The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1873-10-09
THE FARMERS AND THE RAIL.
ROADS.

Ss0 AaSss~S NXSVAG ~ WILL
THE FARMERS AND THE RAIL.
ROADS.
The political editor of the Atlantic
Konthly, In the October number oil
that magazine, argues the case of "Th<
Changes against the R.ilroads," FROM
the railroad point Of view, aud does il
in . manner that displ.ys how ex.
trsmsly superficial ia his knowledge Of
tho facts in the case, and especially Of
the grievances of tho farmers. ae do.
olsres at tho outstart that tho Western
farmer, $50 far from representing the
sacred cause Of oppressed l.bor," is e.
capitalist" and livery far from being .
yosmau" 10 "in fact very much nearer
being . specul.tor;" and is - borrow.
OF quite q much Is arc tho Western rail.
roads," aud therefore no more de-.
serving o.. the Irrational sympathy that
10 msnifessing itself than are tho rail.
roads. To attempt to advance toward
. true conclusion from statements such
- thss would be As though this writer,
starting from Boston for Minnesota,
should ct bis face toward tho Atlantic
ocean. The farmers Of Minnesota, With
rae exceptions, arc neither capitalists
nor spectators, and are borrowers
Only . their necessities may compel
then 70 become such 10 order to gain
the asst fooshold in making the land
yield them . livelihood. Railroads Dor.
row for purposes Of speculation farm
en FOR tho purpose Of securing the
nsssssarie.. Of life. The two cases are
in no wise parallel. The farmer who
comes to the West, whether from tho
East o. from the Old World, usually
possesses little other capital than his
two hands, . stout heart, and . dstsr.
minaiion 10 make = home for himself
and family in = country promising :
better future than the one be left
Sometimes be has . few dollars or .
few hundred, which 90 only part way
toward building his house and buying
his oxen and plows. After working
steadily and hopefully for some years,
be they few Or many, be finds himself
With more wheat than he needs for bis
own laad, and it is then, if At oil, that
he becomes . "cspitalist and specula.
tor," and Is such, according 10 this
writer, deserving of no sympathy be.
cause Of tho exaotions Of railroads
which charge for carrying his wheat to
market more than half ~ much ~ ho
receives for it. To escape being cap.
itslist he must produce only IS much IS
bis present actual necessities require
but if he insists upon doing otherwise,
he must not complain if other
capitalists, stronger than be, rob him
Of . large part Of his acoumulstioDs. -
If such narrow views as these should
prsvail, how many thousands of years
would have to pass before the great
Wet vsuld be developed aud msde
10 yield to the general prosperity of the
nation
But, says this magazine statesman,
If the producer does not like tho rates
Of transportation, If he thinks them |
TOO high, he need not ship! Here
again the writer shows how little be
knows OF the condition Of Western
farmers. They arc compelled 70 ship, |
bs the rates reasonable OK unreasonable.
They must convert their produes into
money, aud 70 do this they must use
tho railroads. And right here 10 where
tho farmers make their just complaint :
That, compelled by necessity, to use
the railroads, they are, in the present
condition Of Affairs, wholly 1t the msr-
ey Of these soullsss corporations, which
do not hssitate 70 oppress and rob them.
Thy OK relief from Congress and the
Ssb 1sgislaturss-a relief which
thsss bediss have clearly tho. right to
afford: The farmer il not 10 be de-
.isl tAh because "he 10 not bound to
biz fsrn BY strong local affection and
old szaditiopal feeling" 1t IL not
question Of sentiment, but = question
Of dsllan and cents, and justice and
fir play. Congress does interfere tn
protect and strengthen "a Lowell mill
OF Pennsylvania oo.i or iron mine,"
to which this writer refers, by tariff
without which their productions would
be extremely Insignificant; and it can
With equal right interfere to relieve the
farmers from the exaotious of the rail.
roads. Tho sneers at the demands Of
farmers, With which this article
.bounds, come With i'll grace from the
representative magazine Of people who
owe their wealth more to Copgressiou.
ii favor than to any other one thing.
Tho writer is again weak when he
claims that because no complaints have
besp made concerning unjust passsn.
ger fares, no complaint should be made
concerning unjust rates Of freight. It
is not true, ~ no assumes, that the
heavy passenger fares in the West have
been endured without protest, but a
they are matter of much less impor'
,a,ce than is that of the tariff Of rates
on produce the people have made no
demand for relief. The OCCASIONS are
...> chan Ga,,nor nsnnnt avni6