The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-01-21

ISAuS uSSu lOI bH0 IIduS JOI GcSU4OA "a
the peoples produce or to further
commerce be used for profit? I hold,
sirs, they should not. The Erie Cen
tral has done more to make New
York city the metropolis of our coun-
try than any other line that can be
named. Tolls sufficient to pay expen-
ses should only be charged on railroad
lines. They should, like our public
roads, like our rivers, be kept in good
condition for transportation by the
people, for all the people, for their ad-
vantage and benefit. Transportation,
either of persons or freight on rail-
roads, should be as transportation of
mail matter, it should be done at cost
for the peoples good. The same OBJ
jects are in view having railroads that
are in view in having a public road.
Public good and their conUenGe'aces.
Then let them be build, operated and
used in the same way, only with this
modification, let the tax be in proper
ton to use, and let the tax be direct
RAILROAD METHODS
There are hundreds of short lines,
from % to $50 miles in length, that
have full set of officers and for their
names and supposed services they are
paid extravagantly. These short lines
are combined into systems over which
other sets of officers act with kingly
authority, and draw from the earn
ings of the roads a princely revenue,
and not unfrequently one wealthy
man is president of half dozen or
more of railroads and drawing pay
from all for services that could not be
rendered. ...
They are those who have special
trains, the right of way is always
theirs, and your passenger fare for 80
miles of travel is expended every time
champagne cork goes skyward.
Favors in the form eff passes and re-
bates hold to their service horde of
men without firm principles of right.
Towns are built up, others are dis
criminated against to enrich the
favored few, and without shadow of
right.
Railroads are not to-day what they
claimed they would be when as hum
bic suppiants they prayed the legisla-
lures to grant their charters. When
they we're chartered it was for the
public good they were to be the ser
wants of the people. To-day they are
for orjOate greed and are masters of us
all.
ATTORNEYS.
In the employ of the railroad there
are over 1000 lawyers, paid yearly,
and other thousands retained, and in
cases of great Importance, fees extra
are paid, from 10000 to 100000
dollars.
All this amounts to over twenty
five millions of dollars yearly, and
besides this the court charges All
this vast amount of treasure comes
out of the people. Had you ever
asked why railroads seem to be so
fond of litigation? If not just think
it over and you will see that you not
only pay your attorneys but that the
people also pays their attorneys as
we'll as their own. By charter many
of the railroads are limited to 6 or 8
per cent, and while they either water
stock openly or issue stock scrip, yet
they prefer to hire lawyers and lob
byists for their influence and to work
for them than to lower their rates of
freight so as to give the people relief.
Nor is this all. Many railroads were
built or newly rallied and equipped
when steel rails and engines cost
thrice what they do now, and though
the inner circle made fortunes by their
contracts, the railroads thus costing
in the aggregate about three times
what they could be duplicated for
now, yet we are made to pay rates to
cover cost to the stockholders. They
rob the people and enrich themselves
in another way.
Take railroad stocked at 10000
per mile, bonded for Is to 10000 dol
lars per mile. This new road has
rates made in favor of, and with the
main line with which it connects, so
that the new railroad is soon nearly
bankrupted, foreclosure is had, the
railroad is bought for a trife, and
then re-capitalaaed at still greater
value, but now annexed to system
and then pays per cent on the stock,
at many times the cost at~foreclosure.
Milionaires and paupers fallow this
method just as naturally as day sue
ceeds night.
With newspapers subsidized they
continue to increase their power until
they haveigrown to be giants and die
tate lines of policy to both Democratic
and Republican parties and railroads
and are now seeking to control the
judiciary of our country.
Our Supreme Court is burdened
with their cases and our only hope is
to chanue the nreSent law So as tn