The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-05-23
RAlLROADIsM IN POLITICS.

The farmers of the westare not now
complaining OF the extortions of the
railroads either in fares on freight.
They have, we think, some reason to
complain of both, but they are long
suffering folk and as long as hogs and
cattle are cents and corn 80 cents they
will bear it patiently. When hogs and
cattiesfall under 4 cents and corn below
20, if it ever does, there will be com.
plants both loud and long. Neither
are they opposed TO railroads nor are
they unreasonabiy prejudieed against
them. They welcome. thes railroad in
both the newer and olfsxs sections of
the state, welcome the dol.ss tracking,
the taking out of curves, and otherwise
improving the line and rolling stock in
all parts of the state. They will well
come the extension of trolley lines all
over the state. The farmer knows that
his prosperity and that Of the railroads
are closely connected and no improve.
ment in the facilities of the railroads
will be or can be made that will not in
the end benefit him also.
He does complain, and rightly, that
where he voluntarily is advancing his
assessment from eight to ten per cent
in most of the counties heard from, the
executive council is maintaining the old
rate, increasing it only to the extent of
the development of new roads or at
least practically so. If the farmer
builds new house in an odd year it is
added to his valuation. If a railroad
spends five million in improving its
tracks and other facilities the executive
council takes no account of it whatever.
Thus the farmer is bearing an increas.
ingly undue proportion of the burdens
of taxation and has right to complain.
Notwithstanding the great secrecy
maintained at the meeting of the last
executive council, the Iowa farmer is
finding out that the two members nomi-
mated by the last republican convention
and controlled by what is known as the
insurgents" (Messrs. Gilbertson and
Martin) stood for an increase some
where proportionate to the voluntary
increase which the farmers are making
in their own assessment. They are be.
ginning to understand that those who
defeated the recent assessment wish to
have as little said about it as possible.
They do not dare to 60 before the peo.
pie of the state and justify al2 or Is
per cent assessment when farmers and
owners Of town property are paying 25
per cent Thsy knor that Il wontd be
political death Tor them to do so.
The justsground Of complaint is not
against the railroads but against rail-
roadism IN Iowa politics, or the habit
of two or three of the main trunk lines,
for the last ten years, of controlling the
nomination of members of the execu-
tive council by means of railroad passes
furnished to delegates and the manipu-
lation through their attorneys of county
conventions in order that persons of
sufficient pliability or with political am.
bitions are nominated as delegates to
the conventions of both political par.
ties. This we say has been going on fol
ten years, Two years ago there was a
protest, not on the ground Of taxation
or the prices Of freight or fares but be.
cause the rule of the "bosses" of the
machine" had become so odious and
unbearable that men with laudable po.
litical ambitions had no chance of sue
cess unless they sought the permission
of the politicians in connection with
these roads. They therefore became
insurgents" in the republican party as
distinguished from the machine
Out of this monstrous abuse grows
another abuse scarcely less monstrous,
namely the organization at the capital
of lobby which has permission to issue
passes ad libitum and also express, tele.
graph, and telephone franks and by
their use ia able to make contracts to
defeat legislation intended for the in.
terests of the people.
The evil will grow worse with the
coming years unless the farmers directly
aid the "insurgents," or the republicans