The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-10-12

that they should charge enough to pa.
operating expenses and fair interes
On the investment, ana every do1la
more is eonfscated out Of the people
!, Tour representatives and senators know
this, and il is their business to find ou'
what is fair and to bring the rates dowr
to that level. The people are paying
1886, 100000 more to the railroads thar
the supreme court said was just. why
60 on paying this?' is asked. Because
the people have not elected the right
kind of representatives and senators tt
congress, who will pass a measure to
remedy this. 1t is impossible to pass
through the senate any bill to ascertain
the value of railroad property. Any
commission must first know the value OF
railway property and the cost of opcrat
ing expenses before it can regulate The
rates.
| "Some think that the new rate bill
viii protect the people from extortion
This law contains many good provisions
and will help the big shippers, but will
not help the people generally. It is
wholly wanting in granting power to
| the commission to ascertain the value
of railway property. The courts said
| thirty years ago that congress could
control railway rates, but the railways
have dominated congress at every ses-
sion since except two. In 1897 the
supreme court knocked out from the
law the power of the commission to
control rates, but for the next eight
years congress did nothing. Since then
the railroads have added to their rates
$65 100000 on sugar, $20,OOO,00O on
lumber, $4,0OO,OO0 on iron and steel,
S., 100000 on cattle, and $25,000,OO0 on
soft coal"
Some one in the audience asked how
the two Minnesota senator's voted on
the measure, and someone else inquired
about the attitude of the local congress-
| men, who had sent seven tons of mail.
Senator LaFollette explained that
there was more freedom of speech in
| the senate than in the house. In the
house there is no individual freedom of
speech. The members are gagged unless
given recognition by the speaker. A
committee can choke the life out of a
| bill, and it is impossible to get the bill
! out. In the senate a man can get the
| floor for any purpose. For this reason
there is larger responsibility attaching
to members of the senate than of the
house.
at took nine years before there was
any legislation on the railway rate sub.
iect, and what have we got? Judge
Prouty of the railway commission says
of the bill: The bill is more significant
| in its passage than it is in its pro-
Visions The best provision prescribed a
system of railway bookkeeping.
ct offered an. amendment to cure the
defect in the bill when it was before the
senate, providing for securing the valu-
alton of railway property, so the COM
| mission could fix rates A senator ought
to vote each time in a way 70 be proud
to have the public know about it. 1t
| would be pleasant TO be a good fellow
and to be slapped on the back in the
cloak rooms, but I feel that / will be
| doing a service to the country to lay
| bare the secrets of the senate: that
will be helping representative govern.
ment. l propose to do this during the
four or five years remaining of my Off
cial service. (Applause.) offered nine
amendments to the bill, eight of which
had been recommended by the interstate
commerce commission. but all were
killed. I was told that I had better
fall in line, and that it would be easier
for me to get legislation through for
Wisconsin if stood in with the steer
ing committee. / replied that I couldn't
give my conscience over to any steer
ing committee. The vote on my amend
ment to ascertain the value Of railway
property was 40 against, twentyseven
| for and twenty-five not voting. Ny
amendment to prevent any judge who
owned stock or bonds or carried the
passes of the road interested from try
ing the case was defeated by the same
vote. The cleavage between those who
stand with the corporations are those
who stand with the people is clearly
defined"
In closing. Senator LaFollette said:
"Thcre wouldn't be any trouble in a dis
could see the dangers, so ! am devoting
the balance of my life to painting the
scene as it is. I believe that our re-
publican government is in greater dan
ger than it was in the sixties. 1t will
never be overthrown by force of arms,
for the people can see the opposing flag.
Ii corruption would only fly a flag the
people would come to the rescue of the
government at once. Our danger lies in
the insiduous undermining of corruption
You should make it your business to
help restore the government to the PEG.