The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1900-01-24

pilates is an advantage which the farmers
of the South enjoy in greater measure
than the farmers OF the North. The rail-
roads help the farmers to prosperity by
distributing thousands Of tons Of ferti-
liztrs at low rates where they distributed
one ton thirty years ago. The farmers
and the railroads are alike benefited by
the increasing use of fertilizers, for they
multiply production. In this they are
full partners in the resulting profits.
Railroads must be kept up to high state
of efficiency, otherwise they are poor
dependence for carrying crops to market.
The largest part of their revenue must be
expended for this purpose. No country
or section can prosper with badly
equipped railroads, for they compel high
rates, increase the dangers Of travel and
make the country undesirable to live in.
Cypress the railroads 30 that they can
not keep up the equipment and you OPP
press yourselves and every other indus.
trial interest, for they are all more or less
dependent upon the efficiency Of trans
portation.
Much prejudice has been instilled by
politicians into the minds OF the farmers
against corporations. Believing that
such animosities would be popular, they
have advocated them to obtain official
positions. This is unfortunate, for the
South has been the loser, and it has been
kept behind in its progress by reason Of
the prevalence of these unnatural preju-
dices. II there should be any two allies
more closely united than any others they
should be the railroads and the farmers.
They are component parts of the same
great industrial machine. The largest
proportions OF freights received by the
railroads are furnished by the farmers.
The farmers largest profits come from
being able to command many markets by
means of the railroads. They should
work together in harmony. Nothing
should be done by one side or the other
that has the least appearance OF injustice.
The prejudice entertained against all cor
porations by certain classes in the South
has done much in creating the bad feeling
which exists against railroads. We live
in an age Of corporations. They are the
methods Of progress adopted by the bust
ness world in the latter part of the nine
teenth century.
A farmer using the old reap hook and
threshing floor and fail for saving his
wheat cannot compete with one using the
self binder and steam threasher, nor can
a manufacturing establishment run by in
dividuals compete with one run under
corporate powers. The last has better
credit, is organized for permanency and
is not dissolved by the reason of the
death OF a1y stakeholder. The future
prosperity Of the South depends upon
the strength OF combined capital, and
combined capital cannot be controlled
except through legalized corporations.
Corporations have become indispen-
SADLY necessary to material growth. They
are the poor mans friend. They enable
him to compete with the large capital of
rich men. A thousand poor men putting
in 500 each will provide capital great
enough to build and equip large manu-
featuring plant. Moreover, such an es-
tablishment would probably give perma-
nent employment to themselves and
their children. 1t would increase the |
number OF workers in the community,
and in 30 doing would add largely to its
wealth and give good markets for the
farmers produce. There should be no
existing against the building
up OF manufacturing enterprises run by
corporate powers. Such powers are the
life OF every progressive community.
Every farmer would be benefited by
having stock in some manufacturing en-
terprise.
The prejudice OF our people In this re-
gard seems to be confined to corpora
tons in our own midst, while hundreds
Of millions of dollars 20 out every year
from the South into the lap Of the cor
porations Of other States.
Why not nurse our prejudice against
outside Of our own section,
to which we pay 80 much money and get
no incidental benefits? Why not en-
courage those in our own midst by our
patronage, and by the liberality Of our
laws induce others to come? Our preju-
dice against corporations in the South
cannot nurt foreign corporations, but it
may prevent us from enjoying some Of
the benefits resulting from the presence
Of home corporations. Let us dismiss
all this provincialism and foolishness
from our minds. Let us adopt the sys-
tenn Of progress now in operation
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