Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-03-20
ELklNs ATTACKS cummlNs.

-
politics for twenty-five years made the
statement that the Chicago managers
Z Of Iowa railroads were not at heart in
sympathy with the fight being made on
Cumnrins. 'sThey like ,Cummins as a
man." said this politician. "Mr Blythe
does not represent them. He repre-
sents the great corporate interests of
Wall street and Washington. He gets
his orders from j. j. HILL and Morgan,
and Aldrich and Elkins. 1 know this,
for am in Washington frequently
and see him there in conference with
these men,
And now we have seen it for our
selves in the most remarkable open
letter attack made upon Governor
Cumlnins by Steve Elkinsi senator from
West Virginia, and chairman of the
senate committee on commerce. ElRins,
with Aldrich, is leading the railroad
measure. Last summer his committee
had hearing in which witnesses were
examined for weeks in order to bolster
up the case of the railroads. Governor
SCunlmins was one of a very few al
lowed to go before the committee. A
prominent citizen of Marshalltown was
present when Governor Cummins was
heard and he came home boiling with
indignation at what he termed the
ernor had been cross-exalnined by rail-
road attorneys sitting close to Chair
man Elkins and by Elkins himself,
seeking to trip Cummins into declar-
Ing for distance tariff and CONTRA
dict his own evidence given for the
people.
The Marshalltown mans story of the
hearing induced the editor of the
Times Republican to devote three long
evenings to the reading of the tram
script of that hearing and he, himself.
was convinced of the effort made by
Chairman Elkins to trip Cummins. It
could be seen from the transcript that
Eikins was trying to make Cummins
20 on record for distance tariff
which would operate against the
farmers of his state. This Cummins
repeatedly refused to do He argued
merely for commission to represent
the people, with power to name a reas-
enable rate. Senator Dolliver would
frequently interrupt when Elkins
seemed to be pressing the attack be-
yond reason and Dolliver would say
s"The witness has answered that ques-
ton, senator" or to the governor he
would say: do you understand that
the senator means, ETC. evidently de-
string to aid Cummins with a warning.
No man can read that transcript
without seeing the clear intent of the
railroad lawyers, and of Elkins to
confuse the witness who had dared to
appear for the people.
Cummins, in his Fort Dodge adj
dress, made reference to this expert
ence. He said: THE chairman cross
examined me for four hours, and every
inquiry he made of me was made as
hostile examiner, and made for the
purpose of overthrowing what I said
and sending me home in disgust and
humiliation Cummins then told of
questions having been handed to Ell
kins by the general counsel of all the
railroads of the country who sat to the
right of Elkins, 80 close to him that |
in loving embrace"
This seems to have fired the temper
of Elkins or his Iowa representative,
Mr.. Blythe, for the newspapers of Iowa
received, yesterday, five columns of
extracts fran the transcript of the
hearing presented in the form of an
open letter signed by Elkins, attacking
Cummins' candidacy for the govern
orship under the guise of reply to
man. Elkins is a railroad senator from
West Virginia, who probably never
saw the state of Iowa. He has been the
object of more severe attacks than
Cummins has made, yet has never re-
piled. 1t is highly probable that if
Blythe had not written this one for
him he never would have jumped into
the Iowa campaign with this attack on
Cummins. That his reply is aimed at
Cummins' candidacy is evident from
the following statement in his argu-
ment:
Il have no interest in your campaign
FOR a third term, but l am free to ex-
press the opinion that there are few
states where a man could perpetuate
himself in Office by 'mstligning one
branch of the government"
This is further apparent from the
extracts selected from the transcript
which were the questions propounded
% make Cummins declare for dis
ance tariff in opposition to the inter-
,sts Of the Iowa farmer. Then Elkins
Iays: mo railroad representative sat
where could see him" That is par
tally true. Ray Stanard Baker. who