Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1901-03-08
FEAR FOR A DELUGE.
RUSSELL SAGE SEES SIGNS OF
POPULAR WRATH.
Says People VIII Not Tolerate the Crimes
OF the Money PoweS-Vast Railroad
Combine May BE the Last Straw
Warning Sounded.


New York, Feb. 25.-(Special Tele-
gram)-A note OF warning was
sounded today by Russell Sage regard
ing such colossal railroad deals as the
acquisition of the Southern Pacific by
the Union Pacific. Mr.. Sage, many
years a director of the Union Pacific,
said:
1T is a gigantic combination in
which twelve men get the absolute
control of more than $4,000 miles of
railroad and a practical monopoly of
all lines leading to the Pacific coast
Such combinations of concentrated
capital are sure to arouse the people.
And the people once aroused are more
powerful than this railroad combina-
ton or any other that might be form
ed. / regard 1t as very dangerous to
have such great combinations. 1t is
right and proper that the capitalists
who invest money in railroads or other
great enterprises should be assured of
have such great combinations. 1t Is
right that railroads should have an
agreement not to cut rates below a
far profit-making figure. But this
should be done in conventions. by
meeting, by agreement, not in sitting
competition.
in the end this deal will excite dis
trust. arouse resentment and incite to
retaliatory measures the people, the
state legislatures and eventually the
national congress. The farmers will
consider themselves injured by rates.
the states will inaugurate legislation
and there will be deep hostility to COM
bined capital"
The deal was the center of discus
sion everywhere today. The general
opinion is that 1t is the first important
move to form an ultimate universal
railroad trust.-Press dispatch.
1t must be dangerous financial
scheme that frightens Russell Sage
This trade combines the transporta-
of a dozen men. All the commerce of
a continent must pay tribute to these
twelve spectators. The toll taken by
the robber barons of the middle ages
was only petit larceny when compared
with the easy stealing Of this mighty
combine. These twelve men absolutely
control railroad property amounting to
almost billion of money. They are
more powerful than any crowned head
on earth. They control the selling price
of every bushel OF wheat and corn
and every hoof Of stock, in all Amer
lea.
When we told you before the cleo
ton that the trusts would continue
lican victory, you said: There are
no trusts" What do you think now?
Is there railroad trust. and does it
not ride rough shod over the rights
of the people? What are you going
to do about it? What can you do
about it? 1t is too late to control so
gigantic a conspiracy by the ordinary
methods of legislation. The trust
owns the legislature of every state in
which the railroad combination does
business.
There is only one remedy. and this
thing may enable the people to see
it. They have been warned, but they
would not believe the warning, but
now that they are face to face with
an accomplished combination such as
the world has never seen before, they
will be forced to adopt the only rem
edy left. Public ownership will cor
rect the public wrong, and nothing
else will do it. All the people must
own this monopoly instead OF leaving
it in the hands of twelve men. The
people must act at once or their trou-
bles can only end in bloody revolution.
They must vote for their rights right
now or fight for them hereafter. The
socialists say, I'VE told you so. We
said that private combination would
force public cooperation. The COM
bination is here now and it is greater
than was ever dreamed of. Will pub
lie cooperation follow close on the
heels Of private combination?