The Topeka state journal., 1906-06-30
POLITICAL GOSSIP
BaIie P. Waggener Talks Of
w. R. Ssuhbs.
Amusing Comparison About His
Senatorial Announcement.
TALKS RAILROAD LAW
Anti Discrimination Measure
What Is Needed.
Wants 1t Made Felony to Ask
for a Pass.
TALKS RAILROAD Law


While waiting for an opportunity to
talk to Governor Hoch about "a mat
ter of business" the nature of which
he was not inclined to discuss. Mr.
Bale P. Waggener made a few re-
marks about w. R. Stubbs. and the
senatorial situation.
Il am waiting breathlessly for Mr.
stubbs' announcement said Mr..
Waggener. LAS soon as he announces
himself, I expect to make my own an
nouncement. I am getting hundreds
Of kilograms and letters every day
urging me to get into the race. feel
sthat the governor made a great mis-
take in not appointing me, and I can
not resist the clamor of the people.
am really the only man who is fit to
follow in the footsteps of Plumb and
ingalls,, and my personal representa-
tive, Mr.. DollyfieId, tells me that can
not resist the draft. 1 can not make
/ 1t too strong about those letters and
/ kilograms. They are coming by thou
sands and millions. I can't stop
! them"
Mr.. waggener took a long pull at
/ his cigar and then resumed:
Now wouldn't it beat anything
that a man like Stubbs should really
take himself so seriously He goes
]
| state 100000 at the last session of the
/ legislature. And yet the fact is that
the taxes are higher than ever. What
became of the saving? Why don't
Stubb pay back that $3.50 that he un-
+ lawfully received from the state for
work that he never performed2 Bailey
has paid back money-why shouldn't
Stubbs pay back money!"
What do you think of the political
outlook ?" was asked.
state ticket, and have about 5 ma
jority in the house" replied Mr.. Wag-
/ gener promptly From Atchison
! county we will have two Democratic
/ representatives" There was nothing
about Mr. Waggener's expression to
indicate that he was otherwise than
series in his remarks.
What do you think of the railroad
issue?"
No Excuse for Railroad Issue.
There really Is no excuse for any
railroad issue" said Mr. Waggener.
"Of course, I'm a railroad attorney
and what I say don count, but I
I want to make this statement of fact.
/ the railroad problem will moi. be solved
I by fixing rates by law. It wouldn t
make any differenct If the railroads
hauled Kansas wheat to the gulf free
wouldn't get any profit. It would all
be a absorbed by the fellows who took
the grain at the gulf The true solu-
tion of the railroad rate problem is to
pass a simple, short law prohibiting
discrimination between different To-
calities, and making the penalty for
violation the forfeiture of the charter
of the railroad company The pen
atty is so severe that no company
would dare to take the risk of VIOLA
ton. Fines don't make any differ
ence They fined those corporations
at Kansas City the other day, but what
OF It? They will simply make UP the
money in some other place. The anti
discrimination law is what will do the
business. Look at what the railroads
have done and are doing for Kansas
City by their determinations They
are building up that place into a
great city. and they have killed Ateh-
ison, Topeka, Fort Scott Wichita, and
every other promising town in Kan
sas. Time was when Atchison was
the railroad center of the west. It
had the Fowler packing house But
the railroads were for Kansas City,
and they threw their influence that
way. Kansas City gave the Fowlers
100000 to move there. and the rail-
roads offered other inducements. That
suit in the federal court which result
ed in fining those railroads and pack
ers showed that practically all the
big concerns at Kansas City are get
ting secret rebates. That is the way
the railroads are treating Kansas. If
we can smut OIL THIS DISCRIMINATION De-
/ tween different localities we will go a
; long ways toward solving the railroad
problem. Railroads don't want to
give rebates, but they are forced to
do it by competition. They would like
to have a law passed that would stop
the whole thing"
Favors Antipass Law
What do you think about anti-pass
legislation by the next Iegislature?'
Il am in favor of an antt-pass law"
said the Atchison attorney. But I be-
lieve 1t should be made felony Tor
anyone to ask, solicit or accept a pass
or transportation of any kind from any
; railroad company. That's the way to
stop the pass business If they should
pass a law like that, could dispense
l with three clerks Immediately. The
railroads don't care whether the 2 cent
fare law is passed or not. because they
know very we'll that it won't stand the
S test of the courts. But even suppose
? that it should; the effect would be that
the railroads would raise the rates on
freight, and what the people saved on
passenger fares they would pay out IN
freight charges. That would be the ef-
feet of q 2 cent fare law"
It was apparent that Mr.. WaggeneH
G has no intention of wearing one OF
] the Democratic campaign buttons which
calls for the election Of Harris and the
passage of cent mile law.
= Colonel W. A. Harris, who was in
4 Kansas City yesterday on his way tc
= Fort Scott, is quoted as saying things
= which indicate that his hostility tc
e Bryan has not been entirely obliter-
e ated. Asked whether any effort would
e be made to get Bryan into the Kansas
- campaign, Mr.. Harris is quoted as say
y ing;
e It do not think that any plan has
s been made to invite him and am sure
: that none will be made
T What IS your objeetion?" wa:
e asked.
: I'VE don't want outsiders, he re
T piled. This is a Kansas affair. Gov
ernor Mickey of Nebraska. spoke a
Ottawa recently. Some Republican,
told me that he did more harm thar
d good. We could get lots of outsiders
!