Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1912-09-11
KNUTE NELSON'S RECORD IN u. S. SENATE
AS REVIEWED IN LA MAGAZINE

OecurlMeS merger case that IN the
purchase Of $l08,000,0O0 OF securi-
ties Of the Burlington by the Great
Northern and Northern Pacific
companies, $216,000,OOO of new 4
per cent bond were issued. In the
recapitaization Of the Rock Island
$75, 100000 of Rock Island stock
was converted into $475,O00,000 of
of bonds and $l37,000,0O0 of new
stock
"The LaFollette amendments all
were killed. It was Senator Nelson
who acted as lord high executioner.
Before putting in readiness the Al
drich guillotine-where so many
measures in the public interest have
met a speedy end-he gave voice to
an angry protest. He was indignant
at such an attempt to hamper and
distress the company (the Steel
Trust) and prevent them from car
rying on their operations.'
zone by one these amendments
came up. Each time it was Nelson
who rose in his place and said. 4
move to lay the amendment upon the
table" and each time Nelson voted
with the Aldrich crowd to kill the
amendments.
"Thus was the Steel Trust still a.
mother privilege, still another instru-
ment with which to mulct the public
unlustly and unreasonably of hard
dollars for the further enrichment of
the holders Of it's watered stock.
NELSON VOTES FOR SUBSIDIES.
"For years ship subsidy inter-
ests have been besieging Congress to
throw open to them the vaults Of the
public treasury. The graft of more
than a million a year given to the
shipping and ship-building interests
by the law of 1891 has not satisfied
them. They want more.
"Gallinger was on hand at the
opening Of the 59th Congress with a
subsidy bill proposing an increase of
substantially 100000 a year. This
Dill passed the Senate. Nelson voted
for it.
lin the Goth Congress, the System
handymen of the Aldrich machine
brought forward subsidy amend
ment, providing for an increase of
$l,l0O,O00 in ocean mail pay. It
passed the Senate. Nelson voted for
it. Later, in the House, about twen
ty-fve Republican members refused
to submit to the Cannon machine,
and the subsidy amendment was
stricken out.
"But the subsidy champions were
not discouraged. They became bold
er. The Gallinger subsidy bill next
session called for ocean mail SUBJ
sidy amounting to $8,O00,000 a year.
This subsidy came to vote in the
Senate. 1t was close. It stood 80
to 80 until Vice President Sherman
came to the rescue and saved the day
for the subsidy crowd. Nelson, vo-
for the subsidy.
PROTECTING THE RAILROADS.
RAILROAD rate legislation was be-
fore the Senate in 1906. There was
overwhelming public demand for
real regulation. The President and
Congress could not ignore it. They
set about to frame a law. Through
out this contest Senator Nelson was
strictly Irregular" He stood faith
| fully by the Aldrich machine, and the
railroad interests.
Amendments were offered to
strengthen the bill-amendments to
make it more just to the shippers,
the consumers, and yet fair to the
railroads. There were amendments
to restore the penalty Of imprison-
ment for violations Of the inter-
state commerce law; to counteract
the well-worn trick Of the railroads
Of withholding testimony from the
Commission, later to produce it in
Court; to invest the Commission with
power to prohibit a railroad from
charging more for short than for a
long haul over the same line; to make
a physical valuation Of railroad pro-
perty; to provide an effective rail-
way employers liability amendment
for the relief Of railway employees.
Nelson voted against all these
amendments
"This law, being compromise, did
not settle the question. The public
thwarted, renewed it's demands upon
Congress and the President for re-
lief from the extortions Of the rail-
roads, overcapitalized and arrogant
Again, in 1910, railroad rate legisla.
ton was forced upon Congress.
The Taft Wickersham bill, sent tt
Congress with the presidential de.
Inland that it be enacted into Law
without the crossing Of a "t'' or thu
dotting Of an 'i", was the boldes'
raid upon public rights that the Sys.
tenn ever succeeded in forcing upo1
the serious consideration of Con.
Igress.
"The Progressive Republican Sen
ators fought to eliminate the vicious
privisions of this bill and. to inser