The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1903-10-01
THE NEBRASKA INDEPENDENT

state, but the farmers in their des-
perate efforts to escape handing over
large part of their crops to that
combination have gone to the expense
of building elevators of their own. 1t
has been futile effort in most cases
for the railroads deny them the facil-
tiles that they give to the trust.
Some Of the farmers think they can
find a way of escape. They, having
built their elevators, will appeal to the
courts, and demand that all shippers
of grain shall be treated alike. Here
is the vital thing in this campaign.
Let the railroads put the man whom
they have selected upon the supreme
bench-the1 man who has fought their
battles for the last sixteen years as a
railroad attorney, and what man can
believe that there is any hope for
redress by an appeal to the courts?
With that done the state government,
the legislature and the courts will all
be in control of the men whom the
railroads have selected as candidates
and elected by their contributions. At
ter that, the great crops on the farms
will vanish more quickly and leave
even a smaller portion of the wealth
that the farmer creates by his labor
to be enjoyed by him and his family,
while still more costly pleasure yachts
will be built and, bigger. dowers paid
to the degenerate lords and dukes of
the old world.
The railroads have planned new
raid upon the homes of Nebraska. All
the plutOcratics papers announce that
the farmers of Nebraska have become
wealthy. They picture them as roll
ing in wealth with untold millions de-
posted in the banks. These roseate
pictures have induced the railroad
managers to believe that they have a
new field to exploit-that the traffic
will bear more tnan they have taken.
That is proven by the recent rise I'm
rates which in few days took cents
a bushel from the price the farmer got
for his grain. Ina cents a bushel
all goes to railroad nagnates. The
price did not fall that much in Chi
cago, but in Nebraska. 1t was direct
tribute laid upon the farmers of this
state. 1t was simply an order issued
by the great magnates in New York
that the farmers of Nebraska should
pay them an additional tribute on all
the grain that they shipped out of the
state. The action was taken because
the magnates thought that ten or fif-
teen thousand populists would stay at
home and not vote this year the same
as they did last year.
There is where the danger lies. Only
10000 populists out OF the 10000 in
this state take The Independent. The
result is that about 10000 of them are
very imperfectly acquainted with the
facts. They do not realize that the
railroads have a cunningly planned
scheme to get the control of the SUI
preme court, and finally wreck every
farmers elevator l.. this state. They
know that they cannot do it if Judge
Sullivan remains on the supreme
bench. Count up how much the rail-
roads can afford to expend in an cleo
ton that will continue tribute of 4
cents bushel on all the grain shipped
out of the state. How much will the
elevator trust expend to preserve it's
monopoly? In view of the enormous
amount of money at stake for the
farmers Of this state it is a wonder
that there is not populist meeting in
every school house in the state every
night in the week.