Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1908-05-19

ed to the Des Moines Register and
Leader by Henry Wallace, editor Of
Wallaces Farmer.
In full Mr.. Wallace's statement fol-
lows:
IT Is never pleasant task 20 con-
tribute towards the settlement of Il
dispute and still less pleasant when
the disputants are ones personal
frienos. 1t is even dangerous where
there is good deal of feeling and
dislike, II not enmity, manifested be-
tween them. Therefore, should re
disposed to let 5enator Dolliver and
Governor Cummins fight out for them
selves the problem as to whether Dol
liver was wabbler or Cummins a
humbug reformer, were it not that
the public has very real interest in
knowing the exact facts concerning
what Is known as the rate law, or
the late amendment to the interstate
commerce law, together with the legis
lation in the nation and various stat IS
especially Iowa, that led to the rate
law and rendered its enactment ana
enforcement possible. However, it
may possibly be kindness to both
the governor and the senator, with
each of whom have been in cordial
cooperation for some time past and
therefore accede to your request.
Each Of these distinguished men has
his faults, which his friends deplore,
and at which his enemies scoff. Who
of us has not? My concern is mainly
and In fact altogether to make perma-
nent the good results secured by each,
and to prevent disaster to the cause Of
good government by quarrel which
Is in danger of bringing to naught the
good work of BOTH
In discussing the movement that
led up to the passage of the rate bin
1 shall rely as little as possible upon
my memory, but rely upon the last
ten volumes Of Wallaces Farmer,
which furnish perhaps as reliable b
history Of this movement as can be
found anywhere.
Beginning Of Movement.
It is alleged by Senator Dolliver
that the outbreak of the Spanish war
was the beginning of the new era. a
Quickening, vitalizing force through
out the entire nation, and that after
the questions which had grown out Of
1t had been settled by the public, 1t
took up the anti-monopoly problem.
Those who have been in close touch
with Iowa conditions know very we'll
that the Spanish war simply diverted
attention for time from these prob
lens of vital interest to the we'll be-
Ing Of the republic, and postponed
their solution, the main difference be-
tween that and the present situation
being that the railroads were then the
aggressors and the public on the de-
fensive.
Having succeeded in 1897 in robbing
the interstate commerce commission
of its power to enforce decisions, and
thus rendered 1t an object of contempt
the men who were behind the great
corporations were pressing for a bill
ito legalize pooling. In the dark days
Of the Shaw administration the Iowa
house of representatives was so com
pletely under the control Of the cor
porations that it voted down an anti
monopoly resolution, and afterwards
passed it only after their constituents
had brought them to see that the act
was "Iowa's shame and humiliation"
Your own paper, the Register under
Its former management, was advocat-
Ing the pooling bill as relief to the
dear, downtrodden farmer! A large
section of the state was so absolutely
dominated by the corporations that It's
representatives scarcely dared say
their souls were their own on any
question involving corporate inter-
ests. An anti-pass law was regarded
as a joke. Then came the war, and
in 1893, as our records show, the rail-
roads were still demanding a pooling
bill and farmers were beginning to
grumble about railroad taxation.
In 1900 the interstate commerce
commission asked for more power.
Senator Cullom introduced a bill for
that purpose and it was reported IA:
vorab1y by the committee by a ma
jority of one, then defeated in the
senate. Senator Gear Of Iowa, then
recently elected. voting for its defeat.
The people were still talking about
taxation and trying to find some way
to ascertain what the railroads were
worth.
Leaven Begins to Work.
In 1901 we began to see some signs
Of revival There was bitter protest
against the railroad assessment of
Iowa, and a demand for an increase
corresponding to the increase in the
valuation of Iowa farms, and also a
bitter protest against the railroads in
politics and the use of passes. The
reform leaven was beginning to
work
It was not, however, until 1902
when A. B. Cummins became COVER
nor. that there was really anything
doing. The steel trust was organized
in 1901. The Northern Securities
company had been formed and was
about to take over the Burlington
New man had secured the control Of
the Rock Island, and the bill known
as the Molsberry bill had passed both
houses and was before the governor
for his signature.
This Molsberry bill simply proposed
to legalize stock watering or over
capitalization by permitting the rail
roads to issue bonds to the extent Of
100000 per mile on single tracks and
$45,000 per mile on double tracks, and
thus enable them to do all their bust
ness on borrowed money and throw
the risks Of the business on the bond