Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-08-19
PRESIDENT RIPLEY 1EsrIFlEs.

PRESIDENT RIPLEY T6STlFlES.
The attack upon Cummins' speech at
Peabody. Kansas. by President Ripley,
of the Santa Fe system, was another
instance OF buzz saw m onkeytng. Sen
ator Cummins had made speech at
Peabody, Kansas. IN which he referred
cuttingly to watered railroad stock and
thus aroused the ire Of the Santa Fe
president who criticized the senator in
an open letter. Now Cummins comes
back at President Ripley correcting
much Interpretation of his speech and
taking care Of Mr.. Ripley generally.
The thing President Ripley corrobor-
ates and makes clear is the often as
serted fact that Cunanlins and the in
surgents of the last session blocked
effectuany the corporation scheme 70
emasculate the rate law. IN his crit
icizm of Cumm!ns Ripley says:
There was n the bill only one thing
that could by any possibility be con-
eidered as favorable 10 the railways
namely. the right to make legal agree
mended BY Roosevelt by the inter-
state commerce commission. and in
serted I believe. N your party plat
form a right. also. which all unpre-
JUDGED students of railway economics
realize as being necessity. This
the only desirable feature Of the ad-
ministration bill-was eliminated by
you and your friends
:,
ator Cummins confesses that "he and
his friends" thru argument and inau-
ence killed that feature OF the bill
which for the purpose of Ripley and
railroads was the only desirable fea-
ture OF the administra ton BILL and
proceeds to show that it is the only
truth the railroad man wrote into the
paragra phi quoted above. 1t was not
the only favorable thing TO railroads in
the bill. was never recommended by
Roosevelt or the interstate commerce
commission, and never was in the party
platform Analyzing and meeting the
Ripley assertions the senator says:
Roosevelt and the interstate com
nnerce commission said in variety Of
forms that they believed that railway
com panfes should be permitted 20 enter
into traffic agreemerts respecting rates,
hut they always made 1t absolutely
clear that neither the agreements nor
the rates made under Them should be-
come effective until approved by the
commission. Our platform so declares.
The bill as Introduced in the senate
permitted railway com panies TO make
traffic agreement specifying rates and
charges and authorized both agree-
ner-s and rates 70 become effective
without the approval Of the commits
Ktou. Il you know what happened in
rhe senate. you know that I offered an
amendment 70 the section providing
rates proposed under them should be-
come effective until approved by the
comm ssi5n This amendment was in
exact accord with the recomnenda :
lions Of Roosevelt. the com mission and
our platform; but il at once en-
couutered the opposition of the admin
.stration. Of every raactiorary in the
senate and Of the railway companies
You know further Il YOU are as well
Informed as I think YOU are, that the
fight which followed was one Of the
most striking controversies Of the en-
tire debate Mr. Aldrich and his fol-
lowers. acting assume, in accord with
The administratio preferred 70 strike
out the entire section rather than &c
allow my amendment TO prevail. I pre-
ferred to see the section stricken out
rather than to permit traffic agree
ments specifying rates and charges Il
go into effect without the supervision
and approval of the commission.
look upon the section, as originally
drawn, as a mere trick. Ha ppily, il
was so manifest that It was not diff
cult to expose it.
The west was extremely anxious 70,
the defeat Of the railroad pooling prop
osition. It was defeated. Cummin:
and the insurgents did It. Presiden
Ripley says so. -Aldrich and his wins
of the party fought for it to the las
ditch. AS an indication of the attitude
Of the two factions, Of the senator from
Rhode Island. who proposes to rule o.
ruin the party, and of the senators from
Iowa who refuse to be ruled. is thi
clear enougno And in its light how
does the desperate attempt to proven
Iowas expression of approval of he
senators aDnear?