The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-06-02

public domain. That coal field In Tree
hands would mean cheap fuel to Kan
sas. 1t would mean that every con-
stituent of Senator Long could be
warmed at a reasonable price. But he
viewed the interests Of Wall street as
higher than the interests OF Kansas.
and when it was proposed to hold those
lands out of the grip of the railroads
and make them coal lands for the peo-
pie. though other Republicans, free
Republicans from other states voted
right. on page 1912. part vi, vol. 40 of
the Congressional Record, we ind
Longs vote recorded against the peo-
pie and with Wall street as it repre-
sented the railroad coal combine.
So rank was that vote and SO gross
the injustice to the people of Kansas,
that they had to turn from their duly
elected senator and present memorial
to Theodore Roosevelt who, by execu-
tive order and without trusting to the
justice of the Wall street senate, took
those coal lands from the railroads by
executive order and made them part
of the public domain. Longs vote was
not a party matter. The bill to pre-
serve these coal lands from the rail-
roads was introduced into the senate
by a Republican. Other Republicans
who were not tied up to Wall street
voted for the measure and Repubh-
can president saved the coal lands to
the people by an executive order. But
Long stood with Wall street for tins.
vested interests and the God or Thlnes
as They Are-just or unjust, fair or
foul, and so Wall street knew that
Longs surrender to the president on
the Hepburn bill was mere sham ana
that she had her senator good and
tight
Also after the surrender When pro-
ject came up before congress ASKING
for authorization to build canal from
Lake Erie to the Ohio river and bond 1t
and stock it at 81 500. 600 mile, Senator
Long voted again with Wall street 10
prevent the interstate commerce coIn-
mission from finding what 1t would
take actually to build the canal and
base canal rates upon the cost of the
canal. If canal freight rates on that
proposed canal were controlled by the
interstate commerce commission anc
based on the cost rather than upon the
value of service, every pound or Kan
sas freight that crosses the continent
would be affected. But no injustice
would be done to the stock or bond
holder of the proposed canal; for 1t had
issued no stock or bonds. 1t was an
opportunity to help all the people WITH
out hurting the innocent purchaser.
But did Long, who SURRENDERED Win
Wall street, stay surrendered? NO
the analytical mind got him into trou-
BILE again, and on page 1926, volume 49,
part 9, of the Congressional RECORD, we
find him voting for Wall street ana
against Kansas. That is his record.
That is what he is running on. That
is what he must explain to the Repub-
licans of Kansas. And his presidential
parole in January, 1906, is not sufficient
explanation.
And after having voted with Wall
street after his enforced surrender
to the. president on the Hepburn bill
he came out to Kansas in the autumn
of 1906 and made his famous Beloit
speech defying his constituents and
declaring that the cost of service has
nothing to do with the price OF SER
vice in making railroad rates, ad-
hitting thereby that "all the traffic
will bear is the only way to judge the
Justice of a rate. That says in effect
to Wall street-go ahead, raise your
rates on my people; squeeze all you
can: if they don't kick, tighten the
screws, and by my machine, naming
Judges courts and legislatures, l will
hobble their kicks. At the end of that
railroad senator's with whom he had
been voting for two years-the sena-
tors who controlled the organization
of the United States senate-and de-
clared to the people of Kansas:
'.These are my ideal senator's"
I<k
was a declaration of independence
from Kansas and a declaration of
allegiance to Wall street.
And that speech was made-not
for Kansas, but for Wall street
the eight men who control most of
the railroads of this land, whom Vic
tor Murdoch spoke of in his denuncia-
ton of Long, also control the men
who organize the United States SEN
ate. Fulton, chairman of the judi
ciary committee, is an ideal senator
of that control. He has just been de-
feated at primary in Oregon, as
wall street senator. And so in
December, 1906, Chester I. Long went
back to Washington to his idols. He
had proved himself true to those in
terests in American politics which
may not be ignored" And so he and
they, prepared their fight to retain
to the free people of Kansas.
Probably Senator Long could have
anything within reason that first
term senator could desire. And what
did he pick out? In the organiza-
ton of the senate did he follow his
clay feet? Did he pick out a place
which required great craftsmanship,
high thinking, great mental effort?
No. Senator Long took the chair
of the committee on the CEN
sus. Now let us look at that chair
a moment, and remember
the peroxide politicians of the Long
machine in Kansas. languishing for
Longs attentions. Theoretically the
men who take the census are APP
pointed by the president. But he
does not have time to look after the
details. Theoretically it is done by
the secretary of commerce and labor,
but he does not have time. Theoreti-
cally he turns it over to the director Of
the census and he also is crowded for
time, and turns to Republican con-
gresSmen and senators, and asks them
to help. Congressman have large leis-
ure for census appointments. So do
senators, and when the director of
the census has to turn to the chair
man of the committee on the census
in the senate for much OF his financial