Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-10-23

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committee on Indian affairs providing
for the opening for settlement 11.000.'
QUO acres Of the Sioux lndiaO reserva'
ton IN Dakota. As It was being feac
IN committee, We came to provision
to rattfy an agreement made by the
&. M. 4 St. p. and C. 4 N. w. rail.
roads with the Indians for rights o.
way thru the reservation. My previous
study Of documents on Indian Affairs
here became useful. I discovered thai
IN addition to the rights Of way, one
company was given the exclusive right
to acquire us acres and the other S2i
acres of land, ostensibly for Terminal
facilities" and that each road was to
! have at intervals Of every ten miles ar
additional 100 acres of land. presum.
ably for station privileges" stopped
the reading at this point.
This looks to me like a townsite
job" l said. 81 can not see why these
railroads should have 20 much more
land than IL necessary to use directly
in connection with their business az
common carriers
had no sooner uttered these words
than the member Of the committee
sitting upon my right nudged me and
! whispered. Bob, you don't want to In
terfere with that provision. Those are
your home corporations"
But I did interfere and had the
paragraphs laid over and we adjourned
the session Of the committee at IL
O'Clock to attend the meeting Of the
house. I had not been In my seat halt
an hour when page announced that
Senator Sawyer wanted to see me.
foud him waiting for me near the cloak
room. We sat on settee and talked
of general matters for some time. AS
the senator rose to go he said, appar-
emily as an afterthorght:
ooh, say. LaFollette, your committee
will have coming up before long the
Sioux Indian bill. There is provision
III it for our folks up in Wisconsin. the
Northwestern and st. Paul railroads.
wish you'd look after it."
Senator Sawyer" said, I'VE have
already reached that provision in the
bill. and I am preraraing an amend
;nent to it. don't think it's right"
rs that SOP" said the sena tor. in ap-
parent surprise. Come and sit down
and let's talk it over"
We argued for an hour. Sawyer pre-
senting every point in favor OF grant
ing the railroads Tire prior right 20 ac-
quire all the land they wanted This
was the first time Sa wver had directly
and personally atten1n.ed to influence
me in matter Of legislation I was
resoeoteul to him. but could not WELD
to his view. I.tolH him that thought
II right to permi. the railroads to ac-
qrire the land necessary for rights ~
way. yards, tracks. sidinzs. depo's.
shops. roundhouses. ana indeed. all
they needed for TRANSPORTATION pur-
poses and should favor such a provis-
ion. But as framed. the provision
plainly allowed them to get prior and
exclusive rights TO much more land
for town site and other speculative
uses: that besides they were not re-
CURED to build their lines within any
definite time. and might hold the land
to the exclusion OF all others indefinite
ly. without turning a sod or laying a
rail; that IT was unjust to the Indians
and the public, and could not support
it. He was not i'll tempered. and said
he would see me again about II.
Forty eight hours later Henry c.
PAYNE arrived in Washington. He was
secretary OF the REPUBLICAN state cen
trail committee, political m7nas ger OF
the Wisconsin machine, lobbyist for
the st. Paul railroad and the beet
trust, and had the backing Of the inn
portant corporate interests Of the state.
Obviously he had Teen summoned to
Washington by Sawyer.
Everybody was taught to believe
that Payne had some occult and nys-
ferrous power as political manager.
and that when he said thing would
happen in politics or legislation. II al
WAYS did happen. He was a perfect
ideal of that union Of private business
and politics that carried on its face
apparent devotion to the public inter-
est. A fine head and figure. media tive,
interpretive eyes. quiet, clear-cut,
convincing way Of stating his views.
he was certainly the most accomplish
ed railroad lobbyist ever knew. -
Well. Sawyer and Payne came to see
me night After night for a week or
more. Payne was rather stiff and
harsh, but Sawyer was fatherly-much
like a parent reasoning with way
ward child.
Nils P. Haugen, congressman from
the Tenth district, occupied a seat near
me. One day he said:
Il want to tell you something.
saw Payne last night at the Ebbitt
House and ne went for you. He said.
LaFolette is a crank: If he thinks he
can buck railroad company with s.
900 miles OF line, he'll find out his mis-
take. Well take care OF him when the
, time comes.'
Payne was as good as his word. He
fought me ever afterwards.
But got my amendment thru al
lowing the railroad to acquire the
necessary right Of way. twenty acres OF
land for stations, and only such addt-
tional land as the secretary Of the In
terror should find to be necessary aid
! to transportation, prohibiting the use
or sale of any OF said lands for town
site or other purposes, and providing
that each Of said roads should within
three years. locate, construct, and op-
crate their lines or forfeit the lands 50
! acquired to the government.
! felt even then. and learned far
better afterwards, what IL meant tc
oppose my own party organization:
but when party leaders work for cor
porations and railroad control, when
they do not represent the people. what
other course is open for q man who be.
1ieves in democratic government?
believed then, as I believe now. tina,
the only salvation for the republican
party lies in purging itself wholly from