Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1914-06-18
Purchased Prayers.

Charles S. Mellen, former president of the New Haven railroad
whose own prophecy about being made the goat" Of that system s
ubiquitous financial affairs came true, on the stand before the Inter-
state Commerce Commission insisted that public sentiment had been
Overwhelmingly behind certain trolley legislation the company
wanted.
Chief Counsel Folk set out to show that this sentiment in favor
of the bill had been manufactured by the railroad. He produced
one Of the prayers from the hills, - which were paid for by the
railroad, according to earlier testimony. This prayer began:
81 will lift up mine eyes to the hills, when eometh my help
After sparring with Folk joeulary over the authorship of this
prayer Melen confded: There's lots of biblical language in
it, i pray occasionally @
Here is another extract from the testimony, Folk questioning
1Iellen:
aDo you recall the Prayer From the Hils2',,
tsYes, in general, but l know little about ii. -
"Did you pay for it?'
II fancy l have to pay for all prayers in my BEHALF
And consider this from Mr.. Skinner, a New Haven director who
was on the stand as a sworn witness before Counsel Folk:
ibid you know of the Prayer From the Hills issued to create
public sentiment"
Eyes
ssDo you think it was proper to try to influence public feeling
81 believe a railroad or other public corporation has the right to
create public sentiment in its favor
tsBy decephon2 Do you think it was right to circulate liter
|ature purporing to come from the people when, as a matter Of fact
it was sent out by the railroad?''
With all the hue and cry against the railroads. replied
Director Skinner, they must create sentiment in their favor,
Now these bogus, purchased prayers coneocted by the re-
spectacle masters Of finance who were directing the crooked destiny
of the New Haven, in order to have the proper effect upon the minds
of the people Of New England must have effective publicity through
the newspapers. In this connection it is not amiss to quote still
another extract from MelIen's testimony.
After Mr.. Mellen had declared that he believed the New Haven
spent less in its campaign for publicity than other roads had spent
in a similar way, Counsel Folk asked:
twas not something paid practically to every newspaper in
New England9' '
~ do not know as to that, \,
tsThe records show that more than 1000 newspapers got some
thing ~ said Folk.
well, /, replied Menen, sI have no doubt that is correct. B,
Think III overt How far would that sham prayer have got
ten had not the newspapers helped along the little deception upon
#the publcY Remember, 1T was brought out that 1000 of these
EnaWSnaners st pt Somefhinpsi from te New Haven H## ##@##
Now, III view of the recent organized railroad conspiracy to-
manufacture public sentiment favorable to- u Eve per cent IN
crease for lines III official classification territory and the parrot
u.s. III not pertinent torecall Ar. Afelen's plea that the New Haven
spent ss in itscanpaign FOL publicity than roads had spent IN
Ea similar wayf OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES &SA# #a#f f ssaM dt nM8
~ Purchased prayers are the stack "a trade If Wall streets rail
roads They hare been poured in upon city councils. They have