The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1906-09-26
ELKINS TALKS Of
BRYANs !DE
GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP I'M
PRAcTicARLE AND NOT 10
Be sERIoUsLY3coMslp

WHEELING. Sept. 26!-wheeling in
general andsthe Mcclure house in par
iAcular, viii be distinguished for a few
days by the presence Of two United
States Senators and a member Of the
House OF Representatives. the repre-
Isentatiyes 81 West Virginia in the
upper house Of Congress, Stephen 3.
Elktnsi and Nathan B. Scott, and Con-
tgressman B. B. Dovener, arrived in
the city at Midnight Monday from the
east for a stay Of a few days to attend
Ito some business matters and to see
his friends. Although the senator
stated that Just now he Is more inter
'ested in having a bridge built across
the Cheat river for the Morgantown
& Kiugwood railroad than in politics,
he consented to talk a little OF the
latter with a reporter. who found him
at the Mcclure In conference with
some local politicians.
AS the senator is chairman Of the
senate committee on interstate COM
merce the question of government
ownership OF railroads was preached.
The Hon. Mi. Elkfns is firm against
the Bryan theory.
ut is wholly impracticable." said
he. There is really not much to dis
cuss on it since no Republican OF
whom 1 know favor it, and most of the
Democrats have repudiated It, leav-
ing Mr.. Bryan standing alone. Where
is the country to get thu none to buy
all these roads? That is the first
question to confront us. Then too, l
believe that Mr.. Bryan includes in
his proposition that the. States shall
own the small branch lines within
their own borders. WHARF are the
States to get all this money from to
buy the roads? Some time ago some
of the States tried owning the small
roads, among them Missouri and Mary
land, and they have abandoned it Us
a failure.
"Just now we have started with
government control of trunk lines and
just as we have begun to do this sue
cessfully why should we want to start
lin and own the roads? 1t is absurdly
Impractical as / see it"
A Stand Patter.
The tariff was another question that
was brought up. Senator Elklns Is
among the hrmest of Stand Patters."
why should we want to run the
risk of in3uring our present prosperity
by altering the tariff that has brought
lit about?" asked Senator Elkins. THE
country was nsver SO prosperous as
lit is. now! The tree won't bear any
more fruit. There is work every
where for everybody. 1t is a case of
the jobs hunting the men. We have
plenty of business, of prosperity, with
fine crops, and lots OF happiness and
contentment,
"Of course, l know" said the sena-
tor smiling, that we can't. take cred
IIt for the fine crops, but the other
great prosperity is the outcome of
our present tariff system, SO why
should we want to change 1t? II we
do not continue to nave prosperity,
and the Democrats can show where
Econditions may be bettered by alter
ing the tariff, then we will do SO. But
until then let us not disturb the pres
ent splendid conditions.
81 think the measures passed by the
present congress the most important
lin frty years. The Republicans have
always stood on advanced ground.
AS to rate regulation, that is an ac-
complished fact. The Elkins amend
ment is working well, but I suppose
that is talking about myself. How
ever, 1 have been told by many peo-
pie, including the president, that the
Elkins amendment is tho best in the
bill. Good work is now being done
under it. That has been the case in
everything. While the Democrats
have been talking about things, the
Republicans went and did them"
"As for the State we can rest our
case with the tax laws which have
reduced the tax bills OF so per cent. of
our citizens"
The senator then left-to attend to
some business matters. Said he:
cone OF the principal reasons of my
visit is to hurry the Wheeling Bridge
Company ON an order they have for a
bridge across the Cheat river for the
Morgantown n Kingwood railroad.
We have been at work six months
down there trying to get up a pier
hut were always set back by heavy
rains. Now we are ready for the
bridge, and 1 want the Wheeling peo-
pie to send it down as soon as they
can. / gave the contract, Of course,
to a Wheeling firm for l never buy In
Pittsburg what | can buy in Wheeling,
even RI 1t costs a little more"