Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1899-06-16
FARM ERS AND THE RAILROAD.

public office it is his ambition to fill,
has found that one of the most effect
I've means to that end-in the matter
or securing votes-is TO arouse the sus-
plclon In the popular mind that capt.
tai. as manipulated by the 'soullesS
corporation Is gradually but surely
placing the public in bondage the Ill
innate condition CT which will be alb
)ect slavery. If you wish TO make
powerless the elements that are evolv-
ing such an eventuation." he says. put
me and my friends in office and we will
enact laws for your protection" The
people have given heed and as a result
the statute books. both state and feder-
al. are filled with laws for the prOtec-
ton OF the people" against the "ag-
sresSlon of capital" as manipulated
by various kinds Of corporations which
by their absolute failure TO effect the
results promised by the politician, have
driven large class OF unthinking peO-
pie "corporationmad and furnished
INSCRIPTIONS corporation spectators
reasons for the cynical conclusion that
no earthly power can hold them ac-
countable for their operations-and as
to the higher power. sufficient unto the
day is the evil thereof" The unScru-
pulous promoter of gigantic specula-
tive trusts" by his opera ions. and the
demagogue hungry for public Office, by
his infiammatOry talk are hurrying
the popular mind into a sort of hysteria
likely 10 throw the body polite into
commissions that will work serious
harm to capital engaged in legitimate
operations and to the large mass of
DpODlp whose uall- haipo doDondc on tho
unhampered opportunity for the un-
limited diversification OF these opera
lions which a healthy economic state
demands under present day conditions.
With the power lost to discriminate
between what is vicious and what is vi
tai the people in their frenzy will bury
themselves beneath the ruins of our
social system by tearing out the props
as did Samson in his blind fury by
hauling down the pillars on which the
temple rested The wealth of America
rests on its agricultural interests.
This is shown from the fact that when
the farmer has good crops and de-
maud for hi product in the foreign
markets that will take up the surplus
over and above domestic consumption.
the nation is prosperous. The garden
spot Of the agricultural interest of this
country is the Mississippi valley and
the most productive nook of this gar
den is Iowa. whose crops are worth
millions annually and whose farmers
ship their products into the eastern
markets by the million dollars. The
crops of Iowa. beyond what would be
needed for mere local consumption.
would rot in the fields but for the rail
roads that cover the state with a net
work bringing the markets OF the
world to our very doors. And there
would be no railroads here but for the
crop The farmers and the railroads
therefore, have developed Iowa, and
the limit of development is not in sight
yet. The farmer is essential to the
prosperity OF the railroads of Iowa and
without the railroads the farmer would
be wearing homespun. eating black
bread and raising enough generally for
the wants of his family with no place
to send what he had over. Instead of
getting together and fixing up a mo
dus viVendi' based on the mutually OF
their interests. the farmer has listened
TO the mouthings of the demagOgue UNI
til he is inclined TO look on the railroad
as a rObber, and railroad officials have
made repriSalS on the farmer to pay the
expense of heading off the influence of
the granger element of the legislature.
or of fighting tie enforcement Of pre-
pOSterOuS regulations in the statutes for
which this element is responsible. So
an armed truce prevails instead Of the
businesSlike understanding that could
be arrived at but for the meddlesome
politician of the Jim Weaver stamp
who has made good thing. in more
ways than one. by keeping these two
industries suspicious of each other.
This situation prevails mere or less all
over the country and is due wholly to
politics" The railroad is the pet
grievance of a certain grade of poli-i-
clan and a certain stamp Of labor agi-
tator throughout the country. and when
out of hearing of the farmer they ac
cuse the granger as class of being as
grasping as they charge corporations to
be AS a matter of fact the farmers
and the railroads have built up this
country No two classes of industry
are so mutually dependent for the one
could not prosper or even exist with
out the other. On this fOunda ton the
prosperity of the country rests. The
farmer handles his crops on very
narrow margin of profit. His eXpen-
SEES are larger both for labor and ma
chinery and one bad crop eats a big
hole in the savings of former years if
it doesn't put mortgage on the
place Outside the rise in the value of
farm land owing TO the rapid filling up
of the country by means Of railroads.
the farmer for all his hard work does
not realize more than from to SO per
cent on the investment. on the average
an amount that is probably as large
as the per cent of profit made by the
combined railroads OF the country.
whose disbursements Oftentimes. I'M
der the most careful management.
exceed the income. Like the poor crop
a serious railroad accident will often,
in the damage TO property and person
al injuries for which the road is held
responsible. eat up the profit OF the
company implicated for several years.
In fact bankruptcy of the road often
follows such disaster. The combined
railroads of the country have a pay
roll including officers and clerical staff
of about $2.000,000 day. The main
tenance OF the road beds costs SIS. 000.-
900 annually besides $4,000. 900 for the
purchase of rails. ties and sleepers. and
S15 600. 900 for the construction of new
bridges Last year they spent for
fences. sign boards, signal and watch
towers. s35.000000. and $S,500,OOO for
printing and advertising. They pay
about $50 900 900 in taxes and 100000
600 annually for legal services eXclu-
sive OF the claims for personal injuries
and damage to property, which is es-