The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-03-26
IOWA GOVERNOR
SCORES ELk|NS
Reiterates His Assertion That the
West Virginia Senator Repre-
sents the Railroads.
MAKES OUT STRONG CASE
WHAT HAPPENED AT COMMIT
TEE HEARING.

Des Moines, Ia. March Ex-Governor
Cummins has mailed to Senator Elkins
Of West Virginia reply to the sena-
tors letter in which he criticised state
ments made by the governor in speeches
to the voters of Iowa regarding his ex-
animation before the senate committee
IN interstate commerce when it had I'M
der consideration the railway rate bill
Inc governor says that the senator
accused him of falsehood in declaring
that his position was. hostile: that a
railroad attorney sat at the right of
Elkins during the examination; that
Senator Elkins during the examination
appeared to be in communion and SYM
pathy with this attorney and that the
attorney handed to Senator Elkins
questions to be asked the governor.
Not an Impartial Judge.
If" says the governor. in his let
ter to the senator, you understood your
| duties and obligations as chairman of
| a legislative committee to be similar
! to those of an advocate, I have no crit
| lc1sm to make of your conduct except
to say that YOU are on the side of the
| railroad instead of on the side of the
| people. 1 have thought, however, that
as chairman of such committee your
duties and obligations were more nearly
like those of a judge; namely, to hear
/ both sides patiently without bias or pre-
JUDGE and then decide impartially with
| out fear or favor. You heard patiently.
but 1t was clearly apparent in your ex-
animation that you had decided the case
IN favor of the railroads and were de-
| termined TO shatter my evidence if you
could The examination shows con-
clusively that You made up your mind
that the proposed authority should not
| be given to the interstate commerce
| commission and that the power sought
| TO be given was unnecessary and filled
/ with disaster to commerce. 1t is from
| beginning to end just such a cross-ex-
animation as an attorney for the rail-
| rO.td companies would have conducted
and it was unseemly for you to assume
| that attitude.
What the Governor Saw.
THE scene in your committee room
| is sharply stamped on my memory and
| it is impossible that l can be mistaken
about 1t. Sitting squarely at your right,
| Just a trifie behind you, sat a gentle
/ man, who as / was afterward informed
| is ex-senator Faulkner. ! inquired
| what relation he bore to the inVestiga-
| ton and 1 was told that he was an en-
| ployee of the railway companies to re-
| sist the proposed law. | do not know
| whether the other senators saw him or
/ not for their faces were turned toward
me and therefore away from him: but
| l do know that you saw him; first be-
| cause he was so close to you that YOU
| could not turn your head without see
| ing him; second. because you were in
| conversation with him a part of the
time; third, because saw him with his
| hand on your shoulder pass to you a
| question which you read and then put
4 to me, There can be no mistake about
it for my senses were as alert just then
as human faculties can be.
You may believe that an investiga-
| tiOn carried on I'm this manner is in ac-
| cordance with fairness and decency. 1
| do not. You may continue in your be-
lief if you like but shall continue I'm
my denunciatiOn.
| 1T appears to me that if you propose
| to assail all persons and papers and
magazines that have admitted your
| loyalty to the railroads and questioned
in your fidelity to the people you should
! give some attention to the attacks that
come from points nearer Washington
than Iowa.
Reputation of Elkins.
'The truth is senator, that you have
| fairly established the reputation of
| standing for the railroads in the United
| States senate. It is most unfortunate
| lIldI d OiiiItu states SeIdbOT SnDulQ
| acquire such a reputation among the
people of the country. II is in the high
| est degree important that the body of
| which you are a member shall enjoy
| the fullest public confidence. The grav-
/ est problems which confront us are
those which relate to the regulation and
restriction of special power. These
problems will not be successfully solved
! by those whose lives have been so mold
ed by corporate thought and corporate
influence that they instinctiveiy turn to
corporation officials and managers for
| information and guidance. 1t is with
! profound regret that l have condemned
| your course, but my regret disappears
and another feeling takes its place when
/ 1 observe that you are not only per-
/ sisting in your indefensible attitude but
1 are endeavOring to reach over a thou
sand miles of space and advise the Re
! publican voters of Iowa how to elect a
| governor. The burden is too heavy for
you; you cannot lift it. The task is too
! great for you; you cannot accomplish
it."