Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-10-10
SHELDON DEFINES ISSUES
Gives Voters Of Cunning County ssmsthins
TO Think About.
RAILROAD DOMINATION MUST CEASE
Republics the Only Party witch Has
/ Accomplished AnythinE Practical
for the People OF the
state.

WEST POINT oct. 9-Cspecial Telegram
A large and enthusiastic crowd Of all pO-
litcal faiths thronged the West Point op-
era house tonight to hear Hon. George l.. I
Sheldon discuss the political issues of the
day from the republican standpoint. The
next governor was in fine form and sood
spirits and created remarkably favorable
impression on the voters of Cunning county,
He was introduced to the audience 10y
former Senator ID. c. Giffert chairman of
the republican county central committee,
and spoke for one hour and fifteen min
utes, during the whole OF his speech car
| rying his audience with him and making
many telling points. His remarks were
/ frequently interrupted by applause, both
| loud and long.
/ In his opening remarks MIR. Sheldon dwelt
upon the phenomenal development OF this
country especially the west. Illustrating
the enormous output of our country he in
| stanced the fact that only per cent OF our
production IL exported. yet small as that
ratio appears it makes us the greatest ex-
porting nation on earth. The speaker
spoke a few words commanding Norris
| Brown for senator and expressed the hope
that more men like him would be sent to
Washington to hold up the hands of the
administration.
He then took up the question of railroad
taxation, the attempts of the Burlington
and the Union Pacific railroads to evade
payment of their taxes. showing the fact
that as nonresidents they had
taken advantage Of that fact to appeal to
the federal courts. He showed that the
republican party. who had ever squarely
stood for the people as against railroad
domination in politics. protested against
| al tbapn he Yicyhf 70 Az
assessments. His arraignment of the in
justice and inequality of freight rates in
Nebraska was scathing. He quoted rates
valumniously, wherein II was concusvely
shown that the rates on staple commodities
from central and eastern points In this
state to Omaha were more than the rates
of the same produce from Omaha 70 Chi
cago. and this. in spite of the fact that
the earnings of the Nebraska roads, per
mile. are much more than in Iowa or any
western state. Discrimination in the rates
on coal from Sheridan, Wyo., to Ne
braska points was also touched upon The
; speaker showed that coal from Sheridan 10
Omaha was delivered there at a freight
rate OF s275, whereas to Grand Island the
rate is s3.75, a difference of 81 on shorter
haul OF some 200 miles.
Maximum Rate Law Dissected.
! The speaker proved the futility OF the
present maximum freight law and showed
to the satisfaction of his hearers that the
only and proper solution of the rate prob
= lem now confronting the people was in the
y passage of the amendment and creation OF
r the Board of Railway Commissioners
clothed with plenary power to enforce its
own regulations as to state commerce.
10 He next took up the question OF regula
!, ton of passenger rates, incidentally men
A. -.
90 2-cent passenger fare Answering the sug
II gestion that a state law fixing this limi
Is would answer the purpose he stated that
"a law as suggested would be- comprehensive
a that II would include ins ifs operation al
# the roads in the state on an equal basil
., and that in case one small railroad, o
- which he instanced several. should attacl
y, the law successfully, its abrogation woul'
~ have the effect of restoring the presen
y rate on all the roads in the state, as wei
:, as the road complaining. whereas unde
the proposed railway commission IL an.
= Individual railway complained OF the 2-cen
r fare being a hardship its case would b
80 judged on its own merits without referenc
\ to any other road. and II could. on a prope
showing, be released from the operation o
- the rule, leaving all the other roads sub
:, ject to it. a point which the audienc
seemed to think was well taken.
=, In speaking OF the pass question. Sena
- tor Sheldon emphatically denied using
pass or free railroad transportation of an.
/. kind since January l, 1906. He admitted Il
. 1903, accepting a pass from the Missouri
a. Pacific railway, which he used a very lit
tie, but he explained that upon reflection
e. he considered that he could best serve hi
- constituents by being perfectly indie
y pendent OF railroad influences and there
~ fore returned the pass as also other passe
- he has since received. This action on hi
IT, part was taken voluntarily, long before tn
pass question became issue In polite
or before 1t had entered the public min
- as a campaign issue.
e. ]. A. Williams OF Pierce, candidate 70
sh railway commissioner. and Prof Magsi O
I'd Lincoln. who introduced himself as a fu
rs sionist, also spoke.
We