Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1906-03-16
". c. Gemmiu Answers Cuthcert.
Cuthbert Told How the Railroads Secured kilograms
and Sent Them to Kittredge to Help
Defeat the President.
GEMMILL SKINS FREDDIE.

The second proposition: 1--WE fear
radical bills, etc" This telegram
was written more than a year ago
when, in quick response to the presi-
dents message, several bills were in
PRODUCED. The subject was new TO
the country and new to congress 50
far as action was concerned, but SEN
timent seemed to precipitately center
around the Esch-Townsend bill. 1t
might be either good or bad, and 1t
was said not to be just what the
president wanted. The interest at
taching to this matter yer since
shows how important it was and how
foolish it would have been to rush
into illconsidered legislation. | still
think ! was right. Today we have
had a year to consider and ] under
stand the Hepburn bill is u consider
able modification Of the Esch-Town-
send bill.
The third proposition declares the
present law should be found sufficient,
if properly enforced. When this law
was enacted it was supposed to carry
all the authority needed, and / be-
lieve previous to the agitation a year
ago, many people thought the fault
was with the commission rather than
with the lazy net being informed of
court decisions which left the com
mission impotent to enforce its rul-
ings. But the proposition now seems
indefensible. 1t might eve have
been considered a doubtful fact then,
but the declaration would serve to
cause delay and that was the main
thing.
But what about the parentage of
these hundreds OF kilograms, doubt
less, which went in to Senator Kit
tredge in punches. Shippers and
dealers in the towns were waited up
on by high officials of the railroad
company, and asked to sign a radical
telegram. If they refused, a milder
one was presented and If they still re-
fused, they were given an assortment
| to choose from. i don't believe 0
cion was employed in any form. 1t
was a voluntary act, and while it did
not occur to me at the time. as / was
taken very hurriedly, i AN under
stand how a refusal might have some
significance to a shipper, and this
same Significance may have been re-
lied upon to extend the list of APP
peals, and the honorable Senator
understood it all. If he was not un-
der corporate influence why did he
not denounce those kilograms which
were coming in in punches from all
over the state and all in the same
~phrazeology? And all paid for by the
railroad company as he must have
known. But no. They are first Sc
cured DIS al excus for opposition to
all legislation and having served this
purpose, they are now turned over to
local politicians to be used to silence
their authors in any opposition to
| the methods and demands of the Or
%ganiZation.
/ would not regret having sent my
Identical telegram Independently and
alone, because, except for the last
clause, my position was right, but /
do regret sincerely being in any de-
gree identified with the contempt
ible methods already and still being
employed to deceive and mislead the
people in order to p~erpetuate the
sway of the organization.
Hoping my friend, the Judge, will
not take himself too seriously, and
that he will look rather to the quality
than the quantity of his u~tterances.
! will conclude by saying he will pro-
badly get all that is coming to him in
the spring caucuses.
W. G. GEMMILL.