The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-02-19
STATt DEMANDS
TWO CENT FARES
ONLY WHOLESALE BRIBERY CAN
PREVENT PASSAGE OF THE
PENDING BILL.
DENEEN WANTS GLORY
lature Through His State
Railroad and Warehouse
Board.

Springfield, H., Feb. 18--Tf You
favor lower passenger rates and re.
ciprocal demurrage to prevent freight
car. shortage and fayoritism, write
your legislative representatives at
Springfield today directing them to
vote for pending bills.
Only wholesale bribery, such as
gave to the general assembly of 1905
the title Of ''the $1,000000 graft legis-
lature' can prevent the passage OF
two-cent fare, reciprocal demurrage
and relief association bills aimed at
the railroads of Illinois.
From close friends of Speaker
Shurtleh it became known today that
all these measures would come on the
floor of the house for q grand series
Of battles to place Illinois in front Of
the campaign that is sweeping against
the corporations an over the United
States, but with especial strength in
the Middle West.
These whispers regarding graft in
railroad legislation are the first--ex-
cept as to two bills of minor import
ance--that have been heard since the
lawmakers gathered, extraordinary
efforts having been made to keep ma
terial from the gossip mongers.
Specifications as to who will handle
the coin are still lacking and it may
not be known for a fortnight or more
whether the corporations will make
any effort to stop bills in the house
or will center their efforts on the
senate combine" of notorious legisla.
ton strangers.
Deneen Against 1t.
1t was given out today from the
state house that the governors rail
way aud warehouse commission, in.
stead of waiting for the legislature to
act on The 2-cent mile passenger
fare bill, had begun Its own inquiries
and that a race was on between the
executive and legislative departments
OF the state to decide which should
be the first to meet the popular and
general demand for lower passenger
fares.
This statement, spread by admins
tration organs, is a distortion of the
facts. Governor Deneen does not
wish this legislature to enact a 2-cent
law. He proposes to take all the glory
and political value unto himself BY
the matter until the Re-.
publican gubernatorial primaries draw
near next year, when he will an
nounce a 2-ceut limitation through his
state railway and warehouse commits
sion. Thereby, he hopes to construct
a popular platform for renomination
and re election.
In this situation lies an explanation
of the governors failure to recon-
mend railroad rate legislation in mis-
to the legislature. Since then
the great wave of agitation for lower
passenger fares and reciprocal demur
rage laws has swept over the Middle
Western states. Illinois lawmakers
have become restless under the pOpu-
lar pressure and see no reason why
they should return TO their homes
under a cloud of public disapproyai
and contumely simply that Governor
Deneen may come along in few
months to reap personal glory by way
of contrast with legislative derelic-
tion.
Twinkle in His Eyes.
rs there really a popular demand
for railroad legislation?" asked
Speaker Shurtlen today in answer to
a query as to probabilities.
The speaker propounded his ques-
ton with serious and innocent face.
but in his eyes there was a twinkle
which interprets as a suggestion Of
he first importance. That is to say,
# the Deople Of Illinois want railroad
legislation. they should at once make
their demands known to their legis
.ative Ieptesen atiyes. II that is done
the pressure will compel the enact
meut OF laws without waiting two
years for possible action by Governor