River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1914-06-11
WASHINGTON LETTER
FROM JAMES A. FREAR, MEMBER or
CONGRESS-, 10th DISTRICT

merce Commission power to regu-
late stocks and bonds of railway
companies was before the House
last week and will be passed. 1t
takes away from railway wreck
ers, whether presidents, direct
ors or promoters who pull the
strings, all opportunity to kite
stocks and bonds or to buy up
worthless properties at a flctl-
| tious price for the benefit Of those
on the inside. Congressman Esch,
a member of the committee, gave
one of the strongest and most not
ed speeches Of the debate. He
furnished astounding examples OF
railway mismanagement in the case
of the Chicago and Alton which in
seven years jumped It's indebted
ness about $50, 600, 900 with only
S18, 600, 900 paid out for actual i'm
provements.
The Southern Pacific also has a
checkered career that runs a close
race in this particular with the
Rock Island, Pere Marquette,
Eastern Illinois and other railways.
During all these years when mel
ons were being cut and people
generally wondering just where the
excessive profits came from, a few
high financiers pocketed the mon
eys which we're taken from small
investors. A day of reckoning had
to come and that is why the rail-
ways Of today are asking for a
raise in freight rates. Of course
the innocent should not suffer for
the guilty, but the only way to
teach the looters of railways a
lesson is to compel restitution and
that is what Folk hopes to do as
stated in last weeks letter.
Last Tuesday the writer dis
closed to the House some hidden
influences behind the $88, 5000, 600
1914 river and harbor pork barrel
which now boasts OF twelve mil
lion dollars more than when it left
the House. 1t is in the Senate
awaiting it's fate. I offered I'M
di%sputable evidence of money con-
tributions by eight southern rail
ways; also widespread business
threats and offers of a division of
spoils, which the pushers of the
~O-lr Io1uoJ ko 116nI IN fhnip Of
forts to force Congressman into
line.
To those friends who remember
our persistent Wisconsin fight for
a state wide primary, railway
commission, anti-lobby law and
other measures with which the
writer was connected, it may be
interesting to know that a good
husky fight is sur to be staged
in the senate as l predicted six
weeks ago, and in my judgment
the bill cannot become a law.
Many people then believed this
was a visionary statement and
that my lonesome attack on the
bill was for personal glorification.
True there was satisfaction in
starting the big barrel down the
hill, particularly as some fun was
poked at a new member for his
hardihood, but all the work for
the bills defeat has not been on
the surface.
AS prophesied in these letters
some time ago, friends of the pork
barrel have suddenly grown alarm
ed since the Chicago Tribune and
Saturday Evening Post last week
demanded in leading editorials
that my resolution for an inves-
tigation be passed. These two
publicity agents, the greatest in
the newspaper and magazine field,
are voicing a demand which by
coincidence m from scores of
other publications all training
their guns on the pork barrel. The
veteran barrel that has rolled hun
OE6QS Vi nl111lOuS Vi OOl1dIo 1IlCO
the rivers of the country, l feel
sure is going to be smashed this
year and I am not SO lonesome as
when the fight started.
: The Stars and Bars and Old Glory
entwined in Arlington Cemetery
last week, and veterans of the
Blue and Gray stood side by side
while President Wilson accepted
a memorial to the dead heroes
of the South, erected by the Unit
ed Daughters of the Confederacy.
As the President so we'll said:
Nothing of this sort could have
occurred in anything but a demo-
cracy."