Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-02-06


the power to expel the whole horde !
that is disgracing the city. They are i
there because they don't want any
law passed that will limit their infu- |
ence. At washington there is lob
by that spends on congressman
enough money in a day to feed every
imam, woman and child in Jefferson
county. 1t Is there to retard and over
throw proposed measure, but that
measure fortunately has behind it one
Of the greatest leaders of human lib
erty and rights in the country-Theo-l
dore Roosevelt.
Would Drive Out Railroads.
1T don't blame the railroads for what
they are doing. We would all do as
much If we were in their position.
They are going to run the country if
they can. But with us the question is
/ Are the railroads or the people going
to run the country?' In Iowa, how is
it to be. l believe they should run
their trains and let us run the coun-
4 try, and | am going to do all can
to put the railroads out of politics
4 whether the G. B. & @. or not.
/ eff you want to get laws that will
regulate their operations, you must
emancipate yourselves from the rail
road companies. am around appeal
ing to the people to take care of them
selves. It doesn't make any difference
to me, whom you nominate or elect
for your officers. I simply want you
to remember that this government de-
= rives its just powers from the consent
! of the governed. 1t is in danger just
as soon as you surrender your rights.
favors Primary Law.
i tNow I want to talk to you about
the primary law. / am an advocate of
4 that law. I believe in the intelligence
and the patriotism of the common peo-
\ pie. You would despair of your coun-
4 try If you could see what see. In
Des Moines there is part of a floor
! Of one Of the palatiaI hotels of the city
j. occupied by representatives of the rail-
roads. There they invite, within that
cobweb of intrigue, all the members
Of the legislature who are willing to
enter. The railroads of Iowa-and
they are all united in this-are trying
: to prevent the passage of this primary
law-because they fear that it will
) take away from them the power and
:, influence they now have over the af-
fairs of the government.
"There may be honest differences
;, of opinion as to the plan of a primary
! election system, but believe in the
). principle, l believe that the common
people know enough to choose their
nominees for office. Is there any man
!, who thinks he is too ignorant to say
who will be nominated as candidates
of his party for offices in the state?
There is the objection of all who OPP
: pose the primary law They say the
people don't know enough to make the
choice of the right man for governor
or railroad commissioner. They say
that YOU folks down here in Jefferson
county don't know enough.
Majority and Minority Basis.
"This Is not republican measure,
,, nor a democratic nor populistic one.
: It is simply right that the words of
: Lincoln shall be perpetuated. We will
60 wrong under the influences of
: I wealth a4sd 5dssJssss tsalsss y,u take to
. yourselves the Light to say who shall
! be the nominees of your party. If
!. you don't do it, somewhere along the
, path between the caucus and the con-
J yention these streams of influence will
: pervert the will of the common peo-
. pie who alone have the right to say
, who shall be their nominees. If you
! believe you have the sense to vote at
a primary election, If you can exercise
: the choice to which you are entitled,
! you should arise as one man and de-
! mand that every voter shall have the
: right to deposit his ballot for the can
! didate of his choice and that these
: ballots shall stand and be counted for
= the men for whom they are cast. That
: is the rule Of the majority and minor
: / ity."
/ The governor closed his address
= with review Of the efforts to obtain
: railway rate control and expressed a
/. fear that the bill now about to be pass
e. ed by the house will meet with defeat
: in the senate body for which he said
, he has contempt. He charged the rail
!. roads of Iowa with over-capitalization
, above the value of their property and
! urged concerted movement to force
: them to conduct their business on a
fair basis and with reasonable per-
centage of profit.
= WALL STREET is SAID TO