Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1896-08-01
For oovernment railroads.

TRANSPORTATION being a means of TX
and a public necessity, the gov.
eminent should own and operate the
railroads In the interest OF the people to
the end that all men may be accorded
the same treatment In transportation,
and that the tyranny and political power
now exercised by the great corporations,
which result in h impairment, IL no,
the destruction, of the political rights
and personal liberty of the citizen, may
be destroyed, Such ownership Is to be
accomplished gradually In a manner
consistent with sound public policy.
The interest of the United tSates In the
public highways built with public moneys
and the proceeds OF extensive grants OF
land. known as the PACING railroads.,
should never be alienated, mortgaged or
sold, but guarded and protected for. the
general welfare, as provided by the laws
organizing such Pacific railroads. The
tinted tSates on these roads should at
once follow default In the payment there
OF by the debtor companies, and thai In
the foreclosure OF said roads the govern
ment shall purchase the same IL Ii be.
comes necessary to protect its tntefest4
therein, or II the same can be purchased
at a reasonable price; and the govern.
ment shall operate said roads as public
highways for the benefit Of the whole peo-
pie, and not In the interest OF the few,
under suitable provisions for protection
OF life and property, giving to a. trans,
portatlon interests equal privileges n
equal rates for fares and freights.
schemes se fOp% refandihs these pssdR Debts and de.
mand tina the laws now applicable there-
10 be executed and administered accord
Ing to their true intent and spirit,
Land Question.
A true policy demands that the national
and state Legislation shall be such as will
ultimately enable every prudent and In
dustrlous man to W a home. and there.
fore the land should not be monopolized
Fan CnAaNtlaffkyn llrnncaa All nOFicllA
tural and grazing. lands now held by rail.
road corporations In excess OF their actual
needs should by lawful means be. re-
claimed by the government and held Tor
actual settlers only. and private land mon
opoly should be prevented by appropriate
state and national legislation.
the Ian grant Pacific railroad companies
have, through the connivance OF the In.
terror department. robbed m~ultitvdes of
actual and bona nde settlers or their
homes aud miners Of their claims and we
demand legislation by congress which. Will
enforce the exception OF mineral land from
such grants, after as we'll as before patent;
We demand that bona 1de settlers on all
public lands be granted free homes, as pro,
vided in the national homestead law, and
that no exception be made In case OF lnu-an
reservations when opened for settlement,
and that all lands not now patented come
under this demand -
We favor a system of direct legislation
through the Initiative and referendum UNI
der proper constitutional safeguards.
General Propositions.
We demand the election OF president and
vice president and United states senators
by w tee t airses y0'e t6 ot t pat 9e9P,e people Of
Cuba our deepest sympathy in their hero.c
struggle for political freedom and inde-
renae wSsn ana iSe VI ysn, tedie stat tne t hme great eat
republic OF the world. should recognize
Cuba; that Cuba ought 30 be a free ana
independent state.
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