The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1907-01-25
BRYAN IN PORTLAND
FAVORS RAILROAD COMMIS.
SION FOR THE STATE
Of OREGON.

commends Fight Made by Cover
I ernor Cham mberlain-In Favor
! of the Largest and Am
/ plest Control of Traffic.
| Portland, Or, Jan. 22.-Portland
journal: William Jennings Bryan,
statesman, orator, journalist, twice
Ithe nominee for president of the
United States and the probable
third choice to head the democratic
ticket in 1908, is Portland's guest
today. He came as the plain citi-
zen, has been received as such and
will go his way tomorrow without
pomp, but still a leader among the
common people and In the ranks of
his own party.
Mr.. and Mrs. Bryan arrived from
Tacoma at o'clock this morning.
The noted Nebraskan was met at
the depot by the reception commit
tee which had been appointed to
receive Mr.. Bryan. The party
drove in carriages to the Imperial
hotel, where the statesman and his
! wife denied themselves to visitors
until they had secured several hours
of much neededuress.
! Mr.. Bryan is as thoroughly con-
versant with conditions on the Pa
! cific coast as he was with all Sec
tions of the country during his two
presidential campaigns and while it
has been nearly seven years since
he last visited Portland he main
tains his interest both in the gener-
lal welfare of the Oregon country
land particularly in his political bat.
ties to gain for the people their
rights.
| "Oregon is a great and wonderful
i 1country,'' he said this morning,
"and Governor Chamberlain's fight
Ito give to the people of this great
I commonwealth railroad. commits
sion which will place the roads OF
this state in the control Of the gov.
ernment is just and a good one.
I believe in the strictest control of
the railroads, both by the state and
!. federal government, and I believe
that this is what Governor Cham.
berlair is devoting his energies to
give to the people of Oregon"
Mr.. Bryan has not swerved an
inch from the steadfast position he
assumed against the trusts when be
first became a national figure in pol.
itics dozen years ago. He believes
now, and asserts his position with
emphasis, that the chief menace OF
5 the welfare and prosperity of the
American people today is the trusts
and monopolies, and the gseatest
question which this nation has yet
to solve, he says, is the detailed
control of the combinations which
through determinations, rebates
and fostering tariff of which they
constantly take advantage, is sap.
ping the life and energy of the
American populace.
Mr.. Bryan believes Oregon has
taken a long and wise step towards
etats control of the railroads in
making the initial effort to secure
a railroad commission. Not being
acquainted with all the details o.
the bill which only was introduced
at Salem, Mr.. Bryan could not dis
cuss the subject at as great length
as he would like to have done.
II am strongly in favor of com
mission. however" he stated, "bu
I do not care todiscuss the question
whether it should be an appointivs
or an elective board as that Is 20
litical question now under discus
sion in this etate. Some states il
the union have an appointive boarc
and some maintain an elective com
mission. The people Of Oregon
will decide for themselves which i!
right.
81 believe commission shoult
have hte fullest possible power, ane
:. it would be infinitely better to trus,
: commission to decide the ques
I tons in which the public is vitally
concerned than to leave those ques
] tions which affect every part of th'
public welfare, the prosperity of in
= dividuals and of the state itself, Il
/ the railroads which have pecuni
] larry interest in every matter LETT tt
i 1.-The commission to decide.
! while I am not sufficiently &C
| quainted with all the details of Or
! egon's proposed roilroad commits
/ zion, and therefore cannot discus
] it fully, I believe Governor Cham
= bsrlain's fight is for the people
| and am unqualifedly in favor o
4 commission providing the larges