Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1897-01-27
A REPUBLICAN ON RAILROADS.

AopdlloiH nttS Ucel1 encouraged ny one
of the most noted republican editors
in the state. The Troy Chief-Sol Mil
ler's paper has recently given vent to
its feelings on the subject of railroads
and before he finished he put up a gen.
uine Pop editorial. We clip it for the
benefit of those, especially, of our read
ers who are republicans and hope they
will give it weight as it comes from one
of the most influential republicans in
Kansas. There is a whole lot of truth
in what Sol says and it is not saying too
much to say that if railroads were man
aged differently the shippers of the coun-
try would be much better situated
financially:
Another mistake has been the deal
ing with railroads. Now, we do not
want TO be understood as desiring any
injustice to railroads. They should be
encouraged, and care taken to avoid
any unfriendly or oppressive laws to-
ward them. But this can be done with
out the party being at the dictation of
railroad and other corporations. 1t
was for long time too plain that re-
publican legislatures of Kansas simply
obeyed the orders of the railroad COM
panles. The railroad and other COM
mittees were made up largely of rail
road attorneys. Nothing could be done
without the consent of the railroad
companies. The railroad commissioner
law that is supposed to be for the pur-
pose of maintaining justice between
the people and the railroads was really
gotten up by the attorneys of railroad
companies IN order to ward off the en-
actment of laws regulating freight
rates. The act of the state board of as
SCISSORS is yet fresh in the minds of the
public, in which that board reduced
railroad assessments to the extent OF
millions of dollars, and even reversed
decisions of the United States courts
in order to relieve railroad companies
from taxation. This act not only re-
suited in the turning down of those Off.
GERS for denomination, but contributed
largely to the defeat of the party at the
polls. Railroad officials have done the
party no good by their interference IN
conventions for the nomination of off
GERS
1--WE have spoken of receiyerships of
railroads. They were a heavy weight
against the republican party Although
the judge who permitted the robbery of
the roads was practically calamitylte.
the benefciaries Of his orders were
mostly republican. It is well known
that most of the votes of railroad en-
ployes were cast against the republican
ticket, IN the recent elections, and many
persons do not understand it. In the
Santa Fe recelvershiD case, George r.
Peck was allowed $4,000 out of the
revenues of the road He had long
been III the service of the road, at
princely salary. The road did not owe
him dollar, and he was out of its SER
vice, yet he was allowed to just take
this $50, 900 out Of the railroads money.
Ihe master commissioner was allowed
to receive $780, 900 for services for which
$1,000 would have been big pay. Other
receivers and attorneys were allowed in
proportion, Intil more than $50. 900
was taken out of the funds of the road.
The revenues of the road were so Grip
pied that it became necessary to throw
thousands of laborers out of employ
ment, put Thousands of others on short
time, and reduce tie wages of all.
While this condition prevailed, George
Il. Peck. who received $4,000 for moth
ing, was sent into the state, especially
assigned to places having a large rail-
road vote, to exhort railroad men who
were out of employment, or on short
time, or reduced wages. to stand by the
republican party! It's not hard to &C.
count for the railroad vote.