The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-09-21
RAILROAD HAND is
SEEN IN POLITICS
CHARGE Is MADE BY ATTORNEY
FOR SHIPPERS.
State Railroad Commission Is Asked to
Allow General Manager Of Omaha
Road to Tell Whether His Company
Did Not Spend Money to Defeat La
Toilette. f.

That thousands Of dollars were spent
by the Omaha road to defeat Robert
La Toilette in Wisconsin, is what At
torney James Manahan Of the Mime
sofa Shippers, association wants to
prove to the Minnesota railroad commits
sion. --- ts~ # ~
And whether the evidence he has on
this subject is material to a hearing on
general commodity rates in Minnesota
Is question the state commission took
under advisement today. If the COM
mission rules in his favor, Mr.. Mana
han promises some Developments which
will astound the public as to the extent
to which railroads have attempted to
dictate in state elections and govern
ment.
Trenholm Testifes.
The herring opened 2H &a at Il, the capitol ol
manager Of the OAmaha road, on the
stand, and under examination by the
attorney of the Minnesota Shippers
association, Mr.. Manahan, secured
from the witness the admission that he,
Trenholm, up to 1908 ran private
dray line in st. Paul to handle Omaha
freight: He owned but TIVE. teams. but
part Of the time his transfer business
ran over $500 month. He was in the
business eleven years.
"Isn't 1t true,' as ed Mr.. Manahan,
"that you continued in the drayage
business as well as being a high official
Of the road, until a superior in Omaha
put 2 stop, to it9'
Had Coal Contract.
Mr.. Trenholm also admitted that pre-
vious to FIFTEEN years ago he also had a
contract with the road for handling it's
coal at coal sheds.
"Did you ever ask for any competi-
tive bids fo9r this work."
"What did you make out Of the
~ did well when I cleared 800 a
month"
He said one J.. Mcdonald now has
the contract and on being pressed
further admitted that up to last June
Mcdonald also drew $125 a month as
| timber inspector, but at that time
quit serving the road in dual ca
pacity at his, Trenholm suggestion.
Some Wisconsin Men.
"Mr. Trenholm, do you know Jack
George Wright Of Elroy, and Scion
Perrin, attorney at Superior, all en-
ployees Of the Omaha9"
Mr.. Trenholm was Of the opinion
| that he did know the men.
"Isnt it true that Mr.. Perrin, who
is an attorney for your road, has ex-
| pended much money of the Omaha
| company, thousands of dollars expense,
in opposing the candidacy Of La Fol
lette in Wisconsin9'
E. W. sheehan, attorney for the
holm had time to reply, with an objec-
tion that the question asked for evil
dence was utterly immaterial to an in
vestigation Of Minnesota general com
modify rates, that the commission is a
! Judicial body and should conduct the
i,hearing with legal rules and draw a
line somewhere against evidence utter
ly foreign to the question before the
commission for investigation.
| Mammalian Explains.
this,' said Attorney Manahan, TT ask
to be heard and I desire the opinion Of
each commissioner on the point.
81 submit that this question is
proper. It incorporates two PROPOSE
tions. First, high salaried officer,
Mr.. Perrin, has paid out of the freight
income Of the Omaha large sums i'm
properly expended. Second, these ex-
penditures were in violation Of law.
You needn It laugh about this, Mr.. Shee-
han, this charge is a crime against the
laws Of this country. It is a crime for
the railroads to pay out thousands of
dollars in a political campaign to de.
feat candidates for office just because
the roads know those candidates are
pledged to a man for the United States
senate who has made a persistent fight
against the railroad domination in that
state. Now we get a responsible rail
road official on the stand. Ism It it per.
tinent to ask if the company has spent
money in corruption and expense which
is wrongfully taken from freight rates
paid by shippers, and wrongfully added
to the roads operating expenses9
Case in Point.
eff the railroads were using none,
| here to defeat Mr.. Staples, who t be
lieve is doing the Just thing toward tn,
shippers Of this state, would it not b,
right to investigate such railroad ex
penditures?
II want to show that Mr.. Perrin
brought 400 to 500 Italians to Hudson
to vote against La Toilette IS candidate
| put It up to this commission that tn,
door should not be closed in our fac
IN this matter, for it seems to me every
body would like to have the limeligh
on this subject.
Gone Of the truths to be INVESTIGATED
is that the railroads spend great sum
OF money for political purposes, and
want to prove it. -
The commission took an adjournment
to consider the matter.
TRENHOLM ON THE STAND