The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-07-03

Our Railroads.
We have now had threo national
nominations, and there Is nt least ono
yet to come. In the platforms Of each Of
these already held there is denuncia-
ton Of the greed of railroad monopoly,
and demand for Government inter-
ference in behalf OF the people and popu-
lar rights. Tho convention yet to as
semble will do the same thing. Wo
neither undervalue nor overvalue this
action Of the political conventions. In
one respect we esteem 1t highly. Il
shows that our agitation Of this question
OF railroad management has not been
in vain, and that the political leaders
deem it prudent to give evidence that
they have heard the peoples voice and
to make n show Of willingness to con-
form to the peoples wishes. Further
than this the action OF these convcn-
tions upon this question means nothing
ut all. We place very little confidence
in platforms, whether it is an old or q
new political party that adopts them.
As a rule, they have proved barren
ideAlity. So far as Judging what
political party that has never been in
power might do if it got in, it is impos-
sible to do 30, except that the old
adage, that a new broom sweeps clean,
might be applicable for time. But ii
the power Of the new broom is to be
taken as an illustration in any case, it
does not take us far along the pathway
of hope, for the new broom will wear
out, and then will not sweep clean; and
the more it is used when it is new, tho
sooner it will be worn out. We place
very little more confidence. and in fact
no more, in the platform of new party
than we do in the platform Of an old
one. It may not be as disgusting as
tho platform Of an old party, because
the new party has no record to contrast
with its promises. There is nothing in
this world that will sooner disgust
thinking man with partisan politics
than to read platform denunciatory
of evils, and promising reform of evils
that may have grown up under the di-
rect encouragement and protection of
the party that adopts the platform. It
is not platforms that we want. It is
candidates whose lives are o guarantee
that they will pursue certain course
after they are elected that the people
are looking for. The people could
afford to vote for man like David
Davis If he stood upon thousand
platforms, each different from the 9TH
ers and antagonistic to the others, or ii
he stood upon no platform. No citizen
wishing the unity of the country could
vote for Jefferson Davis, even though
he piled the Declaration Of Inde-
pendence, the Constitution of the
United States, all of our laws and the
flag in pile together and stood on
them rs q platform. His life and his
words would contradict his false posi-
ton.
And who believes that the party
leaders mean to disturb the railroad
monopoly in its position of aristocracy
and steady march toward the contiscn-
tion Of our farms and the absolute ruin
of our great industries? The Congress
OF the United States, composed Of the
representatives of all parties, have per-
mitted the railroads of the United
States to be used by unscrupu-
lous men as an instrumental!ty
Of the boldest and most compre-
hensive system of robbery that any peo-
pie, civilized or savage, ever permitted.
There is not prominent road in the
country whose history is not record
of plumber, and whose existence is not
monument to rascality which, if dis
tributed among poorer and less intiuen-
tial lnen than railroad managers, would
be enough to send millions to the peni-
tentiary, and utterly destroy the last
vestige Of confidence in mankind. There
is not a prominent road in the country
that has not been wrecked by the pro-
fessional railroad burglar, and its own
ers pitched out into the streets and
roads to trudge through life on foot.
while the enriched plunderers roll by
them in elegant equipages that are sup
ported by other peoples money. At one
end Of every road that was ever built the
farmer and shipper are robbed as if by
thieves on the road Jericho, and Mt the
other end the consumer il tieeced with
the same cold Indifference to right and
tho golden rule. This high-handed out
rage has been going on for ut least q
quarter of century, and the people
have been begging for relief and JUS
tice. but their cry scarcely reaches tho
Congressional ear, except it be just be-
fore Presidential election. Then the
party leaders hear us, but grow deaf
again rs soon as the party election is
over. They are like the soldier politi-
clan who was describing the wound he
received in the war. and the sufferings
he endured. When he was through
i al
wound ever hurt you now?" "Oh.
Lord, no." he replied, "except every
four years when want to run for of
fice."
But the people are tired of these
empty promises. They are weary OF
this periodical return to the sense Of
hearing. The oppression of tho rail-
road monopoly is no sport to them.
The question Of compelling railroad
corporations to deal Justly by those
who support the roads. is question OF
life or death with the farmer. With all
our cheap lands and labor-saving
machinery the farming community
is making but about 3 per cent.
profit at best, and there are thousands
of us who are not making one red cent
in excess Of our expenses. We cannot
grow farm products and pay the freight
rates that are imposed, and make any.
thing, and the difficulty of making
farming profitable has been growing
greater with the years, until the thought
uppermost in the mind of every head
Of family is, what is to become of the
children that are to come after us? II
we alone were to suffer. or If the inius,
tice that We suffer was to be the extent
of the injustice inflicted upon our blood
We might consent to endure il. Blu,
the bare thought that the tendency
toward absolute, unrestrained absorp
tion of the wealth of this country b,
monopolies is greater and greater, and
that unless checked it must result il
the enslavement of the masses, il