The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-08-19
AMONG RAILROAD men.
Let the Railroad Employees
Alone About Politics,
Says E. T. Jeffery President of
the ID. & r. G.
One Railroad Official Who Thinks the
Men on His Road Should be Per-
mitted to Form Their Own
Opinions

E. T. Jeffery. president of the Denver
and Rio Grande, who came within an
ace of being made president Of the re-
organized Santa Fe system at the time
that Mr. Ripley was elected, is one
railroad official who believes in the free
coinage of silver and who is strongly
opposed to the interference of railroad
companies with their employees in the
matter of politics.
Recently the following questions
were sent out by a New York gold pa
per to a number of western railroad
presidents, among others Mr.. Jeffrey:
would the free and unlimited COIN
age of silver at ratio of 16 to 1 result
beneficially to your company? Please
state briefly the reasons which lead
you to your conclusion. Do the en-
pIoyes of any grade of your road favor
the same? If so, state the reasons
which appear to influence them
In speaking of these inquiries Mr.
Jeffrey said;
The first question appears to me in
a political light, and as it has been my
policy since assuming the head of this
road never to mingle in politics, of
course refuse to answer. While will
not submit reply to the editor of the
paper in New York I will say the fol-
lowing concerning the inquiry relative
to our employees: I consider our en-
plOyes intelligent enough to form and
maintain their own opinions regarding
politics and the questions of the day.
However, L feel assured that SO per
cent of our employees favor the free
and unlimited coinage of silver at the
cOntending ratio"
President Syl T. Smith of the Flor
ence & Cripple Creek railroads an
SWerS the questions as follows:
Yes" and states his reasons as fol-
lows: Railroads depend for their pros
perity upon the prosperity and success
of the individuals who are engaged in
carrying on the varied industries and
business enterprises of the territory
through which they paSS.In good times
they prosper, and in bad times they are
thrown into the hands of receivers. Any
legislation that stagnates industrial en-
terpr1ses that strikes down prices:
that interferes with the general pros
perity of the citizens; that enhances
the standard by which values are meas
ured; that increases the interest and
principal of existing Indebtedness by
approaching the money in which it
must ultimately be paid, is legislation
in favor of the few and against the
many. Its only result must be wide
spread disaster among the debtor class
which comprises the very bone and sin
eW Of our commercial, business and in
dustrial life When prosperity flies
from this class, it deprives railroads of
the income derived from the various
ed by a prosperous community in ex-
change for its supplies, and increases
at the same time the fixed charges
which it is compelled to pay
In regard to the question of the en-
ployes, the reply states:
They are universally in favor of
free and unlimited coinage John G.
Carlisle in 1873 told, in graphic Ian
guag, the horrors that would result to
them in striking down silver as money.
He said; The contamination of such
a scheme would ultimately entail more
misery on the human race than all the
wars, pestilence, fanines that ever oc-
CURED in the history of the world
James G. Blaine in 1873 in congress
said: The destruction of silver as
money and the establishing gold as the
sole unit of value must have a ruinous
effect upon all forms of prosperity, ex-
cept those investments which yield a
fixed return in money The IabOring
men read and believe the statements
of these conscientious and enlightened
leaders, who were neither fools and
lunatics,' but were the leaders of public