Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-12
TWO POINTED EPISTLES.
The railroads or the People.

YORK, Neb. Feb. 10, 19O3.-To the Editor
OF The Bee: II is a foregone conclusion
that IL rests with our present legislature
whether in 1904 there shall be one re-
publican party In the state Of Nebraska or
there shall be two? 1t is for them to say.
THE voice Of the people is the voice OF
Cod We demand that the railroads pay
their honest share Of taxes in the same
proportion that other citizens pay. Is that
asking for more than the constitution itself
says they shall do?
We demand that they be compelled to
live up to the agreement in their charter,
/. e., they shall not discriminate. Are they
fulfilling their part of the contract, and is
the public fulfilling theirs? Let us ex-
anime ourselves and let them examine
themselves.
We said we would make it possible for
them to procure the right of way through
any farm. and II there could be no agree
ment as to price for damage it should be
condemned and appraised. Have we full
filled that contract? Yes. We voted
thousands, yes, hundreds OF thousands of
bonds to aid them in building their roads.
We agreed to lay taxes on our farms to
raise the money. Have we, and are we full
filling our promises? Yes. The railroad
said, you fulfill your part Of the contract
and we will build the road. We will not
discriminate against anyone. All shall
have the same rights and privileges. We
are here to serve the public. Every citi-
zen has a perfect right to hire a car TO
ship his freight. Have they fulfilled their
part OF the contract? Let us see and let
them answer for themselves.
They have entered into an unholy con-
spiracy with the grain trust not to grant
anyone outside the grain trust the right to
build elevators or warehouses on their
side tracks. They do not stop there, but
refuse to furnish cars to ship grain unless
you have an elevator and refuse to grant a
site to build the elevator. OF course, the
consequence is you have to sell to the
grain trust, and IL in some accountable
way a car should be had the grain trust
won't handle 1t at the other end. 1t looks
like the railroad officials are in the elevator
business themselves.
II they can break their contract, are we
in duty bound to keep ours? Now, we are
not asking them to lower freight rates.
We are Just asking the rights that other
citizens have, but the voice Of the people
will prevail II we have to sweep the state
house from top to bottom, for we know
there are enough clean republicans, demo-
Gratis and populists in the state to carry
out any measure that asks nothing but
justice and equality. We can all agree on
these points and they will not need a Bald
win to tell them what they want.
When bill No. 20 is in the hands Of the
senate committee we demand a hearing be-
fore said committee. We also demand our
present legislature, II they wish to serve
their constituents for the greatest amount of
good to the greatest number, hat they in
vestigate and see whether there lis and has
been a grain trust to rob the farmer Of
the fruits of his toll, as they. with the rail-
road, have taken from the farmer the rights
Of an American citizen so he cannot sell
the fruits of his labor to whom he chooses.
We wish an investigation at once.
A FARMER,