The morning times., 1896-12-27
Put Into Operation.

Put Into Operation.
Reference has been made to the recently
promulgated plan OF the Illinois Central
Railroad to enable its employees To acquire
profit lt-Sharing interest in the stock OF the
road. The plan is now fully worked out
and in operation. 1t has attracted wide
Interest. and j. being fully elaborated in
the press OF the country. From the New
York World we learn that the plan was
originated by NJ. Stuyvcsant Fish, the
president and the largest stockholder in
the Illinois Central road, and that it was
for the purpose Of king his plan a
reality, that Mr.. Fish gave up his palace
In Gramercy Square and moved to Chi
oago. He assumed the active manage
ment or the road. 1t was not long before
his advanced ideas were felt.
More Than 800 employees have already
made application to In" officers for
stock. Applications are being received
at the rate of 25o or 300 a month. They
Indicate a strong desire On the part OF the
workinsinen to be in harmony with the
executive department.
Tie Illinois Central employs $4,000
men tits expected that half ofthat mum
Der viii soon become stockholders. Presi-
dent Fish has offered 20 assist any who
want TO buy stock at the rate OF a share
at time, the buyer paying for the pur-
chase in instaIlments Of So. on the
amounts so paid. interest is 10 be credited
at the rate OF 81 year. When the sum
20 tie credit OF any one amounts to the
figure at which the stock was bought
lie receives regular certificate for lis
share Then the stockholder can buy
another share, on the same terms, If he
Hikes.
President Fish recently expressed him
self as follows about the present suffering
and discomfort ia the South and West. and
explained the reasons FOR the great scheme
made public recently:
There is still a good deal Of dis
content in the South and West, he
said; it's a great mistake To call these
people Anarchists The majority
are as true and earnest citizens as
can be found in any part Of the
country. They have a great many
things TO contend with which many
Of us in the East do not take into
account. The price OF corn is low
and that OF cotton stnl lower Wheat
alone shows material advance.
or course, when farm products are
50 cheap, there must be more or less
suffering in the agricultural districts.
Especially is it so when money com
manGs rs high as IL and l5 per
cent about the time the crops are TO
be moved. remember, as far back
as 1885, how Gov. Oelesby, Of uh-
nois. said that agitation henceforth
would not be SO much between people
and the railroads as between the
'haves'' and have nots"
We are confronted today with the
CommUnistic and socialistic tendencies
which have long given trouble in
Europe. These make it imperative
that we continue our campaig n OF edu-
cation. We have settled the I6-to-1
question, but there arc a number of
otLer important questions to be passed
upon before the present popular dis
content is aliayed Instead OF calling
the people OF the South and West fools
and fanatics, we would better Correct
our own errors
These were well described by Mr..
Henry watterson, in a recent inter
view, as suddenly acquired riches
and vulgar ostentation''
The way to answer this Populistic
clamor is TO ascertain the cause of
complaints, redress wrongs as far as
possible, and show the West and
South that their interests and ours
in the North and East are identical
and inseparable. 1t is within the
power OF the present Congress to take
away the cause Of much or the dis
content and thus open the way for
return TO prosperity. And it ia
our duty as citizens to sec that they
perform theirs as legislators.
Mr. Fish fails to explain just what he
believes Congress should do in the way
OF taking away the cause of discontent," )"
which failure detracts considerably from
his otherwise interesting expression of
opinion.
IL is gratifying TO learn that it is no