West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1906-08-23
OUR washington LETTER
Senator ElkiDS Shown Up on His
Railroad Rate legislation
From Our Regular Correspondence.

Washington, ID. c. Aug. 20. -
The election ot United States SEN
ator by the legislatures of The
states has become a thing of the
past in number of the important
states OF the union. The legisia.
tures Of those states now merely
ratify the choice of the votSrs de
clared in open primary elections.
The politicians are watching this
departure from the old machine
plan with considerable interest and
some apprehension, for all the old
plans OF fixing caucuseS aud con
ventions are useless, and the ap.
peal must be made directly TO the
party voters. The nomination OF
Senator Cullom, of Illinois, has
just been made under this new plan,
and the ratification Of his acts as
senator was almost entirely due To-
his consistent support Of the rail
road rate bill in ITS most radical
form.
Politicians here are wondering
what would be the result of such a
primary election in other states, aud
West Virginia is often cited as one
that might discard its senator, II
the Republican voters had the OPP
portunlty of voting directly on that
issue. Senator Elkins, unlike Sen
ator Cullom, was an open railroad
sympathizer at all times, and con
tinued so until he discovered that
the modified railroad rate bill would
pass both houses OF Congress.
Even then Senator Eik;ns was nand
and glove with Senator Aldrich, who
is noted as the representative OF the
Rockefeller corporation and trust
interests, 10 embarass the passage
OF the measure by amending or de
feating its most important clauses.
No one in Washington believes he
finally voted for the bill because he
wanted to see II a law, but because
1t was a political necessity for aim
to vote for it to save his face with
his constituents. The whole city
was laughing at his political squirm-
ing and the railroad men were say
ing: "Elkins had to do it," The
true position Of Senator Elkins on
railroad legislation is shown by the
clause in the anti-rebaie law, which
exemp!s railroad officials convicted
OF rebating from becoming Grimm
ally liable and the fact that some
of the railroads, which have already
been convicted and fined for re
batting would now be seeing their
officers in stripes but for the kindly
aid of Senator Elkins. A fine, il a
large one, is but of little trouble for
a great corporation to pay, but a
railroad president in Jail would lead
to a general exodus of railroad
officials to foreign climes to escape
such a degradation.
The defeat of Secretary Shaw in
his contest to prevent the nomina-
ton of Gov. Cummins In Iowa is
another evidence of the way Re-
publicans and Democrats alike feel
on this railroad issue.
A letter from Mr.. w. +. Hill,
editor Of the Mills County Tribune,
published at Glenwood, Iowa. to a
newspaper correspondent in this
city, said: "Secretary Shaw spoke
at Chautauqua here July II to an
audience of nearly 5000. The
audience was gathered TO honor him
as national character, but was
greatly disappointed at his address.
He is evidently not in touch with
our people, and Republicans even
more than Democrats complained
He lauded the Senate as bene
fcient organization, justified the
watering Of railroad values as bcins
the same thing as an increase in
farm values, and praised Steve FL
kins by name There vas no ap
plause, and # he had gone further
the disapproyal Of the audienc,
would have been made manifest
1t was a frost"
So the discredited Shaw is adver
tising Senator Elkins as one of th,
boss railroad stock watcrers an,
| prMsing him for so doing. Shaw
before the Iowa convention effect
ually repudiated him, even to 'ht
point OF kissing him of the stage
had the presidential bee bnlziul
iuriously and expected Elkins to de
liver the West Virginia delegation
bound hand and foot. to vote 70
him. That little game is spoile,
by the action Of The Iowa Repub