Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1895-08-09
Penney. and Peach Growers.

lfel2uJ ItJSb WHICH are Cuaf8eU bHeu
by the railroad company" 0fcours'
that means by the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company. This complaint
is heard every year during the peact
season, but yet every other year two
months after the peach season is
over One-half of the peach growers
in Delaware at least, vote for the
high rates, that is, for the party thai
is backing the railroad company in
this State for anything it wants OF
does. If all the peach growers in the
State voted with the majority party
of New Castle county a check could
be put upon the Pennsylvania Rail.
road Company which would be pro.
ductive of lower freight rates on the
one hand and fewer railroad passes
on the other. Delaware is IN control
of the Pennsylvania Railroad Com
pany. That corporation has con-
trolled every legislature and conse.
quertly all legislation for twenty
years at least. The Democratic
party of the State is led by one OF
the railroads leading counsel and it
has been manipulated for fifteen
years or more by the railroads lead
ing lobbyist. New Jersey and Del
aware are absolutely under the Penn
sylvania's domination and in both
States the efforts of the Company
have been in behalf of the Demo
cratic party. New Jersey having
a free ballot was liberated from the
hands of the Democratic spoilsmen
by a quickened public opinion, but
in Delaware public opinion has no
chance to make itself felt. But the
change in New Jersey did not affect
the power and influence of the rail
road corporation. In Delaware, the
partial change of 1894 made some
difference to the railroad company,
but when its agents of both political
parties failed to secure the Senator
ship for the railroad, they proved
themselves at least strong enough to
prevent the election of Republican
Senator by a title unquestioned
The Pennsylvania Railroad to-day
controls United STATES Senator Gray,
Governor Watson, Speaker Richards
of the State Senate, and at least four
other members of the Senate. The
Chancellor of the State is in the
same employ, and the outgoing Dem
ocratic member of Congress is the
leading lobbyist of the corporation.
A free man and a Republican wQp11 |!
be Governor Off fBa eatWWare to-day ers !
had not been lying and fjolishing be
ence. Samuel Alricns SodIU-ih isiF /
been chosen Speaker of the Senate
last January if Senator Pierce, ofMil-
ford, had not been pledged through !
railroad influence to vote for Sena-
tor Watson, Democrat. There was
one Democratic Senator in that body
who was "readY to vote for any Re
publican" Pierce, himself, could
have been elected speaker. After
Watson became Governor, a free
man, either a Democrat or Repub-
lican, could have been elected
speaker, but again the power of the
railroad forced the election of Sena-
tor Richards. In these contests pol
itics had no weight, whatever The
railroad controlled and gave orders.
In the House the railroad has less
power. 1t controlled however, every
Democrat, but one, in that body, and
it had a mortgage on at least two of
the Republican members. A trial {
of strength was had in the committee
when the Baltimore capitalists asked
for their charter for the railroad to
Lewes, The project was delayed
for weeks, although from the first it
was sure of the Republican members
for New Castle and Sussex counties. {
1t finally passed the Senate, but only {
after the two Senators from Milford, {
one, an alleged Republican, and the I
other, an alleged Democrat, were f
given to understand that if they t
voted against it,they need never ask z
for public favor or honor again in t
that community. 1t was the one
instance in twenty years Il
where public opinion compelled leg I:
slators to vote against their wishes !
Ind against their master. Public i
opinion would have been helpless, [,
wen in that solitary case, if the pro- L
ected road had promised more COM n
petition than it did to the Pennsyl-
'ania Company. The new railroad
will carry very few peaches to Bal y
imore. Peaches are not carried y
'ver the lines OF latitude, but over the y y
ines of longitude .
The peach growers will squeal i
nd squirm but in November, 1896, ~
ne-half of them at least will work u
nd vote for ticket nominated by 81
he Pennsylvania Company's lobby
5ts and will if possible continue at
lover the same Pennsylvania adj p'
which is there now. DC
hey deserve to be fleeced out of
II their profits by excessive freight
ates, for they have neither the cour-
ge nor the independence to free of
iemselves from the yoke of the rail on
BAD. The root of all such power a
ad such freedom is in the legisla- ref
Ire. There are but two Democrats III,
the Legislature Of to-day that are ke
Of owned in fee simple by the rail IN,
lad and its powerful agents. To hi
lem must be added the Democratic w
nited States Senator ,ex-member Of ~
ongress, the Chancellor, nearly -, 81,
Iery Democratic politician Of note ~, nsl
Kent and Sussex, and every Dem "a
ratio newspaper in the State, ex TOT
pt one. The whole outfit is equip yer
d with passes and any of them can zee
lie free over the United States, If gal
can raise money enough to buy has
e necessary sandwiches and whis- traI
Y for such an extended trip. In YOU