Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1906-11-02

for campaign of popular education"
President Spencer Of the Southern,
PRESIDENT Underwood of the Erie, and
President Wilcox of the Delaware and
H udson. Spencer, with his offices at
Washingt on and with his direct OPP
portunities socially and otherwise to
influence public men, was the CHIEF
director Of this education. Part
OF the scheme, and very impor-
tant part, was series Of public hear
ings on the railway question by 81
kins' Senate committee year ago lsst
ring. For six weeks ailway men
poured In testimony to the fairness and
impartiality and honesty of the man
agement of the big railways. About the
only discord was introduced by Gov
ernor Cummins of Iowa, Republican
who is fighting to destroy the grip of
| s'merger' upon his party in that state.
an speech at Storm Lake, Iowa, on
Feb. 10th, last, he described his treat
ment by Elkins. Said he:
"For four hours and half not one
single question was put to me except
| with the intent to Overwhelm me.
was the only man in that large room
crowded to the doors who had not gone
| there on the invitation of the railroads
and on free pass. While the chair
man wac probing me there sat by his
side the general attorney for all the
railroads Of the United States. Aud
4 when / saw that attorney passing TO
the chairman question after ques-
ton to embarrass me, and when
III observed the tender relation
ship existing between them, the hot
blood of Indignation ran through me.
The chairman was Stephen b. Elkins.
The people Of West Virginia did not
put him in the Senate. The railroads
placed him there. He is there to do
| v hat the railroads command him to
do.n
The attorney to whom this stanchly
Republican governor referred was ex-
Senator Faulkner of West Virginia, a
Democrat, one-time chairman of
the Democratic Congressional CAM
paign committee. Elkins issued a long
denial in May last; but Governor Cum
minis has ample corroboration for his
main points.
The Republican Governor Dawson of
West Virginia was last spring forced
by the desperate anger of the people Of
West Virginia publicly to describe and
protest against the conditions result
! ing from Elkins- Davis emerged" poll
tics. Wrote he:
"West Virginia today is in the grasp
of railroad trust which practically
says what part of the state shall be de-
veloped, and what part shall not be
developed how much coal shall beship-
ped outof this state, to what points or
parts it shall be shipped, where it shall
be shipped. OF course it makes its own
rates and our people are helpless. l
have been trying since 1881 TO get a
railroad commission in West Virginia,
but the railroad lobby would never let
us have it,
The Republican governor sent this
protest and appeal, not to Republican
Senators Elkins and Scott of West
Virginia. hut to Senator Tillman, 8
i Democrat from South Carolina. And
when the Bituminous Coal Trades
League of West Virginia made itssim
liar protest and apps it addressed it
. self, not to the merge. senators or te
the cowed representative. vom its own
state, but to Representati>i Gillespie
from far-away Texas.
When Elkins and Aldrich found
that the railway-rate bill could not be
suppressed had it reported from theil
committee in charge of Senator Till
man. The newspapers call this bit OF
spite work against the President. AS il
old, experienced, coolblooded experts
in the politics of chicane like Aldrich
and Elkins acted from spite in crucial
matters! The real reason was that tht
enmity between Mr.. Roosevelt and
Mr.. Tiliman would necessitate go-be'
tweens in the negotiations to get as
strong a bill as possible through the
Senate. The whole country now know |
how shrewd that Elkins-Aldrich move
was. and how easily they and thel
agents entangled the bill in snarl o
personal lhatreds and d strusts, ant
took out of it what little strength i
originally had.
is there doubt in anyones mine
whether Elkins is with "the interests