Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-09-12
fare. 1t II believed by us that, with
the passage of law prohibiting the

u
the passage Of a law prohibiting tn
Issuance of practically All free trans
portation. s.s suggested by Congress
man Hull at his nominating CONVEX
ton, the saving to the railroads fror
that source alone would be sufficien
to permit them, without financial los
to themselves, to reduce the passen
ger fares to the rate mentioned; this
together with what we believe wouI
result in the way of largely increase,
travel, would cause no injury to tn,
railroads themselves and be of muc
benefit to the travelling public. Go,
ernor Cummins, in his political life
has been consistent in this one re
spect If no other; in that he ha,
steadfastly opposed all legislation O
this character. While a member O
the house from Polk county. and
though elected on a democratic tick
ct and by democratic votes. he yotet
against a bill then pending in thu
house of representatives to reduce
passenger fares to two cents per mile
and this with but eighteen associa
ties out of membership OF one hun
dred. In his biennial message to the
Legislature written within the last
year, and about the same time as his
peculiar fitness for third term guber
Material honors was being urged upon
him by lie overwhelming demand
of the republican party and his claim
ed awakening to the present Injustice
practiced upon the people by the rail.
roads of this state, he was still un.
able to recommend to the legislature
a bill of the character now advocated
by us. He recommended that as far
as the legislature should go in this
respect would be to require the rail.
roads to sell mileage books good for
one thousand miles and upwards. This
he said, would have the effect to lat
once tighten the burdens of the peo.
pie and increase the revenues of the
railways. We hold that the man or
a member of his family who travels
ten miles should be treated with the
same consideration Ind respect as
the man who travels one thousand:
and neither dol believe that any
good or substantial feRson can he adj.
vanced in favor of the man who tray-
els one thousand miles or more en-
toying the privilege OF the cheaper
rate and denying 1t to the one who
travels less. While talking along
this line it might not be out of Mace
TO notice another Recommendation
OF the Governor and his action there
IN IN reference to some railroad leg.
islation. In this same message he
calls attention to what is known as
the long and short haul" clause of
our statutes and .recommends the
passage of a law permitting the long.
er line between two competitive
points to charge the same rate as
that charged by the shorter line. It
Is in accordance with this recon-.
mendation, am informed. that a bill
was introduced into the state senate
by a firm friend and supporter OF
the governor, and was referred to the
raiload committee. There. after due
consideration, and with the knowl.
edge OF the Governor, the committee
reported bill known as Senate File
No. 3S7. After pending the usual
lime In the senate, the bill was passed
by that body and messaged to the
house, from where 1t was recalled in
order that its provisions might be
limited to railroads operated by
steam. 1t was then resent to the
house, and, after pending there some
time near the close of re session.
was passed and sent to the Governor
Tor his approval. With a legislature
filled with friends of. the Governor
most carefully every item
OF Legislation in his interest, no OBJ.
lection from HIM seems to have been
made to the bill from the time II
was pending In the legislature that
was not then cured; nor does any
objection seem to have been made
by MIN until near the null limit Of
the thirty days allowed him by the
law to approve or disapprove a meas.
are had elapsed; and. during the in.
terval an important primary was held
IN republican county, then it was
discovered the legislature had been
TOO generous in its treatment OF tine
people and too harsh and exactine to.
wards the railways, for in place Of
limiting the provisions OF the bin to
passenger rates, the members of the
legislature had the effrontery to ex.
lend 1t beyond the recommendation
Of the friend of the common people"
charging its provisions SO as to an.
ply to freight rates. For this reason,
largely. the Governor, exercising one
OF the strongest constitutional pow.
ers vested In him, returned to the
secretary OF the senate the bill with.
out his executive approval. Why is
It, II 1t is in the interest of the peo-
pie to allow the longer line to com.
pete with the shorter ones in the
matter of passenger rates, that It
would be injurious to them to have
1t also extend to matter of freight is
beyond my comprehension. II it is
a good thing to permit a resident OF
Des Moines, to use the Governors
own illustration, to buy u passengers
ticket from Des Moines to Marshall.
town over the Northwestern by the
way Of Ames, at the same rate that
he could buy one from Des Moines
to Marshalltown by the Great Yves.
tern. would 1t not be equally bene.
icial to permit the merchant and
jobber to send his freight by the way
OF the Northwestern if he SO desire!
When we also remember by a provis.
ion of this bill that mo charge for
a shorter haul shall be greater than
the charge for longer haul in
which such short haul is included"
every town on tie line OF the North.
western that was not situated at a
greater distance from Marshalltown
that Des Moines is by the Great
Western would have been entitled to
the same rate, passenger and freight,
as the residents of Des Moines. Hun.
dreds of towns in our state would
have been substantially benetted ex.
cept for the veto of this bill. And,
stranger still, that it should come
from one who at the same time was
so strenuous in his activity in look.
ing after the welfare of the "com.
mon people" Perhaps the term,
"nommOp naoplon eho,,,a ~