Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1892-04-27
.eu enp1oges or rallroads?

iioiH d SidVe, Hellner a WOrk1nRman nor
his heirs having claim against a rail.
road corp ration for damages, have
any more standing in court than an
African slave in ''old plantation times"
The courts show them no considera-
ton whatever, provided it is shown
that he was MANNED or killed by the
negligence or ignorance OF co-em-
ploye, though III the employment of
the co-emp oye he had no more voice
than a man who died before the fl ,od
and the corporation is usually pre-
pared to show that a co-employe was
the cause of the injury.
In one or two states, perhaps, the in
fanny has been wiped out Why not L
every state? Simply because the
corporation has demanded that it
should stand.
The corporation is always on hand
when legislature meets. It's agents
fad out who arr the base born, de-
generat4 creatures who represent
themselves; tley fad out the price of
those men VINO are known t. be "ior
rent" or ''for sale, and paying the r
price, own them.
Some of them sell cheap. others de-
mand round sums, but the average is
never large and the political mendi-
cants are easily fixed, and in ninety
nine cases out of hundred the railroad
emyloye is compelled to accept de-
feat.
All of this leads to the inquiry:
What are the railroad employees going
to do about it? Will they accept de-
feat forever and a day? Are they so
welded to their chains that they will
never make a freeman's effort to
break them?
The old parties, call them by what
name we may, have been tried, and
their promises have been broken as
often as they have been made The
corporation has won IN nearly every IL
stance Is it worth while to trust them
further? Does not every consideration
of justice, right, truth, independence
and the supreme Importance of the in
terests at stake, demand a change of
policy?
There has come to the front within a
recent period a new party, as we have
said-the peoples party. 1t proposes
certain reforms, some of which, at
least, are of character that command
widespread approval
We are not required to print the plat
form of the peoples part, nor to in
dorse all of the propositions it contains.
We are not required to so much as sug-
| gest that all railroad employees should
become identified with and active work
| ers in the peoples party: but the ques-
ton arises, wherein does :e peoples
| party antagonize any demands of rail-
road employees? In what plank of its
platform is to be found hostility to the
interests of labor?
In response, it will doubtless be said
in some quarters that the peoples party
has evinced hostility to railroads, and
because of this 4lft:vIt tdiiaes, the in
terests of railroad employees are jeop-
ardized.
The question arises in what is the
peoples party unfriendly to railroads?
In discussing such prop osition let us
be frank
Inc peoples party expresses the
opinion that the water in railroad
stock should be squeezed out: that
railroads should do business on hooest
investments and not upon q basis of
fraud, and that they can afford 70 so
reduce rates of transh hortation for per.
sons and freights as to make them
what they were designed to b. . bless
Ing bn AZ
.4Ie country
Railroad corporations at once set
about to defeat such legislation, and at
this juncture comes into view stragetic
movements on the part of railroad cor
porations of astounding audacity.
In the first place, the corporations
say to the states: '1f you reduce rates
we will reduce the number of trains :"
This reduction of the number of trains
is to operate in the way of a penalty
upon the sovereignty Of the people,
the sovereignty by virtue of which the
corporation exists.
In the next place, the corporation
prepares petitions to be presented to
legislatures, requiring their employees
to sign them, under a threat, direct or
implied, that their wages depend upon
their compii ance.
In addition to this, the corporation,
| having immense facilities at hand, send
forth their henchmen to organize tAeir
employees into clubs for the express
purpose of antagonizing the farmers.
tue Farmers Alliance and the pc ,ple s
party, to the extent that such legisla-
ton as the farmers demand shat not
be had.
In view of these strategic movements
how stands the case with railroai en-
ployes " no demand, aud ought t. have,
certain important laws enacted for
their protectio !?
II railroad employees antagonize the
farmers, waat more natural than tn t
the farmers should recipro ;ase this
hostility? Throughout the mid ile,
southern AMI western states tn, facm-
ers, il II itei, viii dictate leg. ,la.iJa
That ey will unite is logica c3n-
ciu.i3a. bscause every where c.g il-
tere2 Is are practically identica
II Is, u-g,i By me that the pol cv
mapped oat by the farmers is i.nordc-
ticaD,e thai they are the victims ,.f
vagarics Bat is it not said in csrsain
quarters that worS ngmsn are 't4e
enemies of capital?' and tha. whea
they strike for tncir rights or agaitis /
wrong, that they become the i. ..ies
Of society All constitute a dan re-ou
slement?' and ar. Mt cor oo~at; IS
:easeiessly devisiag &c le nes by ,yhlca
e f=>,..-i
they hope to aisrapt and destroy labor
organizations?
Bat such discussions are foreiga tr
the purpose of this arti lie, and, return
ing from any seeming depression, we
ask, what are the advantages railroaj
employees expect to gain by antag ,niz
ing the farmers or the Farmers Ali
ance.
is it believed If railroad employe.
succeed in defeating the farmers thai
the corporation will aid them in crush
ing out the Pinkerton infamy? ID,
railroad employees. those engaged il
the train service, so much as dream
that the corporation will, when tn,
farmers are defeated, demand Of Iegis
tatures that the co-employe iniqnit,
shall done away with?