The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-02-15
WATERED RAILROAD STOCK
The Question of tho Right Of Rail.
roads to ExtOrt From the PRODUCE
ers Dividends ON Watered Stock IL
Forcing Itself a. an Issue.

roads to Extort From the Proluc
ers Dividends ON Watered Stock II
Forcing Itself AZ an Issue.
It Is all right to abuse the Populisti
to denounce them as Missionaries ant
cranks. It is even all right for our Dem
ocratic exchanges to poke fun at Bar
ney Gibbs; but Judge McCormick's rul.
ing in the injunction hearing at Dallas
has put quite a new phase on the rail
road question in Texas, and has brought
out some strong evidences from Demo.
cratic sources that the Peoples party
and the friends of the Relief railroad
are as right now as they were before the
election as to the necessity, feasibility
and expediency of Relief railroad from
Red river to the Gulf A west Texas
Democrat, prominent in the councils CT
that party, contributes the following let
ter setting forth the urgency and neces-
sity for the immediate construction OF
the Relief railroad:
1T is announced that the people of
Texas are indignant over the recent rul-
lngs on the railroad question and the
increase in freight rates. What are they
going to do about it? There is talk
about retaliatory measures. What can
they do? The courts of the land sustain
the contention of the railroads for divi-
dends and interest on all bonds and
stocks, even though the aggregate
should be six times what the property
could be replaced for. Why should one
class of property be protected by law
from shrinking values and the producing
interests of the country compelled to
bear the whole burden of bad economic
conditions, especially when the former
depend for their revenues upon the lat
ter? Agriculture has flourished and sus-
tanned great empires thousands of years
before the railroads were thought of, but
take away the farms and where would
the railroads derive their revenues?
Every principle Of democracy and
justice demands that the citizens of this
great commonwealth should have fair
play in the struggle for existence. Is
that justice or democracy which sustains
some citizens in their demands for prof
its from capital invested, and compels
the remainder to part with the product
of their toll in order that said profit NAV
be assured? The railroads contend for
the right to collect dividends and inter-
est upon an amount from six to nine
times that which they render for taxa
ZION. Let the farmer demand that the
courts shall sustain him In a demand for
reasonable return upon an amount six
to nine times the value of his rendition
to the tax assessor and what an outcry
there would be. And yet why hasn't the
farmer after using due diligence in his
business as much right to protection of
the courts as the railroads? Why should
capital invested in a railroad be more
sacred than capital invested in a farm ?
But what are the people going to do
about it? Common sense and business
methods will free them from this gall
ling imposition. Let the politicians say
what they will, but there is common
sense and business method in the Relief
railroad scheme. This would be a short
cut to relief; along any other line it
may take years and years. It is a shame
that state Of such magnificent proper
lions as Texas, with it's varied soil, eli
mate and productions, its Industrious
and energetic people, should be neld
back from the full fruition and develop
ment by an insane system that accords
to a few the privileges it denies to the
many.
The Nicaragua canal may be COM
pleted and the people may line the
shores of the gulf, watching in vain for
the whitewinged harbingers of COM
merce If they fail to get cheap rates to
the gulf. Why talk about diversified
ton or any matter pertaining to the
farm if our produce is to be consumed in
transportation and the rights and the
welfare of the farmer are to be ignored?
Common sense should convince the ordi-
nary man that railroad to cost $4,000
per mile could carry freight cheaper
than one valued at six times that sum.
If we are to abide by the law Of
competition, in the name of justice let
1t be free for all. If the railroads are
determined to use their advantage, even
to the impoverishment of the people Of
Texas, let the people take the matter in
to their own hands and inaugurate COM
petition in the transportation business
Every farmer, every producer is subject
to the law of competition. If that is
right and results in cheapening products
why not apply the principle to the
transportation problem? Let the state
adopt the methods of the railroads and
call for propositions for several feasible
routes, for bonuses from the large towns
interested, grants for right of way, ETC.
Let my brother farmers consider this
thing. 1t means money and better
times. A few dollars gained in better
values for produce and few more saved
on purchased necessities may constitute
the differences between profit and loss
The railroads will loose their grip