Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1906-04-04
NO ATTENTION TO FACTS.

y
there is little need for him to rant
-and good lawyer never does.
Neither does he abuse his opponent.
He presents his facts calmly and with
ont passion. He is conscious Of his
own strength and his manner shows
that he is thus confident, says the
Cedar Rapids Republican.
So far as the merits of the contro-
versy between Senator Elkins and
Gov. Cummins are concerned, the
personality Of the two men counts for
very little. Until he thought to make
political capital out Of anti-railroad
agitation A. B. Cummins was prince
among railroad men. When the people
Of this state made their supreme fight
against the railroads in the latter 8Os,
A .B. Cummins was the leader Of the
railroad forces in the Legislature. He
voted against the people and was
proud of it. He continued as rail-
road attorney, was nominated by rail-
road influences for governor, one rail
road president going to the length Of
coming to Iowa in his private car to
help carry county for Cummins. He
is corporation attorney even now,
the counsel Of railroad which is as
sessed by the executive council Of
which the governor is member. A.
B. Cummins has been as conspicuous q
railroad man as Steve Elkins for that
matter, but that is neither here nor
there.
Mr.. Cummins in his role as q poll
tical agitator, seeking third nomi-
nation as governor ON the theory that
he is the only man in Iowa fit for
that Office at this time, made certain
criticisms of the senate committee ON
interstate and foreign commerce. He
made ont that when lie appeared be-
fore that committee that he was
frightfully abused and outraged and
that the chairman of that committee
had sought to humiliate him and send
him back home discredited. Manifestly
the chairman of that committee had
right to defend himself and the COM
mittee. He wrote letter. It brought
to light some surprising things, to say
the least. It was not abusive. It was
for the most part, made up of extracts
from Gov. Cummins' testimony. It
appears from these extracts that Gov.
Cnmmins made some amazing state
ments.
First, that rates ON farm products
from Iowa to the east were satisfac-
tory. except where they were too low.
Here is the question and the answer
made by the governor:
@. Do not your Iowa farmers and
producers get their surplus grain and
live stock to the market largely under
this low rate under the long haul?
A. think our people go into the
eastern markets with butter and eggs
upon q rate to which they are not en-
titled in any fair adjustment They
are not entitled to it upon any fair
adjustment of rates throughout the
United States.
Second. that the Elkins law against
rebates. the chief evil complained Of,
could not be improved upon, and that
under that law any person without
cost to himself could if he had a
grievance put an end to any discrim-
ination through the agency of the in
terstate commerce commission. Here
is the proof:
@. I understood you to say as to
rebates and determinations that you
think the law as it now stands is as
nearly perfect as we can make it.
A. do not know that any further
amendments could make it more
stringent than it is now.
@. The supreme c0urt has held
since the Elkins law was enacted, that
in the matter Of discrimination be-
tween localities the Elkins law pro-
vides remedy by injunction SO that
whenever one locality wants to make
that complaint all it has to do il to
notify the interstate commerce COM
mission, and the commission, at the
expense Of the government, will take
the matter into court, and it shall be
the business Of the court to proceed
Immediately, summArily, to hear and
determine whether or not there is any
merit in that complaint. page 2O84.
A.. Yes.
Third. It appeared Of record that
he thanked the committee he said al
Fort Dodge had abused and bullied
him. for its patience and courtesy.
These revelations amazed the people
Of Iowa. Here was their governor
denouncing the rates on farm products
a. too low, admitting that all had
been done that could be done to pre-
vent rebates and determinations, and
yet pretending to the people that
nothing had been done for them, mol
even could be done for them unless III
(Cummins) should be advanced t.
power.
No wonder the governors friend'
have confined themselves to persona
abuse Of Elkins-these things arr
simply astounding. They cannot b.
explained away. No wonder TIN
governor ignores them. They revea
him a. the farmers enemy, not tin
farmers friend.
No wonder the Republican print
the governors dOdging and abusiv
roS11V Wfthont 1rak Giving the fact