cured
its consideration and report to the Senate. No one paid any
particular attention to what I was doing until then. When the bill
was reported to the Senate, and I was pushing and urging and doing
everything in my power to secure its consideration, Senator Allison,
always my friend, always wanting to assist me in any way in his
power, came to me one day and said:

"Cullom, we know nothing about this question; we are groping in
the dark; and I believe that there ought to be a select committee
of the Senate appointed to investigate the question, to go out
among the people, take testimony, and find out what they know about
it,--what the experts know, what the railroad officials know, what
public opinion generally is, and report their conclusions to the
Senate at the beginning of the next session. I am willing to help
you secure the passage of a resolution with that end in view."

This was perfectly agreeable to me and, on March 17, 1885, a
resolution of the Senate, introduced by me, was adopted. This
resolution provided--

"That a select committee of five Senators be appointed to investigate
and report upon the subject of the regulation of the transportation
by railroad and water routes in connection or in competition with
said railroads of freights and passengers between the several
States, with authority to sit during the recess of Congress, and
with power to summon witnesses, and to do whatever is necessary
for a full examination of the subject, and report to the Senate on
or before the second Monday in December next. Said committee shall
have power to appoint a clerk and stenographer, and the expenses
of such investigation shall be paid from the appropriation for
expenses of inquiries and investigations ordered by the Senate."

The committee, of which I was made chairman, was appointed in due
course, my colleagues being Senator O. H. Platt, of Connecticut;
Senator Warner Miller, of New York; Senator Arthur Pugh Gorman, of
Maryland; and Senator Isham G. Harris, of Tennessee. Leaving out
any reference to myself, the selection was regarded as having been
most judicious and suitable.

And here let me digress to say a few words in reference to my
colleagues on that committee.

Senator Warner Miller was a strong man intellectually, and a good
business man. He had succeeded Senator T. C. Platt on March 4,
1881, and readily took his place in the Senate as one of its
influential members, although he served bu