The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-05-06
ORGANIZED CONSPIRACY
TO lNTlMiDATE |. C. C.
senator In Toilette Refers to Wide.
spread Agitation for Increasing
Freight Hates.
PRODUCES MASS OF EVIDENCE
Talk. on His dill, Which Would Make
II Criminal Onense to Seek to In
nuencc Decisions.

Washington, May 5.--Senator La
Toilette laid before tho Senate to-day
what he declared was evidence of a
widespread conspiracy to intimidate.
coorce and control the Interstate Com
ioe"ce Commission, to grant Eastern
railroads the per cent freight-rate
incrcasc. for which application is
pending.
The Senator spoke on his bill to
make 1t criminal offcnsc to seek to
influence decisions of the commission.
lie talked for more than two hours,
and produced a mass of newspaper
clippings. copies OF letters and tcle-
gi;.ms which found their way to the
commission, in which the authors
urged favorable action upon the raH
road plea. He declared the conspi
racy'. h.d made use OF newspaper ar
tiClcs. editorials and advertising: that
owners had assailed the commission
by communications demanding tho in
crease and that propaganda had been
In force for months before the rail-
roads began their presentation OF the
case.
The commission must find It's deci-
sion on the evidence and testimony
taken by IL and not on the evidence
from suck channel. lie said In the
course of his speech the Senator de-
clarcd that In Washington, President
Wilson frequently had been made to
appca, in favor OF the rate increase.
He said be could not believe that the
President sought to influence the COM
mission. but expressed surprise that
these published reports OF his attitude
had not been denied
WANTS PRESIDENTS DENIAL
~ CONGRESSIONAL RECORD
When Senator Stone later pointed
out that there had been denials from
tho President. Senator La Toilette said
that he was glad to hear of IT. and
hoped that tho denial would appear
in the Congressional Record.
Throughout the speech tho Sena-
tor was uninterrupted and the SEN
ate chamber was more nearly filled
than 1t has been on any day since the
talk OF war with Mexico abated.
lilo warned HIS colleagues that there
IL n growing suspicion throughout tho
country that tho courts are more In
cllned to look kindly on property in
tercsts than on the rights OF the In
dividual He said Congress could not
excuse itself for constituting 4
tribunal like the commission. turn
ing orcr TO H. cases OF vast import
ancc and leaving 1t exposed TO every
conceivable form Of attack
More than 1000 communications
have been received by the commission.
senator LA Toilette asserted, includ-
Ing 700 petitions. resolutions and let
tcrs specifically urging the increase.
He said that az n result of one adver-
tisemcnt in n trade journal In the West
hc had received about $50 letters
urging the increase. He told how
Chairman Harlan. OF the commission,
was called from his bed at midnight
recently to receive such communica-
lion.
There is no mistakinS what has
been done" said the Senator. THE
wayfaring man, though Il fool. knows
that there has been organized con-
spiracy 10 coerce the commission TO a
compliance with the demands of the
railroads that s5o.oO0.0o0 be taken
from the public. and handed over to
them and no questions asked"