The historic times., 1891-11-14

second Day OF the National Farmers Con-
gress-Congressman Heard's Talk on
Government Ownership of Railroads
Recommendation of the Congress-

EFRRM-COnETE4SmAn I
Government Ownership of Railroads.
Recommendations of the Congress.
SEDALIA, Mo-, Nov. 12-The national
farmers congress was late in assem-
bling yesterday morning and it was IL.
o'clock before Vice-President Smith
let the corncob gavel drop calling the
session to order.
The following resolutions were intro
duced and referred: By John Church,
of Colorado, urging congress to cede
arid lands in the various states to pro-
vide the states with systems of irriga-
ton; by NJ B. w. Harman, of Missouri
urging the extension of the signal and
crop report of the department of agri-
culture; by Tirgie Mackay, of Kansas,
providing that the ear of corn used by
the chairman as a gavel be sent to the
worlds fair for exhibition; by G. w.
Swing, of Colorado, urging national
system of irrigation.
Congressman John T. Heard, of the
Sixth Missouri congressional district
delivered an address On railway trans
portation. This, he said, was a subject
. of supreme Importance to the farmer.
| One of the solutions of this vexed ques-
ton was to be found In state railway
commissions Missouri had been among
the first of the states to deal with the
question in that way and Missouris ex.
perience showed that the method had
| been a success. Another method OF
controlling railway corporations in
the interests of the people was through
a national railway commission.
| Some professed, Mr.. Heard said, to
believe the railroads should be placed
under government management Gov
ernment railroading, he believed, would
be gigantic failure. In the first place
the government would have to buy the
railroads and that would cost $40, 0O0,-
600, O00 That would be an nimpossibility.
practically, because there was in circu-
lation only 81, 500 900, 000 The purchase
of the railroads would necessitate in
curing debt of gigantic proportions
and he did not believe the farmers or
anyone else wanted to go down into
their pockets any pay any more debts
than they were now paying. Another
great objection to government railway
control was the increase in federal Of
ficeholders which it would necessitate.
Fl. C. Brown, of Georgia, indorsed
everything that Mr.. Heard had said.
Georgia, he said, had tried state owner
ship of railways. Georgia owned the
Western &c Atlantic railway. Under
state control the rates were high, the
service was bad and the deficits were
extraordinary.
Hon. Martin Mohler, secretary of the
Kansas state board of agriculture, read
q paper on ''The Race Under Conditions
of High Civilization" He discussed the
question whether high state of civili'
zation tended to increase or decrease
the happiness of mankind. He took
the optimistic view of the question, and
concluded the higher civilization the
greater the happiness of the race.
At the afternoon session the commit
tee on resolutions presented the follow
ing preamble and resolution which
were adopted:
Wh-reas, The government of the Unitec
States has established as Il cabinet office {
secretaryshp of agriculture, which action
we heartily approve: and
Whereas, The Hon. j. NJ. Rusk occupies
that distinguished position in the presen
J |
cautious and Gilizent In consulting the bes
| interests of the farmers therefore be it
Resolved, That he is entitled to and hai
the approval and thanks of this, the elev-
enth annual session OF the national farmers
congress of the United States in convention
assembled in the city of sedalia, Mo-
The committee also submitted II
formal report through its chairman
Col. Daniel Needham, of Boston, ans
it was read bv Capt ID. s. Pierce, o
Georgia 1t recommended the adoption
of resolutions pledging the organiza
: ton to maintain its non-partisan char
acter; requesting the national congress
to improve the river and harbo
of Savannah, Ga; demanding tn
: passage of laws distributing equall
, | unon all classes the burdens OF taxa
S ton; declaring that the public domai
r should be reserved for the settlemen
t of citizens of the United States to th
exclusion of foreigners; dcclal
, ing that national taxation shoul
T be limited to the wants {
{ the government economically an
? honestly administered requesting th
| secretary of agriculture to increase tn
| number of representatives in foreig
countries to push the work Of introdu'
: inr American corn as food, believin
: that the marked success in that dire
r ton attained already was warrant II
0 such request, and requesting congrei
e to appropriate sufficient money TO cove
= the expense Of this increased represeI
+ tation abroad; demanding the syst
:, matte and thorough improvement
c the federal government of waterwa!
e and harbors of the United States n
i requesting the extension Of the free d
y livery of mails among the farmers
! The resolutions were considered 5
e riatin and were all adopted with u
exception of one requesting the feder
- government to aid the states in the irr
a CATION of arid lands, which the CO
:. gress struck from the report By 70
~ of ~ to IFS
= The resolution asking congress to il
=. prove the harbor at Savannah, Ga, "
- loudly applauded and unanimous
"a adopted, as was also that demandii
= the election OF the president and vic
"a president of the United States senate
,e by popular vote
nS1 -z-~s.s~a o~~ Nrmw~a rwnsn xe,