The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-05-02

The Farmer 004 the Railroads
The popular uprising Of the agri-
cultural class now going on an over
the Southern and Western States, is
phenomenal. Nothing like IL has
been witnessed before in the history
|of our country. The excitement
which accompanied the formation of
the Grange, or PatronsofH usbandry,
was mild in comparison with this,
1t lacked the intensity Of the present
movement; it was better natured,
men were not so much inearnest then
as now. They ran more to picnics
and passwords and sashes and
"sich." It was play; this is over.
Farming was more prosperous then
and the farmer did not take such q
grim view of things as is now forced
upon him. In other words, the pres
sure has increased. Money has been
rising in value and all other forms
of property have been sinking. The
defensive movement of the farm
ers, as one of onr magazines calls it,
is part of q general movement going
on all over the world. We read that
the young Emperor of Germany
is trying to perpetuate his Empire
by placing it in rapport with the
cause of German labor. The Car is
half crazy with fear Of the Nihilists !;
John Burns disturbs the sleep Of the
British capitalists, and Irish peasants
are striving to obtain the ownership
of the fields they till. What does it
all mean? Wealth Is squeezing pow
erty and intelligence is trying to de-
wise means whereby those who pro-
duce shall keep the fruit Of their own
toll. 1t is against all our ideas OF
justice that one man should work
while three men steal what he creates.
We cannot altogether stop the steal.
ing, bnt we can SO change the con-
ditions that the thieves will not take
everything.
The farmer says to the capitalist
II have got to have my crops hauled
to market or they are of no value to
me, and this steam traction, on iron
rails, is the very thing want. Now
if you will build me a railroad / will
agree that you shall charge me a
good rate of interest on the actual
cost of the road, and all expenses
and / will foot the bill cheerfully.'. -
agreed" says the capitalist. But
there is a third party to the trans
action; a sharp knaye with no money,
but lots of gall and cheek. He says
to the farmer: "Here I will look
after the details of all the work, you
can't possibly attend to them your.
SELF" And to the capitalist he says
"You don't want all the bother o.
buying up the right of way, ties
iron, etc. l will attend to that and
give you bonds on the road for what
you advance" "Allright," says the
capitalist, Ego ahead and pay your
self q reasonable compensation fol
your trouble" agreed" says the
farmer.
| Now the cunning go-between builds
the road for about $4,000 or $12
900 per mile, and then issues bonds
and stock upon it for $4,000
to 10000 per mile. He gives enough
of the bonds to cover the advance Of
the capitalist, and salts down the
rest in his breaches pocket. What
next? If the road had been bonded
and stocked for what it really cost
the rates of transportation would
have to be large enough to pay the in
terest on the sum ande expenses. But
as it is they are mortgaged for two OF
three or four times al much as they
should be-. That is to say, the farm
er on everything he buys and every
thing he sells, is compelled to pay
three or four times as much freight
as he should. If he sells wheat, bar
} ley, corn, oats or meat the price hi
gets is the price in the nearest largest
market by the transportation thither
If he buys groceries, dry-goods
hardware, machinery, ETC., the price
he pays is the price in the nearest
large market plus the transportation
thence. Every dollar therefore, take1
out of his pocket to pay interest OF
watered stock by increased cost .
!, transportation, leaves him that mucl
poorer. And as he buys or sells some
thing nearly every day, the leak is {
perpetual one. The candle burns a,