The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1906-11-01
sHAW ON BRYAN.

S..kW ON BRYAN.
Colonel Bryan has been most elo-
qaent this season in claiming that the
popularity of the present congress and
the present administration is due to
the adoption by them of democratic
politics He had said that if the demo-
cratic party could have secured pa
tents upon its recomm eadations the
present administration would have
long since been compelled to go into
liquidation AS usual the eloquent
orator contents himself with rhetoric
and valves proof.
Among the many achievements OF
the last congress to which the repub-
lican campaign book and the presi-
dents letter to Congressman Watson
make special mention. are the pure
food bill; the meat inspection bill;
the denatured alcohol bill: the reor-
ganization of the consular service;
quarantine against yellow fever: the
bill to safeguard naturalization of
immigrants; more rigid steamboat in
pection; the employers liability act;
and the Limitation of immunity to
witnesses in criminal cases, none of
which is of democratic origin and
none of which was ever suggested in
a democratic platform.
The Rate Bill
The only legislation for which the
democratic party can possibly clam
approval even is the rate bill. Three
times in its history the democratic
party has referred to the subject of
transportation and in substantially
the same language. 1t has never
promised anything definite on the sub
ject. | quote from its first utterance
On the subject from its platform of
1896:
1--WE demand the enlargement OF
the powers of the interstate commerce
commission. and such restrictions and
guarantees in the control of railroads
as will protect the people from rob-
berry and oppression.
Colonel Bryan cannot be charged
with undue modesty in seeking to
trace the parentage of the rate bill
which gives the interstate commerce
commission specific authority to I'LL
timately determine rates, subject to
review by the courts, to the loose and
indefinite platform suggestion of his
party.
The history of transportation leg
islation, state and naonal, is most
interesting. and clearly disproves COL
onel Bryan's idle boast that the demo-
cratic party is in the remotest degree
responsible therefor.
Iowa Early Urgel Rate Bill
The first bill on the subject ever
introduced in congress was one entitl-
ed "A bill to regulate commerce by
railroads among the several states. !"
1t passed the house with only five
democratic votes in its favor. No
democrat spoke in favor of the bill.
The next towards national control
was joint resolution passed by the
legislature of Iowa asking the ma
tional congress to assume the power
granted in the federal constitution of
Regulating commerce between the
states This resolution Senator Ali
son presented in the senate in March.
1854. Following this his colleague.
Senator Wilson, offered res ,lution
designed to commit the Senate on
the question of its authority to legis-
late on the subject.
The republican national convention
in 1888. William Mckinley was chair
man of the committee that reported
that resolution. 1t was in obedience
to this commitment that the Cullom
interstate law was passed by repub-
lican senate and republican house,
though approved by President Cleve-
land in 1887. The democratic plat
forms of 1884, 1888, and of 1892. both
before and after the passage OF the
Cullom bill, were each and all silent
on the subject of national control of
the transportation companies. 1t
first reference to the subject as have
stated was in 1896. The last demo-
cratic national convention goes one
step further and camps nearer repub-
/
and determinations, and demands
prompt and adequate relief from
these abuses.
1t is doubtful whether the party
would have ventured so far from
.Iefersonian principles had not the
, E!kins bill been enacted, under which
the present administration has brought
lar mere than half OF its successful
prosecutions AGAINST combined caDital