The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-16

the question. 1.-THE president will ind
abundant support among our people
in his endeavor to get relief from the
imposition OF the railroads" he said.
The delegation from Kansas is prac-
tically unanimous on this subject as
we believe something should be done
to relieve efectually the condition that
in many instances has become intol-
cradle.
The above is merely a sample Of the
way in which senators and members
are talking and show that the president
viii have an enthusiastic support on
this question. To be sure, there will be
members Of congress and senators VINO
viii oppose him as there is great ei-
Versity Of honest opinion on this cues
ton. The railroads will seek to delay
action by all the parliamentary tricks
which are known and viii be represent
ed here during the winter by many able
men, among them being a number OF
former members of the senate and OF
the house. Former Senator Faulkner
of West Virginia has been working on
this subject for a number of years and
is admirably informed Mr.. Samuel
Spencer, president of the Southern rail-
road will this session as he has done
for several sessions, represent the COM
binatiOn of railroads formed by the
Morgan interests in opposition to this
legislation. Mr.. Spencer has beautl-
full home in Washington and it is said
Illinois Central viii also have resi-
dence here this winter and possibly
others of like prominence.
Considerable interest attaches to the
announcement that the general publici-
ty bureau of the railroad combination
would suspend operations as its work
had been very unsatisfactory. It is SAID
that nearly two million dollars, (al-
though this figure is probably excess
siVe) was raised by assessing the rail-
roads for this publicity campaign ana
expensive headquarters were opened IN
Chicago and various western cities and
many agents We're sent throughout the
and to persuade them by one means
and another to publish matter supplied
by the bureau. Offices were also nam
tanned in Boston and New YORK ana
some work was attempted in Washing
ton. The Washington work was very
unsuccessful. It opened with the CIR
culation of what purpOrted to be accounts
of the hearings before the senate com
mittee last spring.
These accounts were prepared ny
parties who knew very little of the sub
ject, and who could only see one side
of it. They were circulated to the cor
respondents and sent by rail to the
newspapers, but owing to their biased
character, their many inaccuracies ana
the unknown source from which they
emanated, little attention was paid TO
them by the correspondents here ana
they received scant consideration at
the hands of the editors throughout
the country. Occasionally a paper, or
correspondent would use the matter
but as it was often prepared in ad-
vance and the witnesses when heard
did not say the things attributed TO
them. and in some cases did not appear
at all, this class of matter was early
discredited. Since then nothing has
been attempted with the newspaper
correspondents by this particular bu-
reau although they receive by mail a
large quantity of matter from other
sources, some of which is available.
but most of which is not The local
press representatives of the ra1lroad DIS
supply an occasional letter to a few
correspondents whose papers are
known to be favorable to the railroad
interests.
The firm of publicists which had
charge of the work in the west origin
ated in Boston and then opened an Of
fee in New York. 1t did very we'll as
long as it stuck to its original line OF
work which was to write articles Tor
publication in newspapers or maya
zines submitted strictly on their merits
as news. making no charge for the
same. Of course they received their
pay from the parties interested in hay
ing the articles published and as long
as the matter was good news, they Sc
cured the publication of a cOnsidera bic
CasiOn when a great ship was to be
launched in a foreign ship yard, a ca
pable man was sent abroad and arti-
cles were supplied to the magazines
and newspapers describing the ship, its
launching. etc. These articles were
we'll received as the launching was a
legitimate matter of news and the fact
that the ship itself and the line OpeTat-
ing it received cOnsidera Bile free ad-
vertising by this means was not held
against the press agents by either the
magazines or the newspapers. But
when they undertook a One-Sided cam
paign on the railroad rate question
and attempted to secure the publica-
ton of matter by buying space in the
news and editorial colmns, they came
a "crOpper." I am told that they
maintained luxurious headquarters in
Chicago and had a small army of en-
plOyes. They had a handsome suite
of rooms in this city and four or five
men working for them last spring.
This indicates that the campaign was
conducted on a scale of luxury I'M
known in any other press campaign
and is quite a contrast between the
modest expenditures of the organiza-
ton which started the railroad rate
agitation estimated at less than $780,
900, including all the expenses of its
press bureau and the tons of literature
it distributed. 1t is too bad that so
much good railroad money was vast
ed VIM. WOLFF SMITH.