Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1896-12-18
SOUND ADVISE.
The State and Railroads.

The State and Railroads.
That a feeling OF hostility to the rail.
roads exists in South Dakota, the result
Of the late election clearly demonstrates.
Such condition Of affairs is unfortunate,
because the interests Of the people and
tn ose of the railroads are so closely lden.
titled that neither can afford to engage in
warfare against the other 1t is to the
advantages OF the state that the railroad
system be developed and better facilities
given for the marketing of South Dakota
products, and it is equally to the interest
Of the railroads that the Industries OF
South Dakota prosper and railroad traffic
be correspondlngly increased. Throwing
aside all anti-electlon prejudice. The
Press believes, that il the home manage
ment OF the railroad companies would
meet the state half way and examine i'm
partially into the remedy its just griev-
ances, the people would have no dispo-
sitlor to deal otherwise than fairly with
them. There is no intention, IN South
Dakota, to destroy the value OF produc-
tiveness of railroad property, but simply
to obtain such concessions as are Justly
due. The first grievance against the
railroads, is, that rates on grain and
other South Dakota products, shipped
out of the state and upon coal and other
commodities, shipped in, are far in ex-
cess OF what should in fairness be
charged. The rates are out of all pro-
portion to those charged by railroads in
Iowa, and in other favored states, for
like services, and consume so large por-
ton of the value OF South Dakota pro-
ducts, that farming and consequently
other business Industries, have become
unprofitable, and the values Of all pro-
perty greatly impaired. What the state
asks of the railroads is that freight rates
be reduced to such figure as shall fair
ly pay the cost OF transportation and
leave to the railroads fair interest upon
the money actually invested in their
business, and that the people shall not
be charged rates sufficient to pay interest
on watered stock and bonds or to COM
pensate the railroads for losses on un-
profitable branches in other states. There
is no disposition to demand that the rail-
roads charge less than fair price for
the services rendered, but the people de-
mand that the tariffs be reduced to a
figure which will pay only the expenses
of operating and fair interest on the
capital actually invested.
For years the people Of South Dakota
have been endeavorng to build up job
bng and wholesale centers in various
parts of the state. In this they have
been constantly and persistently antag-
onized by the railroads. IN the interests
of Sioux City, St. Paul and Minneapolis.
The people ask that the discrimination,
in favor of those cities and against South
Dakota points cease. and that such rates
be given as will enable Sioux Falls,
Yankton. Mitchell, Watertown, Aber-
deem, Huron, Pierre and other cities east
of the Missouri, as we'll as those of the
Black Hills, to compete with wholesaling
iobbing centers outside of the state. The
people OF South Dakota have no hostility
to Sioux City or St. Paul, but object
strenuously to such manipulation Of
railroad rates as shall give those places
an undue advantage over home towns.
The third grievance which the people
have against the railroads IS the fact
that, willingly or otherwise, the railroads
have allowed their attorneys and other
representatives IN South Dakota to inter.
fere in the political affairs of the state,
and to use their railroad positions to
manipulate caucuses and conventions
and to dominate elections. In this re-
spect the Chlcag 90 and Northwestern and
the Chicago. Milwaukee and ST. Paul
have been the chief offenders. During
territorial times the railroads, outside Of
the Northern Pacific, kept fairly well
out of politics and allowed the people to
manage their own political affairs.
With the appointment, however, Of w.
B. Sterling as attorney for the North
western and A. B. Kittredge as attorney
for the Milwaukee,, the railroads COM
menced a system Of railroad interference
in South Dakota politics from state down
to county, city and even school elections.
| Together with Sterling and Kittredge
there soon became associated, as repre-
sentatives Of railroads, Alex Johnson,
Harry Hunter and other lesser political
lights, and close corporation was
formed to use the railroads as machine
for the furtherance of the political as
piratlons of these gentlemen and their
associates. 1t was openly given out that
no one could hope to aspire successfully
| . ,:.:..1 ~,ofa,rnopt without tho n X