The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-25

real reason for all this chicancry. The
commission says:
Careful consideration of the evidence
convinces us. and we find that n chief
reason why defendant Qhe raiiroad) de-
cllnes to grant this connection switch
and sidetrack) is that It desires 10 pro-
tect coal companies in which 1t Is in
terested.'
1t 10 general policy OF graft--bis
graft, big business graft, but none the
less graft-that Governor Dawson says
holds his State in its grasp. But why
doesn't he shake OFF that grasp and free
his State? I1e is the Governor. and the
Governor is supposed to lie the political
head of sovereign American State. or
course, Governors rarely are the head OF
their State. and this Governor says the
Pennsylvania Railroad rules West vir-
ginia That's like New Jersey; it's
longer reach to West Virginia, but listen
to the first citizen of West Virginia;
ut may be that the Pennsylvania Rail-
road Company does not own a controls
ling part OF the stock OF the Baltimore
and Chic or tho Chesapeake and Ohio or
the Norfolk and Western, but have no
donbt that an investigation will show
that the Pennsylvania practically con-
trolls. 1t makes Its own rates, and
our people are helpless. controlled
by an alien corporation practically in
direct competition with U.s."
Isn't that n humiliatng confession for
the elected Governor of community OF
Americans to make? Why doesn't Mr..
Dawson enforce the law OF his State?
He answers. in that same letter: .'We
have some law in this State bearing on
that subject (railroad rate dlscrimina-
tom, but 1t is inadequate. and we have
no means of enforcing 1T" Doesn't that
sound American? Why doesn't he he
recommend to his legislature an ade-
quate law? Well. we all can guess why
Legislatures rarely represent tho COM
mon interests of their States. But why
doesn't the Governor appeal to his peo-
pie?
Our people are helpless" he answers.
and L have heard that cry In many
States and in many cities of the United
States. And It's false. Our people" are
not helpless. In West Virginia they are
corrupt. Oh, not oil Of them-no. God
forbid But an effective minority sell
their votes for cash at the polls in West
Virginia and that's why Governor Dow
son of West Virginia sits down In his
humiliation and. to the humiliation OF
his people, writes his plea for help to-
United States Senator
And what Senator? Not to one OF his
own. West Virginia has two Representa-
and Scott-tnt Mr.. Dawson can't expect
help from them. He writes to the Sem
ator from South Carolina-Hon. Benja-
min r. Tillman. He hardly knows him.
II do not know that you remember me,
he says. 81 met you at dinner given
by Senator Scott two years ago" So he
knows Scott we'll; and he knows, Elkinsr
too. They are the State leaders of his
party. yet he writes to n Democratic from
South Carolina? Why?
Because the corrupted government and
the corrupting business of West Nir-
ginla are organized into what is called
n Hog Combine and the Senator's from
West Virginia boss and they represent
this Hog Cobine" of alien corporations
and coal land grafters"
That's why Governor Dawson of West
Virginia puts UP his prayer to Senator
Tillman, of South Carolina. And that's
why he deserves no help, neither he nor
his helpless people. For the rest of US
have to pray for relief from the same
conditions to the Senator from West
Virginia.
is our Government ours??' That is
our question. Last week we saw how
our President had to Jam" certain bills
OF 'ours" through "our' unwilling House
of Representatives. The only bill which
that body passed without Ducking was
the Hepburn rate regulation bill, and we
saw that the Hon. '.Pete" Hepburn, the
godfather OF the bill. and the chairman
of the House committee which drew it,
had been but recently converted from
his railroad rsympathies by a bonfire out
In his State.
Representative Hepburn was type OF
our representatives who are not ours
at all; having to go to us for re-elec-
ton next fall, all but seven OF them
passed the rate bill up to the Senate-to
be fixed"
WE'LL the rate bill was referred in the
Senate to the Interstate Commerce Com
niittee. and now 1t appears that the
chairman OF that committee Is none other
than the Hon. Stephen B. EEtins, the
boss or political agent of the Hog Com
bine whom our fellow citizens In West
Virginia send here to washington to rep
resent all OF us In the United States
Senate. Is 1t any wonder that he fixed
our bill?
West Virginia is in dire trouble, btit
NO owe her no sympathy. She gave IN
our" Senator Elkins. But. then, on ths
other hand, what can the rest OF us says
Whom do we send to the Senate to rep
resent all OF us and West Virginia.
MY" Senator's from my State are
Plat and Depew. Who are your" Sem
ntors from your" State? You see, we
really don't deserve rate regulation. It
Is an abuse OF the power of public opin-
Ion to compel representative like Hop
burn and Senator like Elkins to re-
lieve us from the condition that prevails
in West Virginia and In the United
States. Why. I understand that 1t can
be shown that Mr.. Elkns. as railroad
man. has been guilty OF the very discrin1-
nations which we expect him to forbid.
It's our government, not the railroads,
that we want to control: Representative
government. not rate regulation. is what
we lack. LINCOLN STEFTEts
Copyright 1906, by ]. l.. Sterens)
this holiday time upder n brilliant cnr;n.x