The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-02-05
His Threatened Insurgency is
Regarded as Mostly Bluff
And He is Not Being Ser
iousiy Taken.
WEST VlRGINlAN is
HAR6ORING A CROUCH
He Ayers That a Terrible and
Terrific" Slight Has. Been
Put on the State by the
Cruel Senate.

phen b. EikinS OF West Virginia. on0
Of the millionaire representatives oe
the people in the upper house of con.
sress. is developing symptoms Of in.
surgency. To reassure those inter.
ests which look 10 him for protection
IL is proper tn say that the disease
will make no appreciable headway.
Senator Elkins is his own physician.
He creates his own mental troubles
and applies remedies of his own man.
ufacture. He will be petulant. Ho
has already hinted darkly that he will
display independence. and he even
may denounce men with whom he has
long been associated in the framing
of legislation solely for the benefit OF
the public"
But before he arrives at the edge oe
the safe and sane reservation Of the
conservative republicans he will be-
listen 10 his colleagues. and moro dis.
posed to do as they say
"TerribIe and Terrific" Slight.
To use Mr.. Elkins' own words. il is
a terrible and terrific" slight that
has been put upon the state OF West
Virginia through its representatives
in the senate. A month ago he intro
duced a resolution directing the ap-
pointment of a committee Of seven
senators to investigate the cost of liv.
ing and TO determine if the increase
has been because OF legislation by
reason of any monopoly. combination.
or conspiracy to control. regulate or
restrain interstate or foreign com.
merce in the supply. distribution. or
sale of such articles"
Such a comprehensive resolution
would insure the ascertainment of all
facts in connection with this import
ant subject by republicans loyal to-
their party.
The resolution was printed In full
in the papers OF West Virginia 1t
won for the senator much commenda-
tion. He desired to point with pride
to the 'Elkins investigation" But an
unusual course was adopted by tho
senate leaders. They allowed a meas
ure proposed by one of their own
members to slumber for months in
a committee and then fastened to re.
port a resolution introduced two days
ago by Senator Lodge.
1t was a reflection upon West Vir.
ginia. a humiliation for its senator. a
, trick which Elkins himself would noe
play under any circumstances.
Shrewd Uncle Stephen.
Your Uncle Steve is a shrewd poll.
tician. Deeply sensible OF the import.
ance of truly representing the people
and determined to protect them
from srasping monopoly, he Is search.
ing always to force Senator Aldrich
and others of his caliber to give tho
people measures which will be OF val
| ue only to them.
Never has Mr.. Elkins interested
himself in behalf of the railroads.
Was he not the author of the original
| anti-rebate bill. which imposed a fine
upon an offending corporation and
| under which rebating continued? Did
he not insist upon the inclusion In the
Hepburn railroad law of the celebrat-
ed commodities clause provision.
which tie supreme court found innoc.
uous and which. it was apprehendetb
| might lead to a declaration that tho
entire law was unconstitutional.
And. owning the large coal mines in
| his native state. did he not aid in re-
! quiriDg the railroads to make switch
connections with the lateral lines con-
| Meeting with all coal propertiesI
Never has Mr.. Elkins displayed any
| concern, other than in the interest OF
ta in
ulation of corporations. II is true he
has been associated as a director or
| held stock in numerous corporations,
| but this has aided him in determining
| what legislation respecting them II in
| the interest of the people and in the In.
| terest of the corporations.
Put on Record by Vote.
Did Mr.. Elkins not vote for the cor.
poration tax feature of the tariff law,
| including the publicity provision.
which is now SO Objectionable to the
corporations: And, n connection with
the tariff, did he not. as he himself
said yesterday on the floor Of the sem
ate, vote for nearly everything pro-
posed by the senator from Rhode Is
land?
Il never have had anything from the
| finance committee" he complained,
except the small drippings meted out
to me in making up the tariff bill"
| Farther along in the same debate he
aid he was not prepared to admit a
| much as Senator Aldrich does In re-
gard to the latter-s own child. the tar.
| III bill.
II =