Los Angeles herald., 1906-01-11
ORGANIZE FOR
RATE LEGISLATION
BIG CONVENTION IS HELD AT
WICHITA
Speakers Score Method Which Allows
Privileged Classes to Roll
Up Enormous Fortunes by
Fleeing People
py Associated Press.

" ASSOCIATED Press.
WICHITA, Kas., Jan. 1O.--A freight
rate mass convention, made up Of 500
delegates representing commercial and
farmers organizations from all parts
of Kansas, was held here today.
A permanent organization for the
purpose of pushing railway rate legis-
lation was perfected, and resolutions
were adopted urging congress to give
u railway rate commission power TO
control railroad rates. 1t also was
decided to perfect organization in
every county In the state and to follow
in the footsteps of Wisconsin in secur-
ing q state bill to control corporations.
The convention is strictly non partisan.
James L. Bristow of Salina, Kas., ex-
fourth assistant postmaster general,
was made permanent chairman.
Speeches were made by Chairman
l3ristow, S. K. Van SAINT, former gov
ernor of Minnesota; T. l.. Lenroot,
speaker of the Wisconsin house of rep
resentatives, and others.
Governor T.. W. Hoch of Kansas,
who was to have been one of the speak
ers, sent word that he was too Ill to
attend the convention.
Warns Rockefeller's Opponents
Former Governor Van SAINT spoke in
part as follows:
THE eyes of the nation are turning
toward Kansas and the people of
America are deeply interested in your
struggle for self preservation. l am
with you i'll your fight with the stand
ard Oil company and its powerful head,
John d. Rockefeller.
do YOU know the power of corporate
wealth? Do you fully realize the vast
influence it wields? Have you paused
TO consider how mercilessly it Furnishes
those who stand in it's way and oppose
it's will, and how it villifieS, abuses and
nisrepresents every man who does not
cringe before it? II anv one of you
is a public official and has had the
temerity to do his sworn duty. are you
aware that you are the special object
of it's vengeance and that every effort
will be made to crush you?
Money is rapidly becoming all pow
erful. The wealth of your arch enemy
is greater than that of any man who
ever lived in the tide of time
Wants Pure Politics
"You can win this fight if you are
determined. You have the power in
your own hands In our country the
people rule. No man should go to
congress or sit in the Legislature who
does not vote right on questions affect
ing the welfare of the state. Not only
hold meetings, but attend the primaries
of your party and see that honest and
efficient men are chosen to represent
you. Afterward go to the polls and
vote. Do your utmost to eliminate the
ward heeler, the caucus manipulation
and the party boss; relegate TO tne rear
The man with a political pull and let
efficiency be the only test for public
Office.
< Our legislatures should pass primary
election laws giving the people an op-
portunity to nominate United states
senator's as well as all other officers by
direct primaries.
All Are Affected
"As to the transportation question: 1t
affects every man, woman and child N
the nation. One of the difficulties IN
dealing with it is the unfairness of the
railroads. 1t is not true, as they per-
sistently state, that the friends of rate
regulation desire to have the interstate
commerce commission arbitrarily fix all
raets. We stand exactly with President
Roosevelt and only want power given
the commission, after Il rate has been
challenged and found to be unreason-
able, to name one, have it go into effect
Immediately and remain III force until
reviewed by the courts.
The railroads now can do as they
please, as there is no power to en-
force the DEGREES of the commission. All
we ask is to have the power delegated
that congress failed to grant formerly.
Either give us this just measure, stop
rebates and similar determinations, let
al private car shipments cease, and
marked progress will have been made
in the settlement of the VeXed trans
portation question.
Scores Privileged Glass
Il am not an alarmist, but it is time
10 call a halt. We are building up a
class of individuals in our country by
finn I1lslNileRGG that
menace our free Institutions.
mo one can estimate the damage
wrought by the pernicious system of
favoritism. It. and it alone, enabled
John d. Rockefeller to successfully
crush every competitor and establish
the most gigantic monopoly on earth.
1T is enabling every man who enjoys
il to destroy his rivals and plunder the
people.
This man with the railroad mag
mates, together with the insurance
scoundrels who have used the sacred
funds entrusted to their care, have
cornered the markets, and whether
prices have gone up or down have
reaped rich harvest"
James II. Troutman of Topeka, TEN
porary chairman, said in the course of
his remarks:
Wants Federal Laws
Some time ago Senator Long OF
Kansas said that rate put into effect
by the interstate commerce commission
and to remain so until reviewed by the
supreme court would be unconstitu-
lonal. l do not care to so into a con-
situtional discussion of this matter
but / deny the right of Senator Long
10 take upon himself to say as to what
The supreme court OF the United States
shah do"
AT this utterance the convention
broke into applause ana then into
cheers.
In his address Chairman Bristow said
that only a small number of the evils
growing out of the present transporta-
ton system can be corrected by state
laws. There must be federal legisla
ton by which the national government
can enforce equity and fairness In
transportation charges.
EXPERTS BITE OF OLE0, $10C