Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1906-02-16
Coz. Cun1n1i1s---Gov. Ek0d
ONE is BATTLING FOR THE PEOPLE
THE OTHER IN SILENCE STANDS
BY THE MACHINE. :.

believed him q man of the people
when he was nominated, but his first
ineXcuSible blunder was in allowing
the bosses to shape his message into
an argument against the Primary law
and against q petition which had not
reached the Capital, when he hurled
his executive anathema at the honest
innOfenSive voice of 5000 good citizens
of the state. No governor can do
that and escape public condemnation
or escape the vengeance of free peo-
pie when they are given chance to
select another governor.
Governor Elrod might have been a
champion of the people, he chose the
| for him.
Now read Gov. Cummins speech
taken from the Journal, and if you
love justice, fair play, a square deal,
and want to be good law abiding
American citizen, you will take up
the battle for the outraged taxpayers
] of your own state. No man can con-
sistently support the machine corpor-
! alton infamous combination" il he
believes in a free government and a
government of the people.
"Now, my administration has not
been hostile to the railroads." con-
tinued the governor, his voice and
| temper rising. Il am anxious that
these roads all the time secure a fair
and reasonable return on the capital
invested, and l would fight for them
just as hard as am fighting against
them because of the uSurpation Of
your rights, but l have said that SO
long as | am governor they shall not
run the state Of Iowa"
| The governor gave the total mile
age of the railroads of the county
and characterized the capitalization
as nothing less than the legalized
audacity of criminal promoters, as
baseless as the fabric of dream and
a system which should disappear be-
fore the indignant Judgment of the
American people like the mist before
the morning sun
The governor was getting warmed
up bit, and be shouted: "You are
paying the interest on this false cap
italization-a hOldup as strong as
ever Robin Hood perpetrated upon a
belated traveller in the black forest.
l tell you, become indignant when
| think that every day there is need
of new legislation to prevent the rail-
roads and other corporations from
"And yet they talk to me about
hostility to railroads. When l men
tion railroads they say. 'Sh-- let's
have this delightful harmony but I
have been at this work four years,
and so long as God shall give me
breath l shall go before the people
of this state and every other state
and protest against the Infamous
combination imposed upon the help
less people. l have listened to Ssh"
the last time.
HOT SHOT FOR THE SENATE.
1.-The interstate commerce bill pass
ed the house and is in the senate.
You know what happens to things
when they go to the senate. Some
senators represent only the railroads.
But the people are sovereign and can
do what they like when they put
their hands to it. Some day, / don't
know when it will be, that lobby at
| Washington which tempts poor NOR
tails with champagne Suppers and 25-
|
wind from out of the west and swept
into the sea of disaster. God grant
the coming of that day.
81 say the corporations shall keep
out of politics. / want the railway
men to come to the caucuSeS and
| primaries as men, but not as en-
ployes-come crowned with the king
ship of American honor and man
hood.
81 want the railroads of Iowa to
stop corrupting the morals of our
people by issuing free transportation
1t will not be long before it will be
criminal in this state for railroad
to issue free transportation or for a
what chance do you stand in con-
vention or caucus against the man
by your side with pocket full Of
railroad passes? Those passes cost
something; who pays for them? You
do. You men and women who pay
full fare. You furnish the money for
the maintainance Of their costly lob
bieS, for their champagne SupperS and
expensive cigars. Why, it's enough
| to make our ancestors turn over in
their graves.
81 believe every corporation should
be confined to the business for which
| IL mas Deen OrSdIllZeu OF klckeu OuL
once and for all from the politics of
the land. The representatives of
these corporations should not meet
the legislators at the door and say,
old fellow, come on up to my room
and have a bottle of champagne.
The man who does anything like that
ought to be in the penitentiary for
life."
LOBBY AGAINST PRIMARY BILL.
The governor then gave his well
known views on the primary election
law, but in fiery language he de-
clared he absolutely knew that the
most effective lobby ever organized
by the railroads of this state was es-
tablished in Des Moines simply to
prevent the passage of the primary
election law.
''There they are," the governor
exclaimed, established in their mag
nificent suites of rooms and sending
out their emisSaries in an attempt
to seduce the lawmakers. You men
of Iowa are paying for it and they
expect us to stand for it,
LIT %<