Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1896-01-30
The Corn Rate outrage.

From letters received in the last weel
the feeling is very general all ovel
the state that the despotic power Of
the freight agents was never more i'm
pudently exercised in the interest Of
few roads. at the cost Of the pro-
Queer II is just this sort OF tyranny,
this indifference to public rights, this
greed for "all the traffic will bear''
that leads to agitation and often to
foolish legislation, demoralIzing to
business, it may be, but not less dam
aging to the roads than to the public.
From their experience in the past in
Iowa and other states, as well as Kan
sas, it would seem that the freight
agents would have learned that they
can trespass too far on the patience Of
the people and that for the interest OF
their roads it is the part Of wisdom to
show some consideration for the pub
lie welfare.
The Capital has never been q ca
lamity bowler, but we believe that
the press of the state can do a service
to the great farming interest upon
which the prosperity Of every citizen
in Kansas depends, by making uni
ted protest gainst this injustice from
the railroad combine. 1t means, 80
long as it is IN force, a loss on every
bushel Of corn sold, and that means
great deal to Kansas. 1t is not
claimed by the railroads that it costs
more than % cents to ship 100 pounds
OF corn to Galveston, but simply on
the ground that it costs more to ship
to New York, the roads to Galveston
have advanced their rate, practically
adding 700 miles to the haul, which
the farmer is compelled to pay. In
such plain case Of robbery as this
it IS too slow o process to wait for &C.
tion by the Interstate commerce COM
mission, even il justice could be OBJ
tanned from that tribunal, and the
shortest way to bring the freight
agents to terms, is to make them feel
the indignation Of the people. We
trust that the newspapers of Kansas
from one end of the state to the other
will support the farmers and ship
pers in this emergency and arouse
the sentiment Of the. state. The best
protection the people have against
such injustice is to show that they
can not be trifed with. They have
the remedy in their own hands, in
Congress and their own Legislatures
and boards of railroad commissioners,
and they are not without means of
making reprisals in such war as the
roads have invited. Whether it is by
enlarging the powers Of state and
federal railroad commissions or by
enactlng laws fixing maximum freight
rates, they have the means in their
own hands Of compelling the roads to
treat them with just consideration.
Any remedy the people may adopt is
better than to submit to high.handed
robbery. When the freight agents
combine together to put their hands
in the pockets of the farmers and rob
them of millions of dollars in such
times as these, when the little mar
gin on corn is about the only profit
they have made in their business for
The year, the injustice is not to be
borne. The Capital will bel glad to bup
ish communications from shippers
and others interested IN this matter,
any practical method OF
inducing the roads to restore the
Galveston rate as it existed prior to
he action of the combine last Mon
lay"
We must heartily commend the
Capital for its outspoken denuncia-
ion of this increase of rates by the
abroad companies, but would like
or information to ask one question:
Has the supreme court of the United |
States or Of any state ever passed |
lpon the powers of a board OF rail-
Dad commissioners in fixing a maxi
mum, freight rate and if so what
vas the decision?" Unless we are mis-
AIKEN maximum freight rate as es-
by board of railroad COM
nlssioners has ever been upheld by
he higher courts.
JUDGE j. B. JOHNSON of Topeka. re-