The courier-index., 1921-02-25
Speech by Col. J. E. Wood On Bill to Abolish Cor
 poration Commission

1 witness before that committee testi- 1 fled that they had been paid and then with his legal acumen and ability and the records at hand to examine, Congressman McRae should have informed himself and not been a party to the advocacy of their payment. And yet we hear talk as coming from a throne, glibly and continuously made about retrench- ment and reform and waste of pub lie monies and 1 for one would not decry an honest effort in this di- rection. I mention this at this time simply to show that the great political Moses" who is to lead us out of the wilderness of greed, graft and corruption is not all together l infallible and that Nose himself sometimes wabbles on the gudgeon, so I don't follow Nose blindly any more.
 Yes, will admit, be it said to my shame, that acting solely from l my high regard and confidence in the integrity of Congressman Nc Rae and ex-Governor Clarke, I voted 1 for the iniquitious measure, but 1 cannot blindly follow now with this precedent before me.
 Now, as to the Governors mes sage with regard to the abolish ment of the Corporation Commis- sion. l quote literally:
 In my campaign for governor of Arkansas, I declared:
 Tt (the Corporation Commission) should be promptly and expedious- ly abolished. If I am elected gov ernor I will make it one of my first duties to urge it's repeal.'
 l Commissions are the spawn of autocracy; they imply distrust of the people and have no proper place in democracy" Oh you autocra- cy! Sh But how about the recently l appointed Penitentiary Commission, without bond, without confirmation by the Senate or any other body. Said commission taking charge of thousands of dollars of the states property solely at the dictation of 4 Governor McRae. Consider this and then prate about autocracy The governor further says 'they are wasteful in money, reckless in meth ods, oppressive in spirit and ruin- ous in effect, If Arkansas is to be saved from impending bank ruptcy, she should harken back to the spirit of her splendid organic law and rid the taxpayers of the many sinecures and supernumerary bodies now loaded on them"
 It is to be presumed, therefore, that the General Assembly and this office (with an unmistakable man. date from the people, stand as a unit for the total, unconditional and immediate abolishment of the Cor poration Commission. On this point there shold be no compromise" 1 1 take issue with our Governor as to his nomination. to the office being a mandate from the people l do not hold that vote of 42,669 out of total vote of 163 ,361-only one-fourth of the vote cast as be- ing any mandate to me. Not a bit of it. And now, as Governor Me Rae has denounced in unmeasured terms the Corporation Commission for sins of omission, commission and dismission, let us turn to a more genial side of the picture and see not only what Governor Brough as well as forty-five out of forty eight governors of grand galaxy of states which constitutes the great American Union think of the com mission law. Governor Brough says,
 "l am firmly of the opinion that | 1t would be a most serious mistake to repeal the act creating the Cor 1 poration Commission. l submit in all good faith and candor that the past two years have not been such an economic period as would give a fair test to the operation of the commission law from a popular viewpoint l cannot help but be- more normal the commission will i, function with considerably more fa- vor know that the principle is correct because it is founded on justice and reason fortified by en- lightenment and experience. In the past two weeks I have received from the governors of forty other states telegrams indorsing the commission principle and the operation of the law.
 "With all due respect to those who oppose the Corporation Com mission law, 1 could not recommend to you to step backward for our be- loved commonwealth. Therefore, for the following specific reasons, | earnestly recommend the reten- tion of the Corporation Commission | Act:
 "First: Because the principle of regulation of utilities by state central agency is progressive legis- lation, having been adopted either by constitution or by statute in for ty-five of the forty-eight states of the Union.
 Eleventh: Because the commis- sion law saves to the general .reve- nue and to the tax payers of the state at least $50,000 biennially. This by reason of the fact that the Corporation Commission is charged with the duties of the former Rail- road Commission and the duties of | Al | t.&kA