The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-07-09
AT GARDEN TODAY.
senator Long Discusses Railroad
Propositions Again.

Seventh district 1t did not come up
to some of the strenuous Sixth district
days of last week and the week before
in point of number of places visited,
but for territory covered and counties
visited, it excelled.
After the speech in Ness City Tues
day night, the senator drove Is miles
north to Ransom, on the Missouri Pa
cific main line, slept three hours, and
caught train to Tribune. He visited
the Greeley county seat. covering the
town and seeing a number of people
who had come in from the country
about. At IL a. M Senator Long had
crowd of 125, mostly men, in the
school house, and made an hours talk
on his candidacy. Taft. and Sherman,
the Chicago platform and railroad
rates.
After a hurried lunch at the home
of w. NJ. Glenn, Senator Long was
hustled into an automobile and taken
22 miles to Leoti, where he found per-
haps 200 persons waiting for his ar
rival on the principal corner. A band
was playing. and the crowd soon gath
cred in the new and comfortable Leoti
auditorium and Senator Long made
an extended speech. Mr.. Bristow,
when here, had dwelt at considerable
length on railroad rates, the transpor-
tation question generally, and kindred
topics. So Senator Long discussed this
question at some length, making the
broad statement that some persons in
this campaign, including his opponent,
were filing complaints against the rail-
roads in this political campaign. in
Kansas, instead of before the inter-
state commerce commission, in WASH
ington, under the Hepburn amend
ment to the interstate commerce act.
Some persons" said Senator Long,
treat this subject of railroad rates as
a legislative problem, rather than a
simple matter of administration. We
are confronted with complaints filed
here, in the heat of this campaign,
rather than in Washington before the
Interstate Commerce commission.
The Hepburn law gave the interstate
commission power to hear complaints
filed before it, to hold Investigations.
and, If a rate be found to be unfair
and unreasonable, to lower 1t, and 1t
also has power to put it into effect.
This has been done in at least three
cases in Kansas: The Wichita-Gal-
weston grain rate case; the Wichita
cotton goods case, ana the south
western Kansas coal rate case. The
lumber rates in the northwest have
also been reduced.
Section 20 of the Hepburn law, in
my OpiniOn-and 1 am substantiated
by Secretary Taft in his Columbus
speech of last August-gives power
also to determine the cost and all
other information touching railroads.
This largely disposes of the question
of valuation. and the right to file
complaints and have them heard and
adjusted by the Interstate Commerce
commission and also disposes of the
long and short haul qu estion. So
summing it all up, these persons
making complaints in this campaign
are unfair, and insincere: for the
right to correct any existing evils is
possible under legislation enacted two
years ago.
-,.ht %4I g.
criticism two years ago IN connection
with the Hepburn law. 1 was criti-
cised because 1 voted against certain
amendments to the law. I was criti-
cised by another senator who came
into Kansas that year. Yet, in the
Chicago convention, the same propo-
sitions were presented as proposed
planks to the platform. and over
whelmingly defeated. On the other
hand, the Hepburn law, that as
dorsed. This is most gratifying to
me, assure you"
After an early supper, Senator
Long took the train for Scott and
spoke to a good sized audience. He
had a fine reception rom his friends,
and was treated by all with courtesy.
He seemed to make a good i'm
preston, and aroused in many the
recollections of old Seventh district
days.
This morning early. senator Long
drove to Garden City, where he is
spending the entire day today. He
will go tomorrow to Hamilton county,
and then work east along the Santa
Fe main line. Reaching Kansas long
after the candidates for governor and
his own opponent for the senatorial
nomination had been at work, he has
already covered the greater portions
of the Sixth and Seventh districts,
and will then move on toward CEN
trail and eastern Kansas. He is
speaking many times each day, meet
ing hundreds. and in the big counties.
thousands, of persons daily, driving
in automobiles and carriages miles
each day. sleeping just enough to
meet physical demands and getting
in shape to catch up with the other
candidates in the amount of work
done by primary time.
= v y II n0NucAT10A