The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-01-31
vel proposition because / was in

level proposition because l was in-
nertions. The facts :Sssn relating iatIrua 10 e the
increased expense agreed upon by The
engineers has shown that I was gov.
erned entirely by a different motive.
Sbonts, the tiIsL engineer, was the
president for II of the Dig trans.
continental lines. while Stevens has
fer wears been at the head Of a half
dozen big railroad systems of the
country.
MY opponents likewise charge me
with not having read the railroad
late Dill until four days before passed.
early 10 February, 1906, l wrote a
letter that it was true l had not
Rad the rate bill, which was chen in
the senate committee. and dozens of
these bills we're p for consideration.
Sixty days before the vote as taken
one-nalf months before the final vote
was taken, l declared for a rate bin
With such amendments as would
strengthen 1T and that bill as report
ed by the senate committee was
amended in so particulars. Among
them we're the amendments that /
suggested, which Included the sleep.
ing cars, ETC., and which were not in
the bill when reported from the sen.
ate committee. During all that time
the bill was before the senate 1 was
acting In complete harmony with
Senator Nelson, as appears by the
Congressional record on page 1910.
l past years 1t has been discussed
throughout the state bv nv oppo.
nents, and it is being talked of
today. that my alledged position as
attorney for the Milwaukee road
governed my actions as always being
IN favor of a railroad legislation and
that L was subservient TO their In
terests. l can say without the least
Tear OF successful contradiction that
In all OF the ..23 years that [ have
railroad or any other corporation ever
had the slightest hold on my services
as a salaried or retained attorney. l
nave tiled cases many times for the
Milwaukee company, but there never
was an instance of II case tried bur
what rendered tie COMPANY ii bill
for that particular case and they
had no more call on me for further
cases than n individual for whom
L bad tired one case and had COM
pleted my service for him. I ave
never accepted a retainer from this
railroad corporation and nv every
transaction with tile company was a
completed n when the case was
finished. The company has paid ne
for my work in just the same man
ner that any individual WOULD cancel
an lndebtedess to an attorney. At
6he time that | assumed my duties
as a United States senator 1 Informed
fhQ nOYUn1to f1lf+ .,0,,1l ,,1A 49,
any new cases from them, and an
that I have ever done for a railroad
since that time was simply to finish
the cas- S with which | was connected
before entering the senate. I stated
to the railroad company that my
POSITION as a senator would not per-
nit OF me accepting any more cases
from their hands, and to this day
that statement mas not been violated
by me in the least.n :,
AS a further emphasis of the sena-
tors attitude on railroad legislation:
he referred to the action of the last
legislature concerning the efforts
made In trying to reduce the freight
D passenger rates, and finally turn
Ing the situation over to the railroad
commissioners to put into effect at a,
tine when they thought that the
AlSutuSUduC WOulU 6CmlC The
senator said: 81 am heartily in
favor Of enactinY a law compelling
the railroads to put into effect a two
cent fiat rate for passenger traffic and
a lower reduction in freight rates.
In the enactment of such a law I
would insist that the emergency
clause should be attached which
would have the effect bringing the
law to an issue at once.n
In the concluding portion OF his
address Senator Kittredge declared
that the state funds should be
placed In repositories and the banks
required to furnish a bond to the
state for its security and the inter.
est turned into the general fund of
the state; the law should be so
framed to prevent the state treasurer
from accepting a position as vice
president OF a banking Institution.
whereby he would Indirectly secure
the interest Of the states money.
As is done under the present rule.
Senator Kitt,edve was frequently
%applauded through his address Of an
hour as he deity uncovered the
guise OF his opponents in this state
and he was heartily congratulated
on .he thorough presentation Of his
subject in the short time at his
command.