The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1892-12-29


and upon the total grain grown this year,
including wheat, oats, rye. barley. flax and
corn. these overcharges would reach the
Q iormous sum Of over twelve millions Of
dollars sum as large as q e total taxes
Of the entire stat including state.
county, township and municipal tax
alton.
he above estimate does not include
the live stock of the state labout five mil
lion head.) nor does it include sorg UNI.
broom corn, potatoes and other cOmn,o-
dities. Neither does il include any ship
meuts OF merchandise Of any charart z
shipped into the state. Ii is clearly not
AN exaggeration Ia say that the citizens
Of the state are annually robbed %
twenty five millions Of dollars, and when
1t is remembered that this sum is not the
sun paid Tor the transportation Of mer-
chandise, but 10 a sum in ercess Of trhdt
10 should be, and ia ercess OF rhat
the citizens Of other states are paying
for like ssrrice, the enormity Of the rob
berry becomes apparent.
On the other hand, the people OF the
state have been liberal TO fault with
the railroad companies and have voted
bonds 10 an enormous amount % aid in
their construction and equipment. II
would appear that the railroads them
selves would recognize the injustice of
their present tariffs and adjust them TO
more equitable basis. bat the facts are.
appeal after appeal has been made by the
various shipping interests 81 the state
in vain. and even the authority
Of the State Board % Railroad Com mis-
sioners and the laws 10 the state have
been deiied, as was evidenced by the re
cent effort of the interior jObbers of Kan
sas for relief.
The drain of this enormous siam 81
money, twenty-five millions Of dollars
annually. upon the recources Of the citl-
zens Of the state. takes from them the
profits ~ their labor and has unquestion-
ably materially retarded the growth 81
the state and the prosperity 81 her indi-
vidual citizens. Were IL not for the
magnificent prclucti,eness 81 her soil
and the energy and progressiveness 81 her
citizens. the state undoubtedly could not
~ long have borne this enormous draft
upon her resources. and this is no doubt
a prime cause why the state has not
rs rapidly recovered from the financial
depression VI three years ago as her Sis
ter statee.
So long as the results Of the labor ~
the citizens 81 the state are taken from
them, and 30 long as all her interests and
industries are 80 crippled, the state can
not take her proper rank among her sis
tiers Of the Union.
The old cry that has been worn thread
bare will he raised again by the railroads
and the Missouri River interests in iusti-
fication Of these outrageous rates that
they are caused by the limited popula-
ton and the small volume Of business in
Kansas. This IL contradicted by the re
ports OF the Auditor and Secretary u the
state, which show that no state furnish.
49, the railroad companies as large ton
mage uf agricultural products a. the state
OF Kansas, and at times the people have
suffered serious Inconvenience and loss
from the inability of the railroad com
panies To furnish sufficient cars To handle
the large volume 81 business There IL
no state in the Union that has been
more liberal in voting bonds To aid in the
construction and equipment Of railroads
and statistics show that there is no state
IN the Union where railroads can he con
structed, kept in repair and operated with
as little expense as IN the state Of Kansas,
and where there il as little money paid
out by the railroads for the loss Of life and
property by accidents.
The same methods and arguments
were used Few years ago by Chicago
and the railroad companies when the
people Of Iowa were struggling to free
themselves from the same oppression
and unjust discrimination Of rates. Al
though there IL no comparison between
the determinations that Iowa suffered
and those that Kansas il now suffering,
yet the people organized and 10y system
attic and hard work freed themselves
from the iron grip In which she had
been forced. Time has proved that the
laws and measures that were passed by
the state legislature to force the rail
roads Ia do Justice To the state have
worked no injustice 10 Chicago, nor the
railroads, but, on the contrary, Chicago
has been benefited, the railroad earnings
and dividends have increased on account
~ the large and increased business that
the state 81 Iowa has been able Ia turn
over Ia them by reason Of her rapid and
unprecedented prosperity since her
emancipation from her unfortunate con
dition.
Two years ago in this state this same
question was made nm issue in the legis
lature and there were members who Ia
bored hard Tor the passage IL some meas
ure that would relieve the people Not
withdrawing the urgent necessity for
such Legislation, those members stood
alone in the fight, unaided by single
citizen representing the districts that
we're injured 10y this oppression. while
the opposing forces we're well organized.
with men and Hobbies ever present to
dog the footsteps 81 the membersof both
house and senate. The result was that
no relief was obtained and the Few faith
ful members, who we're working i'm Ia.
interests ~ their constituents, went
down in the unequal contest. The same
thing will occur again this session, not
withstnnding the fact that every mem
her II the house and senate has been
elected upon platform declaring for
spccinl legislation upon this question,
unless the people throughout the state
take immediate steps for Thorough aud
Systematic orgaizntion let the people
- all parties demand that the pledges
made 10y their representatives on this
question bc redeemed this winter. and
not only demand, but 20 Ia Topeka aud
all and encourage them, ia every posi-
bile way.
II the people II Kansas will become
aroused, organize IN every county in
the state and select their best, ablest
and most conservative men men who
represent the varied interest 81 their sec
tons, send them Ia Topeka this winter
Ia work hand in hand with their repre-.
sentntivca. aided by the best legal talent