Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1897-10-21
TcoNTNUED FROM LAST WEEK. ]

Editor of the Kansas Commoner:
It is amusing to read the patronizing
language of President Ripley as fol-
lows: You will readily understand
that I have no desire to become in
Volved in the newspaper controversy,
but the differences which Mr.. Brown
draws from certain figures which he
quotes are so absurd and unjust that
It seems a pity to permit his article to
go unnoticed, as there are a great
many people who necessarily do not
know the facts, and who might accept
Mr.. Browns conclusions. Whether
Mr.. Brown himself knows the facts 1
do not pretend to say, but 1 prefer to
believe he is writing in ignorance,
rather than that he is deliberately at
ktempting to mislead the people, and to
create prejudice against the railways
and other interests"
It is very kind of this railway king
to put the more favorable construction
on the matter, and, to consider Mr..
Brown a fool instead of knave, 80
that other uniformed people may not
be mislead by Mr.. Browns ignorance.
But, in the absence Of detailed public
official reports for the use of the peo-
pie, how is Mr.. Brown or any one else
to learn the facts and conditions at
tached to the railroads of this country,
that make them so widely different
from the roads in other countries.
When one uses the best information
attainsble by ordinary effort, it is
hardly fair to blame or insult HIM,
even by insinuation, for unimportant
inaccuracies. congratulate Mr.. Brown
that his opponent has not disputed his
facts or his figures
But, against the last sentence of the
above quotation from President Rip
ley, must enter my most earnest pro-
test charge that his position IS
direct attempt, constantly made, by
the railway kings to mislead the peo-
pie and to prejudice the people against
the men who are defending the peo-
pies interests. 1t is not attempted by
Mr.. Brown or any man of us to "create
prejudice against the railways and
Stheir interests" 1t is not the trail
ways" that the people and their de-
tenders are fighting; but we are oppos-
ed to the terribly expensive, unjust,
dangerous and sanguinsry manage
ment of them by home and alien cor
porations for the general spoliation of
the people.
The people of the United States have
given two hundred million acres of
their best lands, and are carrying a
burden Of more than ten billion dol
lars, in the form Of stocks and bonds,
all for the sole purpose of enjoying the
use of an efficient, just and equal sys-
tenn Of railways. They have done, and
they do all this without prejudice or
grumbling But when, in practice,
they find that foreign goods are car
ried all over this country on our (0
American (P) railroads cheaper than
American goods are carried, it seems
to me that there Is cause for "preju-
dice" The corporations create the
prejudice, and then charge its exist.
ence to the Ignorance" of the people.
I call attention to the following doc
umentsry statement Of my predeees-
sor in Congress, the late Hon. John A.
Henderson. 1t Is instructive, humiliat-
ling and shameful. Mr.. Anderson said:
Here is statement in reference to
that matter, the charge being that
greater railway rates are demanded on
articles shipped from, say, New York