The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-08-17

| inc Hihu'oe "SSicSateu dh muir, peioie
| the hiatus was raised. Meanwhile Com
:, missioner Young chatted with Stickney
and NIanahan.
II understood that there was to be a
hearing of some kind" said Mr.. Stick
ney.
"Yes, l so understood" said Mr.. Young
Il left my home at Mankato this morn
ing at three o'clock in order to be here
at ten o'clock, but it seems as if moth
ling was done"
ITS long after ten o'clock now" said
Mr.. Manahan.
rs it true that one of the roads burn
ed up carload of rebates ?" inquired Mr..
iStickney.
!; Il believe it is absolutely true" said
Mr.. Manahan, 'but why don't they call
this conference?"
Il guess Mr.. Mills and Mr.. Staples
are not ready" said Mr.. Young glancing
toward the room where Hannaford and
Campbell were imprisoned.
| Turning from his desk Chairman Mills
of the commission, who had made a gal
liant stand in the face of the redoubt
able Mr.. Stickney, approached and in
formed Mr.. Manahan that a conference
was about to be called of an executive
nature, and that he, Manahan, would
have to leave the room.
Mr.. Manahan, the sole representative
of the people, present, reluctantly quit
the room. The door was then shut
lrudely behind him and the reporters had
| to guess the nature of this strange pro-
ceedings.
Il guess it will all come out in the
, wash" said Attorney Manahan, with a
/ smile Il consider this entire business
an outrageous invasion of public rights.
What right or authority has the rail
road commission, elected by the people to
transact public business behind closed
doors? If the members are doing bust
ness on the level why don't they throw
the doors open to the public and let us
see what is going on?
And what was going on?
Three roads, it is authoritively stated,
the Northern Pacific, the Great Northern
and the 500, have made a proposition
to the railroad commission by which
they aggree to reduce the freight or
wheat one \cent hundred pounds, pro-
vided the commission would call off any
further investigation and agitation of
the freight rates on commodities.
Mr.. Manahan had heard of it, and un-
doubtedly so had Mr.. Stickney, and, of
course, Mr.. Young had had the PROPOSE
ton put up to him and had rebelled at
the very mention of it. He would never
stand for it, for he could not see very
well how the southern part of the state
would benefit in the least by it. Besides,
the state had already spent $4,000 in
| the endeavor to arrive at fair basis
| for rates, and he did not believe in
throwing the whole matter up in the
air just to give a little soap to the
| farmers.
On the inside of the holy of holies
Chairman Mills called the star chamber
session to order and read the proposition
as outlined above.
Mind you Mr.. Stickney was sitting into
the little game and in order to protect his
ante was ready to draw five cards and
stay until the other fellows showed their
hands. He had never passed out on a
bluff and would not on this occasion.
Chairman Mills said the commission
had considered the proposition and on
condition that some minor concessions
were agreed to, the members stood ready
to accept the same (the members, mean
ing Mills and Staples.)
There was brief silence and then
Stickney spoke up. Said he:
81 am opposed to this method of tran
sacting the public business of such inn
portance.
"This proposition is certainly news to
me, and | know it is to many others.
"a question of such magnitude should
never be handled secretly.
"The public have right to know about
1T, and it should not be settled in this
off-hand manner behind closed doors in
executive session.
Il speak for a public hearing where
this proposition can be fully and freely
discussed on the merits.
1T may be that / will desire to make
an appeal from the rulings of the com.
mission, and in order to do so. all the
interests affected by the commission
rulings should be considered in the open
The commission cannot afford to set
tie the matter in such way as to cal
down upon it public censure. Let Their,
be public heaing where all sides cal
be heard"
The stand of Mr.. Stickney proved :
blow from the shoulder