The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-08-18
FREE COINAGE INDIsPRNsAp, =
BUT NOT A PANACRA

correspondence of the Progressive Farmar
RALEIGH, N. O., Aug. IL. 1SQE
The question has been often askoa
whether the free coinage of siIvoS
would be a panacea for the depressioa
under which the country now drao,
out a lingering life. The Friends ~
free coinage do not consider it a mi.
versal remedy, but an indiqppnsahIo
one. The single gold standard ia tho
rock which has been placed against
the door where our hopes have been
buried, anduntil it is rolled away there
can be no resurrection of our proepar.
lty. Dives is urgently opposed to the
removal OF the stone, but certaiDIv
Lazarus cannot come forth till it has
been taken away.
Among the many expressions visited
upon the masses by their present mas.
tiers who have laden the people With
burdens grievous to be borne. but
which they will not touch with SO mum
as one Of their little fingers" are the
freight rates and passenger fares which
have not decreased with the dacroasa
III the value Of u products, but have
ENLARGED with the enhanced value of
the dollar, the owners Of the great rail.
way lines being among the most active
agents in procuring the adoption of the
gold standard and they are the largest
contributors to the campaign fund to
be used against the restoration of silver
to free coinage.
j. Plerpont Morgan, who was con.
spicuous in procuring Mr.. ClevelaI i to
issue the 1862 600, 900 of bonds, and
whose firm shared largely in the SIS.
900, 600 Of profits the syndicate made
by handling that issue, is the principal
owner OF the Southern Rail way Co.'s
lines. When cotton was Is cents q
pound las it still remains in Mexico
one pound Of cotton would pay for five
miles o~fpassenger fare on his railroads;
now, though he and his combination
have increased the value Of money till
cotton brings only 6 to Z cents a pound,
he has not reduced his fares nOr freigbtg
and a pound of cotton will only carry
it's producer two miles instead of five.
as formerly. Freights remain as high
as I'VE and trucking, which should be
a very profitable business, has been re
duced to the same level as other farm.
ing business, and in both alike ell the
profit is absorbed by the transportation
charges.
INTER STATE COMMISSION. I
Is there no protection for the peoples
Certainly there is, but it is, in their
own hands. 1t cannOg be found in the
railroad commissions. The Inter state
Commission has proved so utterly in.
efficient that two Of the great parties
have recently put into their platforms
demands for its being made really eff,
Gent. In fact, the Interstate Commits.
sion has practically restricted itself to
protecting the corporations against
hurting each other by reducing rates,
with no protection to the people against
exorbitant rates, nor against secret re-
bates to large or favored shippers
which we're the objects in view IN
creating the commission. Whenever
that commission has shown any dl5po.
sition to serve the object of It's creation
it has been promptly shackled by IN
functions. OF highly technical rulings
by the Federal Judges, holding their
positions for life, and a large proper
ton Of them having secured their ap'
pointm9nts by the Influence Of the coz
porations in whose behalf they extend
their powers by every possible con
struction. Besides, it is not certain that
all the appointments to the Inter safe
Commission itself have been made
without the Influence more or less &c.
tive Of great railroad systems interested
in the future action of such a%ppolnt9e8 Z
STATE R. R. COMMISSIONS
After this result with the Inter statGY
Commission could the record Of the
State Commission be other than dis
appointipg2 In some cases, as q West
ern railroad president cynicaliy and
openly declared the railroads have
simply added the railroad commIS
sion to their assets" In the majority
Of instances, however, the members o.
the State Railroad Commissions have
been gentlemen of uuimpeach80S
character, but elected by legislatures
instead of the people IA radical defec,
which the corporations carefully Iooblo
to) they have in rare instances hao
majority of progressive members IL
close svmnathv with the people. Ihcy