Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-06-05
The Political Fight Being Made
in Iowa Is of Vital I'M
portance
REGULATION OF RAILWAY RATES
Six Months Ago Perkins Was Cues
tionins the Wisdom of the Presi-
dents Program for a Rate Bill =
Defeat of cummins Would Mean a
Reputation Of RooseveIt's Program.
Special to Times-Republican.


Des Moines, June 5.--There is the
closest connection between the fight
which is being made in the nation at
large for government regulation OF
railroad rates and the contest in Iowa
The connection arises from the fact
that Iowa, more than any other state,
has become deeply interested in the
work of the president; and the rail-
roads are desirous of checkmating the
movement here for its effect on the
fight in the nation.
Shaw is quoted as saying that the
issue of railroad domination is manu-
factured from start to finish. His
chief at Washington knows better.
Perkins is quoted as saying there Is no
connection between the fight in Iowa
and the fight at Washington. His chief
at Burlington knows better
Six months ago the Sioux City
Journal was still questioning the wis
dom Of the presidents program for
giving the interstate commerce COM
mission the right to put rate in
force without waiting for the delays
and vexations of federal court trials.
Today Shaw is speaking In Iowa and
not uttering word of commentator
for the program of the president on
this subject.
1t has not yet been year since
Michaelis & Ellsworth, a firm Of New
York lawyers, organized bureau un-
4 t1,n not trrn nF m
eastern and trunk line presidents with
President Spencer, Of the Southern
Railway, as chairman, and this bureau
rented whole floor of big office
building in Chicago. From this want
age point the work was done in the
middle states and west. What work?
The purpose of this bureau was to do
missionary work among the people, to
create a revulsion of feeling as against
the presidents program, to undo what
had been done by Cummins, VanSant,
La Toilette, and the organized ship
pers and farmers in giving direction to
the popular sentiment In favor of rate
control. No work was done in New
Jersey OR In West Virginia or in Rhode
Island The work was to be done in
Iowa and surrounding states. And it
was work intended to discredit the
president in his rate program and to
leave Iowa and other congressman free
to follow their bent rather than to obey
demonstrative popular sentiment.
From these Chicago headquarters
men We're sent out to travel and to see
politicians and newspaper editors. A
branch Of the bureau was established
in Des Moines, and by and thru this
branch the enemies of President
Roosevelt reached such newspaper ed
itors as are susceptible to influence
They secured publication in Iowa Of
much matter encouraging to those who
were fighting the president. The nom
inal head Of the branch bureau in Des
Moines was a stranger, and to give his
customers assurance he gave reference
as to his financial ability to Des
Moines bank. He promised to pay at
the close of the campaign.
1t was the rate bureau, with its
branch in Des Moines, that was refer
red to by Senator Dolliver as having
spent $2,OoO,0OO last year in fighting
the president. Current rumor in Chi
cago was that the sum spent was much
larger.
One day there was sent out of the
office of this bureau in Chicago
smooth young man, a newspaper man
formerly engaged in Iowa. and he
Travelled for weeks over Iowa and into
some other states. He visited news
paper offices and he talked with poll
He was on the pay roll of the
bureau at big salary. Passes were
furnished him and he had all expenses
paid. He made it his business to know
what was going on in Iowa.
"It is all settled; George D. Perkins
will be nominated for governor Of
Iowa"
He thus declared openly and freely
to a group of newspaper men in the
Press Club of Chicago. on the occasion
of his return last summer from a trip
into Iowa. He spoke as one knowing
what he said. He had been out to find
out and to fix things. He spoke not in
prophecy, but as one having exact
His friends did not then
know he was in the employment of
the rate bureau, but that was fact.
Every newspaper that was interest
ed then in the literature supplied by
this rate bureau is now supporting
Perkins for governor. The branch of
the rate bureau was next door to Ed.
Hunters office The bank which guar
anteed the financial responsibility of
the branch bureau has Ed. Hunter as
one Of its directors Ed. Hunter is to-
day personally in charge of the Per-
kins campaign.
The railway rate bureau, which
Ga an,1e1 Spencer devised went to pieces
in tragic manner last winter. Its ennis
saries had gone all thru the western
states doing what they called "mis-
sionary work" among susceptible
newspaper men. One of them bumped
into bright new spaper man formerly
from Iowa. at Butte, Mont, and this
man saw that he had a fine story. At
ter the agent had departed the Butte
paper came out with a page write-up,