Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1908-05-19
Henry Wallace Lauds Cumn1ins

1t would be war to the knife and the
knife to the hilt."
In commenting on this veto in our
issue of April 4, 1902, we said:
| I'VE congratulate our readers on
their deliverance by this veto from a
| future railroad domination that would
nave been more CALLING by far tha
even that for which they had been
suffering for some time past. We have
always believed that Governor Cum
by the highest sense of honor and fe-
atty to right, and this veto amply JUS
titles our convictions"
A second bill was introduced and
| finally a third. of which we said in our
issue of April 1s, 1902: ''By dint of
enormous pressure on, the part of the
| lobby, the governors closest friends,
and almost the entire newspaper in.
tluence of his party, these bills by a
greatly reduced majority passed the
senate. The governor. however, gave
notice to his friends that If the bill
passed the house he would veto it on
the ground that it was against public
policy. 1t was, therefore, reported by
the railroad committee of the house
for indefinite postponement."
During the summer of 1902, $132,-
100000 of water was injected into
the Rock Island under its new man
agement. Governor Cummins began at
once very thorough investigation to
determine whether this could be pre-
vented or punished, and on this we
remarked in our issue of Aug. s.,
1902:
I'VE are glad to know from the daily
press that Governor Cunlmins Is max
Ing the matter a subject of thorough
investigation, and if the laws of the
state will put a stop to this wholesale
watering of stock. 1t is lust
such movements as this that precede
and cause panics When panic comes
! it will affect not merely capitalists,
but reach down through to the poor
est laboring man in the nation. and
upon him in the end falls the heaviest
burden"
During the legislative session of
1902 | called to consult the governor
on some legislative measures. He
then expressed the opinion in the
most positive manner that no efficient
legislation could be enacted until suf-
f1cient pressure was brought to bear
through farmers on the members of
the legislature to force them to enact
an antf-pass bill. In the face of all this
how dare any candid minded. man
say that Governor Cummins is lack
ing in either sincerity or courage? Z?
In the mantime public sentiment was
developing along similar lines in 9th.
er states.
= According to our records, the year
1903 opened up with general all
around blast against trusts. Senator
Hoar of Massachusetts introduced a.
bill in the senate and made a speech
in its favor. Congressman Little
held of Main introduced a similar bill
in the house. Governor Van SAINT of
Minnesota and Governor Odell of New
York had good deal to say on the
same subject. Attorney General Knox
In writing to Senator Hoar and Con-
gresham Attlefield, gives it as his
Judgment that monopoly would be i'm
possible if competition ''were assured
a fair and open field and protected
against unfair and artificial discrimi-
mating practices" In an article on that
subject in our issue of Jan. 23, 1903.
we said:
and it is just as well to get clear ideas
on the subject before we begin: and
the place to begin is with the railroad
determinations in favor of large cor
porations and large capital which
have been for many years almost
universal. When the railroads are
conducted as natinoal highways and
give to every passenger and his pos
I,
will be far on the way to solution.
Until that is done we are simply
throwing chaff at the bear and talk
ing for others to hear us talk"
The subject was discussed in our
issues of Jan. 80, Feb. 20 and 27 of
that year.
The Events of 1904.
In the year of 1904 things were be-
ginning to come to pass. Iowa farm
ers were In arms against the new
ruling forbidding return passes to
stock shippers and the slow speed of
stock trains, and the Corn Belt Meat
Producers association was organized
In February. In May of that year the
cattle growers executive committee
was organized in Denver The cattle
growers had been suffering from in
efficient railroad legislation perhaps
more than any other class in the
United States. They had discussed
possible remedies. They had ems
ployed Judge Cowan, who was also
the attorney for the National Live
Stock Growers association, because he
had been the attorney for the Texas
Cattle Growers association in the
rate cases brought before the inter-
state commerce commission by that
association, and knew the weakness of
the law and how it could best be
remedied. The cattle growers inter
state executive committee and the
National Stock Growers association
were representative bodies composed
of delegates from the different stock
breeders associations of the entire
west, and among them the Iowa Corn
Belt Meat Producers association,
which in national matters at that time
acted through these two representa-
tive associations.
At this Denver meeting in May,
Judge Cowan was instructed to devote