The advocate., 1891-12-09
RAILROAD LEGISLATTON.
rHE ADVOCATE.


sas had joined forces 20 defeat the Peo-
ple's party. Here is the evidence from a
Republican stand point. See clippings
from the Hutchison Daily NescS of No
vember IA, 1891:
Everything seems to be COnspiriDg to
crush the Alliance movement and similar
demagogy in the western states. The abund-
ant crops this year fall like fearful blight
upon the budding hopes of the prophets of
calamity. And in their foolish warfare on
the railroads the western demagogues are
finding that they have anew and formidable
factor with which to reckon. 1t is the vote
the railroad men.
It is only lately that the railroad en-
ployes have combined for self protection
against ''granger" legislation that harms
them by making railroad property unprOfit-
able, but they seem to be doing their work
effectively. The Iowa Republicans were un-
wise enough to renominate for railroad
commissioner a man who is characterized
by the employees organ as "the most con-
spicuOusly Objectionable anti-railroad dema-
gogue aspiring for election" and the rail-
road mems organizations are said to have
been instrumental in securing his defeat.
AS rule, however, the railway men have
directed their efforts against the Alliance
and Democratic candidates, and in Mime
sofa they are credited with materially assist
ing in the election of Republican state
officers. It is the Alliance or third party
that is made most keenly to feel the railway
mems hostility.
It is not known that the employees have
taken their present action under any pres
sure from the railway managers. 1t is not
known that the managers have ever given
their men so much as hint in this direc-
ton. They are simply exercising the free
American citizens prerogative of looking
out for themselves, and protecting their own
and their employers interests against the
demagogues who would assail them. New
England stockholders in western railroads
will be pleased to hear of the efforts the
railway mems organizations are making.
Heretofore, the corporations, however just
they might be in their dealings with the
people, have been considered practically de-
fenseless against granger" attacks
Boston Journal.
While we do not entirely endorse the
sentiments of this article, it is Of value to
Kansas inasmuch as it conveys further in
telligence as to the way eastern people re-
gard sky-rooket legislation which threatens
the value of great interests. The west being
borrowers as a class and as a section cannot
afford to do things which unsettle laws and
customs to such an extent as to destroy con-
fdence. The sooner it is understood that
Kansas is for all the people of Kansas, and
neither for nor against any large class of
people engaged in legitimate business, the
better it will be for Kansas. Railroads
should be properly restrained by law from
doing injustice, but Kansas railroads are
too large and important an interest in the
state to destroy or to threaten destruction.
The people of Kansas have no disposition to
decrease the value of railroad securities,
but the Journal article indicates that east
ern people have not so regarded it for the
last couple of years. The railroad en-
ployes of this state cast 10000 votes, and
are class of men who can see where their
interests lie and will stand by them as
matter of course. The interests of classes
are so divided now in this state that no in
terest will suffer or be neglected. Each is
loyal to the other and all loyal to Kansas
Hutchinson News.
If the above means anything, it means
that the railroad magnates of the east
and Europe have found new force by
means Of which they expect to bleed the
producing classes of the west for all time
to come. They have made the railroad
employees believe that a reduction Of
freights necessarily means reductionn
of their wages.
This apparently places the railroad