The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1908-10-08

a dollar.
Reason and justice rebel when it is
proposed that the people through rail
way rates shall pay interest and divl'
dends on this amount of water-water
| vast beyond comparison, and yet that Is
what we have been doing and are doing
today.
| When the rate bill was before the SEN
ate two years ago the now senior SEN
ator from Wisconsin proposed an amend
ment which provided THAT the com
mission shall estimate and ascertain the
fair value of the property OF every rail-
way engaged in interstate commerce
and used by it for the convenience
of the public This amendment was
killed by y vote of 40 to 81 OF the 40
United States senators who voted to
save it 81 were Democrats.
ACTION OF REPUBLICAN CONVENTION.
At the Republican convention recent.
ly held in Chicago the same proposition
was submitted to the committee on
resolutions. 1t was rejected by vote
of 50 to l. Congressman Cooper alone
voted for the proposition. He carried
the fight onto the floor of the conven-
ton. X
The question was put-the Chicago
convention rejected the plank tor the
valuation of the physical property of the
interstate railways as a basis for rate
making by vote of 917 noes to 63 ayes.
Again by the overw helming vote of l6
to /, the railways and the special privl
legged classes had won rs they had won
in the committee by vote of 80 20 /
as they had won in the United States
senate.
The Wisconsin delegation which pre-
sented this plank were told to take
their dope and go TO Denver Later in
the Democratic convention at Denver
this plank was presented and unamin-
ously adopted. This plank which means
SO much to the great body of our people
was rejected by the builders of the Chi
cago platform. 1t was by a unanimous
vote brought into the Democratic plat
form and we are making our battle up.
on it,
CHICAGO CONVENTION DOMINATED By
SPECIAL INTERESTS.
Thus every proposition III the people $
interests affecting the railways was
trampled under foot.
From this record there can be no ques-
ton but that the United States senate
and the Chicago committee were abso-
lutely dominated by the great railways
dents personal request during the last
presidential campaign had raised $500,
600 for the Republican national commit
tee and the other railway magnates who
have contributed vast amounts demand
ed immunity and and they received it,
| ~ n Y X X
1t appears from the sworn testimony
| in the insurance investigation conducted
by Gov. Huges that one great insurance
Co. contributed $3.50 600, another $40, 600
and another $50, 600 to the national Re
publican campaign fund. Did the great
railway magnate who like great
octopus holds the railroads of this conn
| try in his mighty grasp contribute $500,
600 from purely patriotic motives? Per
haps so, but his history his business
methods and the recent dismissal of
all pending suits against the Southern
Pacific railroad suggests a different mo.
| tive Did the officers of the life insur-
ance companies embezzle your money
and my money and the trust funds of
the widows and orphans for contribu
tions to the campaign funds from patri-
otto motives? Men will lay down their
lives for their country, but they won't
steal from widows and orphans from
patriotic motives.
You and own the governmental the
people own the government. If its of
ficers, it's favols, its legislation, its fu-
tnre, its existence are to be mortgaged,
the people have right to know who are
the mortgagors and who the mortgages
They have right to demand the terms
of the bond and mortgage. Who gives
q reason why campaign contributions
should not be published before election
Mr.. Bryan gives the only one yet offer.
ed-he found it in an ancient Democratic
volume-the Bible, and it reads: "They
love darkness rather than light because
their deeds are Of evil" In This and
other states it has been the insistent de.
mand, not from Democrats alone, but
from other people who love their coun-
try and see the danger that all campaign
contribution and the manner of expendi
ture thereof shall be published before
election, $50
ACTION OF CHICAGO CONVENTION.
Seeking to comply with the popular
demand, the Wisconsin delegation at
Chicago proposed plank pledging the
Republican party to legislation which
would compel the publication of cam
paign contributions before election The
committee on resolutions rejected It by
vote of 52 to l.. Congressman Cooper
placed the proposition before the dele.
gates of every state assembled at the
Chicago convention 1t was indignant