences in the last ses-
sion.
1t begins to look as If the old fight
would be renewed on the new lines
next year. Governor Cummins won
in 1901 by his declaration that he was
not a candidate for governor because
N. NJ. Hubbard and j. w. Blythe want
ed him to be. Since then he has given
repeated evidences that he can neither
be intinidated nor dominated by the
influences which they represented then
and which Mr.. Blythe is still living to
represent.
The issue Of 1901 bids fair to be SO
clearly reproduced in the campaign Of
1905. and even in more definite form,
that politicians see no possibility of
avoidance Of a pitched battle between
the railroad power on one side and the
neople on the other. The mere person.
ality of candidates viii cut no figure
| in the next fight in Iowa, for it is
bound to be a fight on principles, and
the question will be not as to whether
| this or that candidate Is named x or
Y or q, but whether he honestly repre-
sents the people and the progressive
policies Of the president or the do
nothing policies Of the special inter-
ests.
| Will Embark In Business.