The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-02-07
BOurke Cochran Leads With
Speech in Its Favor.
CONTROLLED.
And Courts Ignored by Rail-
roads He Declares.
Refers to Rockefeller as Richest
and Most Despised.

delay from preliminary business in the
house today, the railroad rate bill be-
ing taken up at Il o'clock and the last
day of general debate was begun The
programme included speeches by
Bourke Cochran IN. ", Mann (Il) J.,
Williams (Miss.). and Hepburn. Ia.)
Mr.. Cochran announced his posi-
ton in favor of the bill. While he did
not consider it a panacea for all evils,
it was most wholesome manifestation
of a unanimous public determination
to deal with the rate evils. 1t was the
only means by which public ownership
could be stopped and checked, the
most plausible argument of the social
lists.
'"The history of railroad manage
ment in this country he said, sis the
history of favoritism, of corruption and
of fraud
In spite of this he would not say
the railroads had not rendered enough
service, but they had not been as eff
cient -as they should be. His next as
Sertion was that railway influences
dominated both political parties.
Illustrating this he showed how the
representative of wealth ignored the
courts and dominated state admins
tratiOns. The very court which had
cropped LIlE proceedings cS dtAASl Il IL
Rogers had the next day issued most
vigorous injunction against striking
printers. In this connection he re-
viewed the Northern Securities deci-
sion. Hartman and Morgan, he said,
quarreled over the control of several
railways in the northwest which
threatened to interfere with their
plunder. The president directed an
action against them. The court de-
clared a conspiracy.
ssVVhat was The result?'' he asked. 1T
was to reduce the control of these prop
critics from two to one. When they came
to distribute the stocks Hartman had
been eliminated; Morgan was supreme.
A more perfect conspiracy was framed
through the decision of the court itself.
And the stock which was selling at 500
TO S1O2 when the decision was pending
sold for S160 after it was announced.
thus enriching the conspirators who
walked out of court just $20,000,000 rich
er for having been convicted
The fact that no criminal proceedings
had begun was dwelt on at some length
and the Jail sentence of Debs and the
conviction of two senators for mere in
discretions" contrasted. Compliments
were paid to Rockefeller, "at once the
richest and most despised Of our whole
population.
The most effective feature OF she bill,
he maintained was the popular disposi-
tion back of it, the next was its Aubllel-
ty feature.
Universal applause greeted Mr.. Cock
rams conclusion and after the informal
congratulatory reception to him had
concluded Mann Qn.) took the floor
In the Senate.
washington. Feb. Ii nanticipation
of a spirited discussion of Mr.. Patter-
sons resolution declaring against the
policy of caucus dictatlon IN dlsposIliS
of treaties with foreign nations, the SEN
ate galleries were almost filed when
+hp Senate was called to order today.
Many arrived before the doors We're op-
ened. $500
nized nv the chair. He began with
few words of a personal nature, Saying
there was nothing he disliked more than
to inject his own personality into a pup-
lie question, but at times such a course
He had he said. supposed that his
former. remarks on the Santo Domingo
treaty would be passed over as lhcoh-
seouential but the action OF the Demo
cratic caucus of last SATURDAY na4 +iE ils.Jg
If evident to him that he fell dlrec9Iy
within the cenSure of that caucus. ne
had he said. made up his mind previous
to the caucus and as it had thrown ~
new light on the question ne had hoe
been imDeHed to change his pOSlliolE
re said he had been called
s4bolter" and a white House Demo
Graf - and that a New York paper
had gone so far as to say that @ IheI
had been an understanding peOWSSil
himself and the presloent 4arlo an Slll.1
an understanding brought palfoilasS
and the senator's reelection had
been reached. In refuting this charge,
he said that he had never mace put
one request for an offlclal appoli4l-
D7a77t nv the president and IN that
.ase the request was refused. The
last interview he had had with the
DraSidant was a month ago, he said,
and Dertained to the forest reserves
Tn that matter he felt that the presl-
dent had transcribed ms authorlty'
aud he had so informed the president
In that case also he had failed in his
mission. There had been an en-
nhatfc exchange of views and Il sud
den termination of the interview, and
he had not since met the chief ex-
ecttive except in a casual way. He
confessed to warm friendship for
the president and he felt that in the
struggle he was making on economic
lines he deserved support "I admire
and commend him for his brave posi-
ton" he said.
Mr.. Patterson said that he expected
the treaty to be amended. "I do OBJ
iect to the main features Of the
treaty" he said. 'tbut if the treaty is
not amended as I think it should be
I viii take the new condition into con-
sideration and in the end do as /
think I should
Much of this statement was brought
out by questions from Mr.. Morgan
Mr. Daniel asked Mr.. Patterson If
he knew of any other senator who
would vote for the treaty, but Mr..
Patterson did not reply.
Instead he referred to the charge
made that he had deserted his party
and that he was in the habit of making
party changes. He admitted that he
had left the Democratic party in 1892
rather than support Mr.. Cleveland In
this connection he referred to Mr.. Till
mans course in his own state and Mr.
Tillman Interrupted with the remark,
s'He had eaten as much crow in sub