People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1897-08-26

the welfare of the railroad cOmpanie:
and help them fleece the people | wi!
not undertake to decide.
The committee met and the result
was the calling Of a gulf and inter
state conference to meet at Omaha
early in September. had intended
this week to devote considerable
space to this conference and its plans
and To urge the sending of one Of
more delegates TO represent the pro
ducers aud shippers Of Montgomery
county at Omaha. But all at once
learn that the conference has been
abandoned. Why this has been done
| will leave one of the railroad organs
to tell, as it does 10 the following
Topeka dispatch;
Topeka, Aug. The Nebraska
people have lost all interest in the
north and south pole railroad meet
ing advertised to be held at Omaha
on September 2, and it will be declared
off, Senator Campbell, Of OSwego,
chairman Of the committee which
called the meeting, stated today that
the Omaha meeting would not be
held, but that conference would be
held in Topeka later in the fall. He
is inclined to the opinion that che
railroads frightened the Nebraskans
out. 1t developed at the Galveston
meeting recently, he says, that the
farmers of Nebraska were getting a
less freight rate on grain to the gull
than Kansas farmers were. When
the railroads saw that NebraskanS
h ad joined the scheme to build road
they raised tine rates even with those
of Kansas. Besides this they
threatened to boycott the Omaha
exposition next year, he states. These
things tended to scare the Nebraska
people. Senator Campbell says it is
understood that if the Nebraskans
dropped the gulf scheme they had
been promised reduction in freight
rates, and the cooperation of the
railroads TO make the exposition a
success. He does not believe in hold.
ing big convention where the people
are not interested, and for that reason
will declare the Omaha meeting off.
Note the Sneering way in which this
mOuthpieCe of plutOcracy, which the
Republican farmers of Kansas are
supporting, refers to it as "a north
and south pole railroad" scheme. And
then note how quickly and how ef'
fectually the corporations combined
at hint of danger to their profits
and puts the screws on where they
could to kill the movement. In the
first place they are going to bribe the
Nebraska farmers by reducing theil
grain rates a lite. And then they
have the business men of Omaha COIN
pletely under their thumb and say t.
them, IF you don't drop this move
ment to get another road and cheaper
rates to the gulf, we will kill the ex.
position you are getting ready to have
here next year"
1t is always the same way. Lee
somebody make move to reduce tn,
profits of the mOnOpOlists, and the,
at once begin to divide the peopl,
who are interested in the change
They will bride, Cajole, threaten, d.
anything on earth to prevent a unioI
OF those who are being robbed to stOl
| the robbery; and as in this case
they generally win. They know VIVA
they want and the people don't; ant
and so a little Influence" adroitl,
used availS to prevent the people from
getting together and demand thei
right. The power is with the farmer
aud producers; they are many ant
the heeCerS are few. The trouble i
that they don't realize their strength
nor the necessity of standing togethe
and using it.