The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-09-08
Says La Toilette Would Have
Killed Railroad Legislation.
ROOSEVELT'S LETTER.
Epistle Fully En-
dOrsing Longs Attitude.
La Toilette More Of a POpulist
Than Jerry Simpson.

IN the Skin O1SIT1cL. Speeches
are being made this afternoon
by Governor z. ". Hoch and Senator
Chester I. L ing.
Senator Longs speech is attracting
much attention because of the fact that
1t is an answer to the recent attacks
made upon him by Senator La Toilette
OF Wisconsin. Senator Long was espec-
tally requested to reply to these attacks
IN the invitation which was extended
by W. H Mitchell, chairman of the
sixth district congressional committee.
After referring in a general way TO
the excellent work Of the last session of
congress, Senator Long said in part:
In considering the criticisms of
Senator La Toilette on my record on
railroad rate legislation, it is necessary
10 refer to some recent history in this
state. 1t will be remembered that last
fall before congress convened, the
Wichita chamber of commerce passed
resolution asking me to get right
with the president on railroad rate
legislation. The action of the chamber
OF commerce was predicated upon the
/ theory that 1 was not in accord with
the president on this question. This
was assumed because declined to
commit myself to the Esch Townsend
/ bill that had passed the house Of rep
resentattves at the previous session.
/ Wishing at all times fully to advise
my constituents of my position on sub
jects that are up in congress for con-
slderauon, l requested and was accord
ed the privilege of responding to the
resolution IN person. addressed the
members of the chamb of commerce
and explained in detail my position on
rate legislation. informed them what
| kind of a bill favored and told them
/ of my objections to the Esch-Town-
send bill. Shortly after, I went to
| Washington and was in consultation
4 with mem bers of congress and senator's
upon whom the responsibility was i'm
posed of drafting a railroad rate bill
Ia
speech to the Knife and Fork club at
Kansas City. That was after the
recOmm endations of President Roose-
welt in his annual message, and 1 then
stated that those recomm endations met
with my approval I had declined at
Wichita to say in advance that I would
support the recommendations of the
president, whatever they might be-
taking the position that it was wise and
proper for me to wait until after the
lamentations were made before
announcing my position in regard to
them. declined to state in advance
that would support anything that the
president might recommend, for the
reason that ever since I have been in
public life. I have claimed and exer-
cised the right to consider public oues-
tions for myself, to come to my own
| conclusions. and then take a position
/ that could defend 1t was a source of
much qualification to me that I was
/ able to support the recommends tons
! $500 80
accord with those who were preparing
a bill to carry those recomme ndauons
/ into effect. When the Esch-Townsend
4 bill was abandoned and bill was
/ drawn on entirely different lines. I
was in favor of the change. The Esch-
/ Townsend bill would, in my judgment,
have proved ineffective and would
have been q great disap pointment to
those who favored additional railroad
! rate legislation
The Davidson Controversy.
when I spoke at Kansas City. the
1 bill had not yet been introduced. but I
gave its principal features, and short
ly after, the Dolliver bill was intro
duced in the senate and the Hepburn
4 bill in the house These bills were
practically the same. The Hepburn
bill was finally reported to the house
/ by the unanimous action of the COM
mittee. About that time, the Kansas
/ Civic league was organized at Wichita.
and its resolutions to my surprise did
not contain an Endorsement OF Pres1-
dent Roosevelt's recommendations to
| congress. I had also received a letter
from Mr. c. L. Davidson, president of
| the Wichita chamber Of congress, in
/ which he stated that he did not believe
the DolIiver bill would be Of service to
Kansas. I wrote Mr.. Davidson a let
/ ter expressing my regret at his dis
| satisfaction with the Dolliver bill. This
! letter was given to the press and Mr..
]
which he again stated that the DolH-
yer bill was not what the people of
! Kansas wanted and also said that the
reason President Roosevelt's stand was
not Endorsed by the rate convention
was because the railroads of this state
had forced the people to take an ad-
vanced stand on this question; and
that the resolutions adopted by the
! convention were stronger than the pol
/ lev outlined BY the president. I sent
I - Iaff
Davidson and his interview in reply
| and shortly after received letter
| from him which until this time has not
| been made public. It was not my in
| tention to give publicity to this letter,
nor again to refer to my controversy
with the Wichita chamber of COM
nerce. That organization is composed
| Of citizens of Kansas who are deeply
/ interested in railroad rate legislation
/ and they should not be censured If
| they exhibited an undue anxiety in re-
gard to my position on this subject. It
/ Is com posed of many of my warmest
] personal friends and supporters in by
/ gone campaigns, and after the legisla-
ton had been enacted, it was not my
/ purpose to refer again to our early DIFF
4 ferences. The visit of Senator LaFo1-
| lette to this state and his criticisms
make 1t necessary, however, for me to
refer to the incidents that I have just
! related. The Hepburn bill passed the
house OF representatives by a vote Of
s46 for to Z against. It came to the
senate and was reported from the
/ committee without amendment This
threw the contest into the senate and
/ occasioned a long and memorable de-
| bate. This debate has been referred
to as one of the greatest that has tax
! en- place since the civil war It is q
/ source of qualification to me to knorv
/ that 7 had the opportunity to partici-
pate in It and had a part in determin-
ing the form that the bill should final
4 ~ assume
Three Groups OF Senator'S.
There were three distinct groups of
senators. who were divided on tits leg
A aslafinn rraare naS arnlln fr.rn iha