The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-12-27

Railroads had made profitable agri-
culture possible in the new States, but
they and the elevators and commission
merchants took about all the profits.
They divided on haul into three parts.
adding expense at every change. For
example, grain or other farm produce
shipped from any point in Kansas to
New York. was billed to "Nissouri
River point"-Kansas City, say-.thence
to Chicago, and from there to New
York different freight rate ruling be.
tween two points, and the farmer pay
ing tribute twice on the way, thus re-
d icing his roft 10 nominal figure.
And the power of the railroads to en-
free the rule Of exactino call the traf.
&c will bear" was absolute. A case in
point was thus treated in the Kansas
Farmer of July 26, 1882:
"Kansas is the victim Of proposed
robbery, whose extent is appalling.
Our tal mers had 1900 900 acreas Il
and in wheat this year, aud from every
county CONES up the report Of 20, %
SO, 40, even so, bushels per acre, of the
best wheat ever raised. Let US put tie
general average at %, and that is only
little better than it was in 1873. when
the average was 81. That gives Us
30 COD coo bushels fer our entire crop
Ten cents bushel on this is eqeal to
$4,000 Geo; and that is precisely tie
sum ot which eastern railroad com
panies propose to rob the farmers Of
Kansas. 1t has been determined by
the South western Railway Association,
which includes all the roads leading
from Chicago to Kansas City, Leazen-
worth, Atchison, and St. Joseph, to
raise the freight on wheat, after Aug. -,
) cents Per l00 lbs. from all Missouri
River points, making the total charge
30 cents. The eastern reads have
united in the advance, jumping up to
y cents from Chicago to the eastern
markets 30 and q are 81 This
does not include any elevator charges
nr re handling it is freight simply, and
charged by the railroad companies.
Neither does it include the cost of talk
ing the wheat from the farms to Kansas
City. We pronounce this most gl-
gantic robbery, proposed theft of
millions Of dollars from men who have
suffered untold hardshps in opening ~
new farms in aew country. With all
the disadvantages of settlement in a
new region, ignorance Of climatic COLI
dltions. insect ravages, spoliation Of
sharpers and political villains. the KIN,
sas farmer has had hard time. Now,
when the darkness beings to give way,
and the cheering prospect OF better
times dawns upon him, here come the
kid gloved autocrats of the railway and
dip ou' of his bins so per cent Of his
garnered crops Can language describe
the enor.nity of this outrage? I; is
wonderful that the Indignation of the
people should develop into powerful
organizations to resist the infamy? This
is not all Of it. The grain gamblers are
in the pool. They have large contracts
TO fill in Au,u st and September, and
by giving notice that freights will be
raised August immense quantities Of
wheat Will be buried in to save the
rise, the market will. be glu'ied, prices
will drop to a nominal figure. and these
swindle5s will grow fat ON their pur,
chases."
While railroad companies carried off
farm products and brought lack sup
plies, chars ng their own rates for lie
service. banks and money changers lent
money to the farmers at rates OF inter.
est far atove legal rates and higher
than any industry could afford long to
pay-40 per cent, often still higher. al /
along through dozen years after the
war. Vast amounts of money were
used by the settlers, and while the
ever lasted hope stood for the differ ,nce
between reason and practice. The
monetary system of the country, like
the railroad system, had been one sided,
one party in interest controlling all
charges for use; and there was NJ
available remedy. With the fall in
values OF products generally, the value
IF dollar 10 debt grew correspondingly
higher, and salerles and public taxes
increased every year. The market
value Of everything but dollars, bonds,
ind mortgages had fallen. Municipal
and private Indebtedness, for which
counties. townships, school districts,
and farms were mor:gaged, was incur
red at time when farm products were
much higher than they have been
since. One dollar of debt then, is two
dollars now. to the man who has to pay
it with products that have deprecated
fifty per cent 10 value.
Add to these things the vast power
of combination amorg stock aud grain
dealers and meat packers, beginning at
Chicago, whereby prices Of farm pro-
ducts were regulated, and you have the
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