Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1906-10-19
A CLEAN RAILROAD RECORD.
Senator Harris Replied 10 Charges BY
Kansas Republicans.

Linwood, Kas., Oct. lin reply
to statement issued yesterday by
S. {. drummer, chairman Of the Re.
publican state central committee at
lacking bis record on railroad legisla-
ton, w. A. Harris, Democratic lomi-
nee for governor Of Kansas, said to-
day:
"Phe Republicans seem greatly
concerned over my record on rail-
road legislation during the session Of
Congress in 1897. Suppose we goo
still farther back. | was elected to
Congress in 1892. | took up the
fight in favor Of holding the Pacific
railroads to a strict compliance with
the contentious Of the government. I
insisted that the claim of the govern.
ment for the full amount Of subsidy
and the interest which had been ad-
vanced by the government itself ow-
ing to the default Of the railroads
was just. Our committee rooms were
besieged by swarm Of the ablest at
torneys for the railroads. Morowitz,
Stetson and others pleaded with us
for the Union Pacific, while Coils
P. Huntington and his many associ-
ates, representing the Southern Paci-
fc road, lowered about the commit
tees headquarters for months. They
were urging the passage Of the Riley
bill, which would have wiped out
more than one-half Of the debt and
given the railroads more than twenty
years to pay the balance. Every ar
gument, proper and improper, was
used strenuously.
"Finally got three other mem
bers Of that congressional committee
TO join me in a minority report against
the hill. In the discussion on the
floor Of the House we succeeded in
defeating the measure. This was the
first check which this gigantic inter-
est had ever received IN Congress.
Before that these railroads had sue
ceeded in procuring whatever legisla-
ton they wanted.
Had | been inclined to yield to
influence surely here was a golden
opportunity,
at is we'll known that in the subse-
quent campaign in 1904 the railroad
interests Of the state we're solidly
against my re election, but did not
change my position for l knew that
the fight would be renewed at the
first opportunity. | was defeated.
ain the Fifty.fourth Congress a
similar measure was postponed, but
the impression which had been made
in the Fifty-third Congress was so
great that the party did not dare to
shoulder it, although Mr.. Long Of
Kansas voted for it IN the House.
when | was elected from Leav-
enworth county as state senator I
had the same views. The Populists
had demanded a maximum freight
rate law. The same thing had been
tried in two states and abandoned I
believed that the only method was to
adopt a good commission law. I
introduced and tried to have accept
ed the Iowa law. This was modified
more or less, but was vetoed because
it was not what the party had pledged
itself to attain. The Populists
themselves, in an extra session, aban-
doned the maximum freight rate idea
and attempted different policy
which was found to be absolutely
valueless, so that undoubtedly the po-
sition had taken was proven correct
by subsequent events No state
since that time has attempted to enact
the maximum freight rate law.
81 was in favor Of an anti-pass law
at that time and stroye to have such
a law passed. l did not favor q
cent rate then because the business Of
the railroads would not have justified
a reduction.
any subsequent action in the
United States Senate in carrying on
a bitter struggle against improper
claims Of railroads, the Union Pacific
and others, is well known. In the
Senate again was an opportunity such
as no man ever had to yield to rail-
road influence. So that before and
after my term Of 1897 my record
shows but one steady uniform co urse.
l have not hesitated to differ with any
party With which was affiliated for
the hest posShle legislation"