The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1906-04-26
WHO HELPED GOV. LARRABEE?
ECoRD OF A. b. CUNISnNs COMPARED WITH
GEO. d. PERKINS
Gathered Public Repubcans)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

the practice OF law, and especially in
the conduct Of the railroad branch OF
the firms business. At the election
in the fall of 1887 Mr.. Cummins was
elected to the general assembly with
his opponent, Mr.. Berryhill, whom he
did not succeed in defeating.
Unconstitutional Trick.
One of Mr.. Cummins' first legisla-
tive acts was the Introduction Of house
file No. 10. bill for an act to en-
power the board of railroad commits
sioners to fix freight and passenger
rates upon railways within the state.
and to prescribe penalties for the vio-
Iation thereof. This measure was al
most identical in form with an act
passed by the legislature Of the state
of Georgia. 1t contained a provision
to the effect that the rates were con-
elusive evidence of their reasonable
ness. The supreme court of the Unit
ed States had at the very time Mr..
Cummins introduced the measure in
question. held that the Georgia act
was unconstitutional, in this, that IL
was beyond the province of the gem
eral assembly to delegate to a COM
mission the power OF prescribing q
standard of rates and OF denying to
the railroad companies affected there
by tho right of investigating the
reasonableness of the rates prescribed.
1t is needless to say that 1t was dis
covered before the bill came UP for
final action that il enacted into law
the act would be unconstitutional, and
that it therefore received no consider
alton from the house OF representa-
tiVes.
Farmers Organ Slaps Him.
The Iowa Homestead says:
"As result of the agitation of the
railroad question in the Twenty-se
general assembly, bills were intro
of railroads and for the carrying out
of the declarations of the republican
platform to the people. Two meas
ures occupied great prominence in the
discussion. They were known as house
files Nos. S73 and 374. House file
No. 373 was adapted from the inter-
state commerce law which had recent
ly been enacted by the congress of the
United States. House file No. 374 pre-
scribed maximum schedule of rates
as prima facie evidence of reasonable
charges This bill passed the house
on the Sth of March, 1883, by vote
of 81 in the affirmative and 2 in the
negative, as shown on page $40 of the
house journal. Mr.. Cummins voted
in the negative and against the bill.
and was associated with the followinP
members: Buell. of Clinton. Curtis Of
Clinton. Custer OF Jasper, Evans OF
Muscatine, Hipwell of Scott, Limbacls
of Dies Moines, Luke of Franklin.
Moore of Tama Thompson of Linn.
and Redman of Poweshiek. Mr.. Craig.
of Lee, was absent"
The second measure looking to the
regulation of railroads considered by
the house of the TNventy-sccond gem
eral assembly was known as house file
No. 81, bill to reduce passenger
fares to cents a mile on the first
class railroads of tile state. Upon
this measure. at its final passage. MIR.
Cummins voted mo- with eighteen
associates, as shown ON ,iagc S64 of
the house journal
The elective railroad commissions
BILL known as house file No. IS, came
to a final vote upon it's passage on
March 23. 1883, and upon this meas
ure, Notwithstanding the fact that the
republican party had declared in favor
OF its enactment. MIR. Cummlns voted
mo- and against the measure. with
seven other members. as shown op
page $50 Of the house journal.
Railroads Preserved Portrait
After the adjournment OF the gem
eral assembly. N order to show their