The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-11-11
Combined Monopolies.

Combl.ed Monopolies.
I'VE copy the following from the Mar
shall County Times Of recent date and
commend 1t to the readers Of the CHRoN-
lcLE.]
1t has been repeatedly demonstrated
that competition between parallel lines
Of railroads h of short duration and the
weaker company is always driven into
IN arrangement of some kind, and the old
system Of plundering the public resumed
with increased avidity. A few months
since the Baltimore and Ohio r. X. Co.,
sci out with the most intense spasm OF
virtue to cut down rates, and proclaimed
10 tie world their championship OF
cheap transportation, and that they
were the especial friend OF the producer,
and could and would transport freight
At greatly reduced rates. Farmers and
shippers generally rallied to the support
of this company, and as a result their
earnings at the reduced rates charged
were greatly increased. This dc mon
strated the fact that cheaper rates Of
transportation was possible and remuner.
alive. We thought then that this un.
paralleled evidence of a soul in a rail-
road corporation was assumed. and that
some design was contemplated upon the
productive interest of the country, and
we were not far wide of the truth in our
surnlise.
1t is reported that at a recent meeting
of the railroad kings in New York, Tom
Scott the Pa. Central King, said he was
authorized to speak for his friend Gar
rett, President Of the B. & O. Co.
At this meeting it was agreed that all
fast lines should Re discontinued and
ruled out as fast as their contracts ex-
pired, and freights were advanced from
Is and 80 cents per hundred pounds on
fourth class from Chicago to New York
to 40 to so cents; SO Of grain. With
water competition the freight has been
- low as Is cents per bushel from Chica-
70 to New York, now SO cents is to be
charged as soon as navigation closes,
with . probability of its being pushed
still higher before spring, in case the Peo-
Die do not rise in revolution and coerce
them.
At this rate every farmer who raises
anything to transport is taxed, he pays
q direct tax, over and above reasonable
transportation rates, of 81 cents per
bushel to these triumvirate kings, Van
derbilt, Scott, and Garrett, the combined
autocrats. This power to tax at will the
productive industry of the country Is
more despotic than the act of any crown
ed head in the world. In fact there is no
government, no matter o despotic, that
could tax its subjects 81 cents per bushel
on wheat, and other products in proper
ton, and survive the attempt. Yetthese
autocrats can do it at their will and hold
the tiller of the soil as their ~vassals, and
this is q free country; a little too free,
and it is altogether unbearable and out
rsgeous.
The Farmer who has 1000 bushels of
wheat to sell will pay lis a bonus to the
three kings $4,000. Most of our farmers
in this county will pay as much as $500
tax in this way. Assuming there are
1000 farmers in this county and they pay
on an average 5000 each, the aggregate
amount paid by Marshall County farmers
to the three kings as a bonus on their
products for the year amounts to the
o sum of $500, 900, 90. The tax
that we will pay in this way on what lit
tie farming we do, will amount to $3OO
and we feel like it was the worst kind
of extortion, and anything but what
ought to be permitted under any kind of
a government. 1t is certainly an assump-
tin of power under the form of law that
is contrary to the genius of our institu'
tons; and ought to be corrected at once.
No monopoly ought to have the right
to tax the people at their will and estab-
fish a monied aristoeracy, little less ty-
rannical and lordly than the royal digni-
taries of an empire. As we have a Ma
tional Government the productive inter-
ests of the country should unite in de-
handing such legislation as will protect
them from the merciless rapacity OF soul
less monoplies. To insure such legisla-
ton, farmers, who have a vital interest
in such legislation, should be sent to Con
gress,-men who cannot be bought up
or owned, and whose personal interest
would hold them steadily to the
work of legislating for the control of mo
nopolics. We are proud of our farmer
Congressman who labored SO effectively
and persistently during the last Congress
to secure the passage of a bill through
the lower house controlling the rates OF
freight on all through lines of road. MIR.
Wilson did more in this direction than
n other member, and alone the only
farmer member in that body of dignita-
RIGS, fought their battles like a hero.
THIS bill failed to pass the Senate and
must therefore be fought over the COM
ing session, and possibly for several ones,
the Democracy who are opposed to
Government Control have a majority in
the lower house. We would keep this
gaalant farmer Congressman in the halls
Of legislation until this great battle be-
tween %monopolies and the people is
out and the latter are triumphant.
Our district in electing and returning
q farmer to Congress has set ar example
other districts in the State would do well
to initiate. and we think the farmers of
this district who are grooming under the
oppressive exactions Of the three kings
will subscribe t o our views. Farmers of
The West, buckle on your anti-monopoly
and 50 into the fight with a &C.
to win. In this stage of the
war it will not do to trust those who have
not a common interest with us. No
scaly, Shiny politician can be trused, no
what the profession he makes,
lis interest is antagonistic to ours. Farm
ers, ponder this subject.
/
The Theistic Conception of the World.