The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-18
CALLED THEM DOWN.
No wonder Railroad Beard Didn't GIVE
Ont Keefer's Letter.


Oneof the choice items Of news "nisn
has been carefully suppressed ~ 80 80.
state hoard OF railroad conmlssloi iei7'
r.slr|5a,ea with the recent star
chamber ruling Of the board came -
1i,bt yesterday afternoon. when Hor-
ace A. Keefsr, former state rep
tive from ]. eavenworth county, came
IN ToDeka. and gave out for puoilca 1loH
rorne corresnondence which he has peeh
having with the board s-,. latter
is only a sample OF others when lle s,
i,aen coming in to the board Oh 60
800 o,ror,fsefouers and which are nov
being suppressed. The poaIo uS5o 3
Five ont news concerning the Gun rem
business. but now the RUE Is rI.as -
arvvfbfne shall be suppressed. Inc - -
- '. 60, ,,.5s r,1Isns, seems to be that the
T3er,,hfiean state convention Is at manu-,
and the board wants II 70 apPSat -
everybody is satisfied Win thS W 49,
old board has been como uctlls ~ 7,-t+iz-s
Mr. Keefer, however, is very Posltls -
4t,ar the hoard Is working in syInpa ny
with the railroads, and that us ae $3.50
ss befng dictated by the railroad attoA-
neys. 49,. os,,sed Mr.
Keefer to write to the Doalu go
1s,,er a netftion from the people or W a.
MIA a village on the Kansas -
Northwestern railroad about nine 80! nlll19
from I,eavenworth- The petlAon, 91s So.
~ en- rersous asked for improved SCI
vice and a station with telegraDnlc Ia
e0ffles at Wallula. Cyrus AnaeLsot1'
SECRETARY of the board, sent the lolioW-
fnn reply on April 4, Wnlcn Was -
doubt dictated by some member OF lii9
@Dear Sir: This board is In receipt
Of complaint signed by yourselL aHu
others against the Kansas CITY ~ l -.
western Railroad company on -. IF
-rrrr q ra6
Replying the board desires to say
that the title Of the Kansas CITY,
andotfe e. Northwestern having pasSSu
to the Kansas city < Norm iS " -
mortgage foreclosure, the lattet con-
pany is not bound to 1uinll the coz
tracts and agreements of the construc-
ton company, unless express dsie0
nents were made to do so al slIHs u
foreclosure This being fact the item
Of maintaining shops and omces d.
Kansas City, maintenance of stations
and issuance Of communication tckees
Upon agreement Of the construction
company would pc eliminated = 90
TN relation alleged abandonment of
passenger train service this board IS
not given the power OF injunction anu
could not Issue a restraining order IN
the premises. It could only take Juris-
diction after the abandonment OF lhe
on April - Mr. Keefer sent this let
ter to the members of the board, when
was kept secret until Mr. Keefer him
self gave it out He says in TINS letteI.
My reply to your very remarkapie
letter of the 4th has been delayed pc
cause of the great show of legal talenl
displayed therein and from the lact
that you neglected to inclose me copy
OF the laws under which you exist and
draw YOUR S2,50O a year to teach the
innocent how not to procure reileE
petitioned for. We have secured q copy
of these laws which you refused US.
1.-THE writer assumes from the IacI
that you are able to give only five hours
week to public business uesQay
from 10 a. m. until p m--that the
display of legal technicalties has been
prepared for you by Orr or Richards--
for Waggener is away trying to keep
OUR senator from the pen it doesn'
sound like Doster ought to give and
Carr ". Taylor says he wasn't con-
There are a. few every day laymen
like William Allen White, Walter Ros-
cOe Stubs, the Implement Dealers as
ISOLATION and the author who are be-
ginning to learn something of the Eng
fish language and interpret laws and
duties Of public officials even at this
late day.
This is how one who had to do with
the matter Of making laws-esp ecially
that pertaining to railroads and COM
rnissioners 10 regulate thenl-sees his
rights and your responsibilities to the
public.
not give you any option in these matters; ;
it states that you SHALL do these things
At you Aaa pursued q p041cy VL SAs.1illlla
ton you would doubtless have discovered
that the charter OF this branch of the
road complained Of provides for a rapid
transit railroad with hourly service and
contracts mot deeds) were given for this
kind OF service, that the trains now Op-
Grated are mixed local-two a day-wfth
fnHUffirfpnT accommodations and ErhPN-
uies and frequent missing Of connections
at the junction; with long waits. The
laws have decided that a mixed train is
not a passenger train and this you know:
that most Of the rails Originally only 81
pounds to the Yard have been down for 20
years ana are not now over % pounds and
many Of them worn on the head that
bars and bolts; that the officials have
been notified that in case Of death from
these. causes they viii be indicted for
granddaughter If possible don't see how
the commission could avoid equal respon-
sibility.
"A little diligence would show that this
company charges S1l5 for round trip tick
cts from Kansas City to AIenager and
W9lula, i and q miles respectively,
y ~ ~ Sile charge 10 AeaVenworth' 30 miles,
Section 50 gives the people ample pro
lection and relief to enforce your orders
tnroush a prosecution by the attorney
general IN the name Of the state and a
penalty OF 1900 day for any neglect on
tho part Of the corporation to comply with
We shall insist upon hearing and a
ruling as our rights. When we sent you
our petition We had real grievances of
long standing and If you remember his
tory intrigues, injustces, prejudices and
Ireachery all brought about Intense suf-
dering and retribution from the partition
Of Alexander empire and the faU Of
Carthage and Rome-all down through the
nges-Jo the present extremity of Russia
81 is the same.
The action Of the board in the Madison
Hno central branches and its treatment
Of the implement dealers smack Of ali
these, and It is remarkable that some If
these people haven't thought of the AZ
torney general and his powers and duties
unqer the constitution. The laws are Iii
right and wherever there Is no reiiaf -
!s because enforcing officers fan to do
their sworn duty. Danger comes soo1es{
when IL Is despised. o.
HORACE ANDREW KEEFERr
Marriage Business Picks Tn.
The marriage license bus{nass ,.,-
leaNN in the nrohats 60 -. -