Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-03-29

>0<a<@<8<<0> \<A>1<W\0<A ~
way in which the members of the com
nittee have listened to my statement
the members of the committee who
were present during your statement
agree that no person present other
than members of the committee sug-
eested any one Of the questions sub
mitted to you. You We're heard as an
expert on the evils to be remedied
and very briefly and altogether casu
ally. on the legal effect of proposed
remedies 1t therefore required no at
torney to formulate the questions
submitted.
Summarizing your evidence the fol-
lowing appears:
THE rates on farm produce from
Your state are reasonable and entirely
and eggs is unreasonably low. The
farmers of your state have nothing to
complain of whatever. NYou appeared
for manufacturers only. The aggre-
gate earnings of the roads are reason
able, and you would be willing to at
ford them larger returns than j. j..
EIill thinks necessary. You would let
their present income stand You. say,
that the Elkins law is as strong as it
is possible to make it against rebates
and special privileges to individuals
and to prevent determinations between
localities. Under this bill you say that
any person aggrieved in any way can
write to the Interstate Commerce
commission and it then becomes the
duty OF this commission to investi-
gate the matter and institute pro-
ceedings if necessary to correct the
evil, all of which Is. done without ex
pense to the complainant. A postal
card will set the wheels in motion and
the courts will hear the case summar-
lily. Yet, this law was prepared In
the committee which you charge with
infamy,' and it bears the name OF
the man whom you say is the same as
ia railroad lawyer. 1t was prepared
and enacted without the solicitation
from any source, and yet you refer 70
the senate which first passed 1t as a
/, cemetery, a mausoleum, and threaten
to assist in erecting headstones to It's
members. You admit it was the de-
cision of the Interstate Commerce
commission that ruined the packing
houses of Iowa, and that if the rail-
roads had been let alone that industry
rering at the time the proceedings
were commenced. You admit that the
] law against rebates and special priv
ileges would not be strengthened by
the proposed legislation, and that
there would be the same temptation
on the part of the railroads to gran,
rebates from rates established by the
commission as from rates establish
/ ed themselves.
/ 81 have no interest in your campaign
for third term but I am free to ex-
press the opinion that there are few
states where a man could perpetuats
himself in office by maligning one
branch of the general government
The United States senate is expected
to be deliberative body and whe:
the governor Of a great state impugaS
the motives Of members of that bod!
except the one in whose town NJ
speaks and applies to them the oppro
brieus terms cemetery and 'maus-
oleum,' and avows his intention t.
erect headstones to it's members, 1T !
I time for some one to ask him to h'
more explicit. 1t would be interestins
to know at whose heads you intend t.
,, erect stones.
"A few deviations from the facts
flowing. The committee agree tina
there was less than twenty visitor
present, and many Of these newspape
: men. You say. you were cross exam
ined for six hours. You had come t
|, instruct the committee and the com
mittee was in session, as the recor
shows, only five hours and a half, al
, lowing the usual hour for recess You
statement covers eleven and a hal
solid pages before questions were ask
/ ed you, besides three other witnesse
{ testified, all during the five and one
. half hours. You say what little
know about the matter I could tell an
what I did not know ther
was not power enough
4 Heaven or in that place down ther
t to extort from me- Both these Pre-
positions are admitted. You say tn
= examination was hostile and made fe
. the purpose Of sending you home
disgust and humiliation. defy yo
to quote hostile question from tt
s record. You say that railroad law
r yer sat on my right side so close tn;
/ it seemed our arms were intertwine
y in loving association and embrac
q Senator Cullom sat at my right, as
= and I and several other members
= the committee remember.
I. mo railroad representative sat whe
u could see him. You say this railros
attorney passed a score Of question
70 to me to be put to you. You say 20,
% indignation overcame your discretio
If and you then declare that so long
"a God gave you voice and strength "
~ would denounce the infamy from o.
o the contrary you thanked the cor
|! mittee for the patient and courteo
ID way in which they had listened to yc
[? Respectfully yours,
Stephen B. Ell1lns,
Chairman Senate Committee on I
: terstate Commerce"
Of Signed
er